TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT!!!!!

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF WORK AND GREAT PEOPLE WE MET WHILE WE WERE THERE.

I HATE APRICOTS...

SO WEVE BEEN PICKING APRICOTS FOR A WEEK NOW AND MAKING PRETTY GOOD $ AT IT. ALTHOUGH I DIDNT REALIZE WHAT I WAS IN FOR. WE WAKE UP AT 6A AND ARE AT WORK BY 7A. THEN 30 PLUS PEOPLE PILE INTO 1-3 CARS/TRUCKS AND WE HEAD FOR THE TREES. WERE PACKED IN LIKE SARDINES...SERIOUSLY. THEN BY 730A WERE PICKING FRUIT. WE CARRY HARVEST BAGS ON OUR CHESTS THAT HOLD 40KILOS, THEN WE DUMP THAT INTO A BIN THAT HOLDS 240KILOS. WE WORK TIL ABOUT 430 OR 530. BY THIS TIME WEVE BEEN WORKING FOR 5 HOURS IN THE BLAZING HEAT 29-3C. ALTHOUGH HARD WORK ITS LOTS OF FUN ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYONE STARTS GOING A LITTLE CRAZY IN THE ORCHARD, AND MAYHEM BREAKS OUT. WE HEAD BACK TO OUR 5 STAR HOTEL...AKA CAMPGROUND W/O SHOWER AND MY FAV LONG DROP TOILETS. BY THIS TIME EVERYONE IS OFFF WORK AND READY FOR SOME BEERS. ITS LIKE A SMALL VILLAGE, EVERYONE LOOKING OUT FOR EVERYONE. HAZEL AND GORDON ARE THE HOSTS, AND EVERYONES MUM AND DAD. ITS BEEN GREAT MEETING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. HAZEL TOLD US THERE ARE 16 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES STAYING THERE. O0H YEAH...NEW YORK, CALI, AND WASHIGTON ARE ALL DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES. SHE STILL THINKS WERE FROM WASHINGTON DC, AFTER 4 TIMES OF TELLING HER WASHINGTON STATE.
LOVE TO ALL...

work work work

Tommorrow we start work in an orchard for a couple of weeks. It will be a new experience. The lotus flower keeps coming to mind. You have to dig your way through all the muck in order to blossom. It's amazing that we've come so far and ridden so many miles. I know that together we can do just about anything.

COMFORT...

AFTER A MONTH OF SLEEPING ON THE GROUND IN OUR TENT AND ABOUT TWO WEEKS WITH BATHING IN RIVERS, SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN AND COLD BEACH SHOWERS, A REAL HOT SHOWER. WE TRIED TO GET SOME WORK ON THE OTAGO PEN, BUT THEY DIDNT NEED ANY. THEY OFFERED US A SMALL COTTAGE FOR $25 A NIGHT. WERE STAYING THERE TWO NIGHTS AND TOMORROW (SUN) WE ON THE TRAIN HEADING WEST TO MEET UP WITH THE OTAGO RAIL TRAIL. ITS A BIKE/WALKING TRAIL THAT RUNS ALONG THE OLD RAIL LINE. IT WILL BRING US INTO CLYDE RIGHT OUTSIDE OF CROMWELL, WHICH IS JUST EAST OF QUEESNTOWN. FINALLY TO THE WEST COAST TO SEE UNTOUCHED LANDS AND BEATUIFUL SUNSETS.
TODAY WERE OFF THE BIKES AND TOOK THE BUS FROM THE PEN TO THE CITY OF DUNEDIN. WENT TO THE MARKET, NOW INTERENETING, BREWERY, CADBURY (MAYBE), GROC SHOP ETC. THEN BACK TO THE PEN TO HOPEFULLY SEE SOME ALBATROSS. THE OTHER NIGHT WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET ABOUT 4FT FROM THE WORLD RAREST PENGUIN...THE YELLOW EYED. I'LL POST PICS ONCE WE GET TO A COMPUTER FOR THAT.
WERE STILL TRYING ON WORK. WETHER ITS TRADE FOR ACC AND FOOD, OR MONEY. IT WOULD HELP US OUT FINANCIALLY, BUT EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE FINE RIGHT NOW. APPARENTLY THERE IS LOTS OF FRUIT PICKING WORK IN THE CROMWELL AREA. WERE FINE, IT WOULD JUST HELP A BIT...
LOVE TO ALL

no pics today

WE are in a small town called hampden and on our way to dunedin. It's still about 2-3days ahead of us. Today we saw some dolphins and hopefully we can get some pics of them later on and today we are off to shagg point to see the yellow eyed penguins. We are both more alive than ever and doing well despite the heat(35C+). Sorry just had to brag about the beautiful weather.

4 DAYS ALL TERRAIN AND WEATHER

WE ARRIVED IN THE SOUTH ISLAND DEC 31 07. WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE MAP AND DECIDED TO GO THE COASTAL ROAD WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE SCENIC...THAT IT WAS BUT THE WORST FUCKING TERRAIN...IT TOOK US TWO DAYS TO GO 45K. IT WAS ALMOST ALL A STEEP UPHILL AND REALLY LOOSE GRAVEL ROAD. WE WALKED UP THE MOUNTAIN MOST OF THE TIME AND GOING DOWN WE WERE ON OUR BRAKES DODGING ROCK AND THE LIKE. AFTER THE TWO DAYS OF BITCHING AND SCREAMING BY ME (LAUREN) WE FINALLY MADE IT TO BLENHEIM. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE RODE IN THE BLAZING SUN TRHOUGH DESERTOUS HILLS TO A PLACE CALLED PEDDALERS REST 50K. THE NEXT MORNING WE WOKE TO RAIN AND GOT ON OUR BIKES AND RODE ANOTHER 77K TO KIAKOURA TO SEE SOME WHALES. WE HAVENT SEEN ANY YET BUT TONS OF SEALS. WEVE PRETTY MUCH RIDDEN THE ENTIRE KIAKOURA COAST. ITS BEATUIFUL, AS YOU CAN SEE...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

TOP TO BOTTOM.
NEW YEAR EVE JUST SOUTH OF PICTON ON A BAY. ONCE WE GOT THERE WE LOUGED ALL DAY. I THINK WE MADE IT TIL 10:30 MAYBE 11.
ROTORUA THERMAL AREA. THATS THE STEAM AND SMELLS OF SULFUR. ITS IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN IN A PARK. LEGEND HAS IT...A MAORI WOMAN USED TO BATHE THERE EVERY DAY AND A SERPENT GOD TYPE THING KIDNAPPED HER TO HIS LAIR. HER HUSBAND THE PUT A SPELL ON THE LAKE TO MAKE IT OF BOILING TEMPS TO RID THE SERPENT. THATS WHY ITS SO ACTIVE.
HOT WATER BEACH THE DAY WE GOT THERE. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE WERE COMPLETELY RAINED OUT.
COROMANDEL TO WHITIANGA THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS.