Alright guys, I noe it's been a pretty long long time i've updated this blog.
things are getting on great here.
we started on our tour last saturday by driving up from hastings to auckland.
we met john there and stayed at shane hse for 4 nites in auckland.
John is a fren we met in hastings and he's really a ncie guy. Shane is his host father he met in auckland.
anyway in auckand, we tried to sell our car, visited auckland city centre and mt eden, and mt rangitoto.
car not sold, so we are still travelling on it. auckland city centre is just like dominated by asians, freaking lots.
then wednesday, we travelled from auckland to waitomo caves and see glowworms.then at nite we reached rotorua the place full of hydrogen sulphides that makes this place like a rotten egg. it's actually the geothermal activity that causes all this steam and smell.
so yep we did white water rafting this morning and had a flipping good time. literally, cos we went down this 7m waterfall and flipped. in a split sec, i was paddling then i sat down and held onto the ropes, then i fell into water then i drank some water then i was under the raft then i was able to breathe under the raft then, i ducked under to exit out of the raft and water current was strong so i drank some more water then i managed to come out and finally the ordeal was over, all members were safely outside the capsized raft. phew, real cool.
tml we will be gg zorb the big bouncy thing and some wildlife park then to taupo! the home of the jets and skyDIVE!!!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Chapter 3: first post in NZ
I think it is along long time since we have updated this blog.
It has been almost a month since we have been here in New Zealand. Life is pretty much a hectic and bumpy one.
When we first reached Tauranga, we stayed at Ann’s house, a place where Jiahua’s brother lived last time when he was here. There were some Italians, English and Japanese. They were all doing Kiwi thinning. And we were told there were no slots for us to do it. The first week’s weather was bad too, raining almost everyday meaning there was no work for them too. Luckily during mid-week, some people left and we have got jobs on Saturday. So we went with them to do a $12 an hour Kiwi thinning. You see, it was not Kiwi harvest season in February so we only did thinning, which was just to pluck the deformed, tiny, or kiwis-not-suited-to-my-eyes-liking.
Towards the end of Feb, we were told again there will be a lull till mid-March when Kiwi harvesting will take place. That means 3 weeks of doing NOTHING! That means NO MONEY. That’s very sad. For the starting period in NZ, we found out that we could use a pre-pay SIM card with $0 balance to access the internet. So we found another job in Hastings and we quickly booked bus ticks to there and started on our next journey. But unfortunately, Vodafone seems to discover this plot of us and I believe many others out there so they rectified the problem and there was no more free internet.
On 1 March, we began a long journey to Hastings, for Apples picking. We reached the place, a farm stay place. With a common toilet and kitchen, people either chose sleeping in a tent or car which is cheaper or in a room shared with others just to enjoy the bed. Of course we had no tent or car; we had to sleep in the room. The next day, we started work immediately at the apples orchard. The rate is by bins. A bin cost $30 and depending on your speed how fast you can pick the apples. It is tough job. You have to climb ladders to reach for the higher apples, carry a bag in front of you to contain the apples, then unload them into the bins, sometimes being poked by the thorns of apple trees. I just found out that apples are actually part of the Rose family so freaking hell there’s THORNS. KNN! Pain.
On the following Monday, we started night shift work at ENZA packhouse. It was a nice place, warm, and slack job. There the rate was $11.50 an hour. Basically we were just packing the apples, grading them a bit, then put them on the purple trays you see in markets and load them into a carton. So this life continued for a week plus, picking apples in the day and doing packhouse at night.
But we began to realise we have no bloody talents in picking apples. Our speed is like half the speed of others. One person can fill one bin almost the same time we two persons fill one bin. So we decided it was time we are gonna find another job. Through some contacts and new friends made here, we found a grape picking job at vineyards. Okay, Hastings is located at Hawke’s Bay, the second largest region in NZ that produces wine. So there is lots of grapes picking job. The pay is $12.50 an hour. Much simpler job, no climbing, just squatting and snipping off grapes from the vines, and transporting them into a tractor that is just nearby of you. The only down side is your hands get real real sticky from all the ultra sweet grape juices. I tell you, though the grapes are tiny, they pack a punch of sweet juice. And the boss told us, the grapes that we were picking are made into chardonnay, and cost about $100 a bottle. Haha, I can’t afford to drink that wine.
So now, we also bought a car, a 1987 Honda Accord, for $950. Yes no COE, no other bloody tax shit, no ERP. It’s great course, we have to travel to work and with that car it’s so convenient. And also, we found out of a house that has free internet so right now we are parking our car outside the house, “stealing” the internet and posting this blog.
Personal Feelings:
Man U is good now man, top of the table, entered Champs league Quarter finals and vs Roma.
The bloody JI guy still not kenna caught yet. BOO!
Yay, Singapore won the YOG bid.
I miss my family and her and all my friends. This trip is my longest period out of Singapore, been adapting quite hard to it at first.
Ciao (like what all the Czechs say)
Happy Good Friday and Easter holiday. (it’s another bloody long weekend here, we have no work from Friday to Monday F***)
Ps: I think the blog title doesn’t suit what we are doing now haha!
It has been almost a month since we have been here in New Zealand. Life is pretty much a hectic and bumpy one.
When we first reached Tauranga, we stayed at Ann’s house, a place where Jiahua’s brother lived last time when he was here. There were some Italians, English and Japanese. They were all doing Kiwi thinning. And we were told there were no slots for us to do it. The first week’s weather was bad too, raining almost everyday meaning there was no work for them too. Luckily during mid-week, some people left and we have got jobs on Saturday. So we went with them to do a $12 an hour Kiwi thinning. You see, it was not Kiwi harvest season in February so we only did thinning, which was just to pluck the deformed, tiny, or kiwis-not-suited-to-my-eyes-liking.
Towards the end of Feb, we were told again there will be a lull till mid-March when Kiwi harvesting will take place. That means 3 weeks of doing NOTHING! That means NO MONEY. That’s very sad. For the starting period in NZ, we found out that we could use a pre-pay SIM card with $0 balance to access the internet. So we found another job in Hastings and we quickly booked bus ticks to there and started on our next journey. But unfortunately, Vodafone seems to discover this plot of us and I believe many others out there so they rectified the problem and there was no more free internet.
On 1 March, we began a long journey to Hastings, for Apples picking. We reached the place, a farm stay place. With a common toilet and kitchen, people either chose sleeping in a tent or car which is cheaper or in a room shared with others just to enjoy the bed. Of course we had no tent or car; we had to sleep in the room. The next day, we started work immediately at the apples orchard. The rate is by bins. A bin cost $30 and depending on your speed how fast you can pick the apples. It is tough job. You have to climb ladders to reach for the higher apples, carry a bag in front of you to contain the apples, then unload them into the bins, sometimes being poked by the thorns of apple trees. I just found out that apples are actually part of the Rose family so freaking hell there’s THORNS. KNN! Pain.
On the following Monday, we started night shift work at ENZA packhouse. It was a nice place, warm, and slack job. There the rate was $11.50 an hour. Basically we were just packing the apples, grading them a bit, then put them on the purple trays you see in markets and load them into a carton. So this life continued for a week plus, picking apples in the day and doing packhouse at night.
But we began to realise we have no bloody talents in picking apples. Our speed is like half the speed of others. One person can fill one bin almost the same time we two persons fill one bin. So we decided it was time we are gonna find another job. Through some contacts and new friends made here, we found a grape picking job at vineyards. Okay, Hastings is located at Hawke’s Bay, the second largest region in NZ that produces wine. So there is lots of grapes picking job. The pay is $12.50 an hour. Much simpler job, no climbing, just squatting and snipping off grapes from the vines, and transporting them into a tractor that is just nearby of you. The only down side is your hands get real real sticky from all the ultra sweet grape juices. I tell you, though the grapes are tiny, they pack a punch of sweet juice. And the boss told us, the grapes that we were picking are made into chardonnay, and cost about $100 a bottle. Haha, I can’t afford to drink that wine.
So now, we also bought a car, a 1987 Honda Accord, for $950. Yes no COE, no other bloody tax shit, no ERP. It’s great course, we have to travel to work and with that car it’s so convenient. And also, we found out of a house that has free internet so right now we are parking our car outside the house, “stealing” the internet and posting this blog.
Personal Feelings:
Man U is good now man, top of the table, entered Champs league Quarter finals and vs Roma.
The bloody JI guy still not kenna caught yet. BOO!
Yay, Singapore won the YOG bid.
I miss my family and her and all my friends. This trip is my longest period out of Singapore, been adapting quite hard to it at first.
Ciao (like what all the Czechs say)
Happy Good Friday and Easter holiday. (it’s another bloody long weekend here, we have no work from Friday to Monday F***)
Ps: I think the blog title doesn’t suit what we are doing now haha!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Chapter 2: Plan to Greerton
Ok, right, I just came back from my Taiwan/HK 6 days trip. Checked my e-mail, I saw the reply from NZ immigration service. My Working Holiday Visa is approved! Yay! After the chest-cells-killing experience from TB x-ray, which was proven clear, they approved it! Yay.
So now, the flight is confirmed on 18feb and we are settling on plans once we arrive in Auckland. Jiahua has contacted a friend there and most probably we’re going to stay in her house. Her house is mostly catered for people like us on backpacking trips. We have also gotten contacts of the Kiwi farm owner and waiting for his reply. And apparently there’s a MacDonald beside her house so we could work at night some days to earn more money.
