From the East Side to the West Side

I left Opotiki a week ago, after a month's of work without a day's rest. From kiwi picking to working at a packhouse grading, sorting and packing, I have seen everything there is regarding those fuzzy little fruits. It was time to move on.

 

My journey around the East Cape took four days, across remote countryside between coastal waves, crop fields and cattle. The farmland here has passed through Maori families for hundreds of years. Every few kilometers, you would see a red wooden structure, ornately carved with Maori designs. These were places of worship, remembrance, or spiritual significance.

 

On the third day, I could not go on, as the rain was too heavy. But I happened upon a Swiss girl, who kept me company for the day. She was going to Te Urewera National Park the next day, and I decided to follow her there. After a hectic month working, I missed the wilderness and peacefulness of nature. So I wandered around Lake Waikaremoana, experiencing this spiritual place for the Maori. Two days later, I found my way to Napier, a bright coastal city, with architecture and atmosphere that brought you back to the 1920s.

 

From the East Side to the West Side, here you find me now in small town Inglewood, beneath a towering volcano on the West Coast. It is certainly winter now. The weather has turned to frequent cold, wet, and windy days. Rain pours down in waterfalls. And disappointment falls.

 

I had planned since October to come here, the Taranaki Environment Center, to work on some sustainability projects. But for the last week, my contact person seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Without anywhere else to go, I showed up at the Taranaki Environment Center steps, with my large backpack and without a place to stay. To my relief, the couple running the place gave me a roof over my head for the next few days. It's another one of those nonstop rainy days, and who knows where the traveling bee will take me tomorrow…

an update?? of sorts

oh dear, it must certainly have seemed that i disappeared from the face of this earth. where shall i begin...how bout february?

february: i left crazy new age lady's place in takaka as i didn't like her very much, and her hospitality was awful. i mean, who puts a sign on the toilet that says 'don't flush for wees, piss in the garden if you can'? if you are afraid of running out of water, at least tell us nicely. We’re not even working for money.

next i went to the King's home also in takaka hoping for a better Wwoof experience. their property was right on the beach, with a few sheep, goats, and funny chickens that roamed around the bushes. a young german couple, Jochen and Ute, lived there as well. they first came as Wwoofers a few years ago, and now they are staying on the forever! they were Chemistry PhDs in academia back in Germany, and now Jochen is simply the local piano/music teacher