So when we arrive, we will take the Airport shuttle to Auckland City, jalan a bit and catch a afternoon bus to Greerton, Tauranga by Nakedbus. There we will king kong with Jiahua’s friend and possibly spend the first of 3-plus months’ night there.
Time to start scouring for good insurance deals.
Oh yea, and I have to e-notify Mindef.
Talala…
So now, the flight is confirmed on 18feb and we are settling on plans once we arrive in Auckland. Jiahua has contacted a friend there and most probably we’re going to stay in her house. Her house is mostly catered for people like us on backpacking trips. We have also gotten contacts of the Kiwi farm owner and waiting for his reply. And apparently there’s a MacDonald beside her house so we could work at night some days to earn more money.
So when we arrive, we will take the Airport shuttle to Auckland City, jalan a bit and catch a afternoon bus to Greerton, Tauranga by Nakedbus. There we will king kong with Jiahua’s friend and possibly spend the first of 3-plus months’ night there.
Time to start scouring for good insurance deals.
Oh yea, and I have to e-notify Mindef.
Talala…
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Chapter 1: Visa and Air Tickets
Hey all, I am Jim. Haha.. In case you are wondering what this is about, please read the description above.
One day in camp, Jiahua told me about his brother’s adventures to NZ about his working and backpacking, that got me real interested, real excited. I knew I wanted to do this and he presented a chance. So more talking, more discussions, resulted to what’s going to happen a month later.
A simple backpacking trip is hard to plan, not to say for us, which we are doing a working holiday for 4 months in NZ. What is exactly working holiday? It is a scheme that the Immigration Service of NZ comes up with, and given to 200 Singaporeans every year. We will be allowed to work officially in NZ for 12 months and in legal terms, our pay will be subjected to their taxes. They have pretty strict rules about working down there so it is a must to get a visa/permit. This visa can only be applied once in a lifetime. Right now, my visa is being accessed while Jiahua’s approved. Hope so by next week they will approve mine too.
And finally after much scouring, we have sourced for the cheapest flight to NZ. We will be flying on a British Airways flight to Sydney then Auckland operated on a Qantas flight. Why we do not buy from Qantas, because it’s more expensive. Don’t ask me why, I also don’t know. So we’re leaving on 18Feb night on flight BA7306. It will be a long 4 month’s time spent there, with the first 3 and half months working and another half a month touring down NZ. We will then fly back from Christchurch and reaching back Singapore on 18Jun. we have managed to contact someone there who is able to secure us jobs, which is Kiwi Plucking (that explains why the title of the blog is that). From March to May, it is the Hot Season for Kiwi Harvesting so that’s where our hands come into play.
I will constantly update this place throughout the 4 months, putting up pictures on facebook (blogger quite slow sia) and just bleap about. I’m sure this blog will serve us great memories and it shall be my start to many more backpacking trips during University and before I start climbing the corporate ladder.
Stay tunes….
One day in camp, Jiahua told me about his brother’s adventures to NZ about his working and backpacking, that got me real interested, real excited. I knew I wanted to do this and he presented a chance. So more talking, more discussions, resulted to what’s going to happen a month later.
A simple backpacking trip is hard to plan, not to say for us, which we are doing a working holiday for 4 months in NZ. What is exactly working holiday? It is a scheme that the Immigration Service of NZ comes up with, and given to 200 Singaporeans every year. We will be allowed to work officially in NZ for 12 months and in legal terms, our pay will be subjected to their taxes. They have pretty strict rules about working down there so it is a must to get a visa/permit. This visa can only be applied once in a lifetime. Right now, my visa is being accessed while Jiahua’s approved. Hope so by next week they will approve mine too.
And finally after much scouring, we have sourced for the cheapest flight to NZ. We will be flying on a British Airways flight to Sydney then Auckland operated on a Qantas flight. Why we do not buy from Qantas, because it’s more expensive. Don’t ask me why, I also don’t know. So we’re leaving on 18Feb night on flight BA7306. It will be a long 4 month’s time spent there, with the first 3 and half months working and another half a month touring down NZ. We will then fly back from Christchurch and reaching back Singapore on 18Jun. we have managed to contact someone there who is able to secure us jobs, which is Kiwi Plucking (that explains why the title of the blog is that). From March to May, it is the Hot Season for Kiwi Harvesting so that’s where our hands come into play.
I will constantly update this place throughout the 4 months, putting up pictures on facebook (blogger quite slow sia) and just bleap about. I’m sure this blog will serve us great memories and it shall be my start to many more backpacking trips during University and before I start climbing the corporate ladder.
Stay tunes….
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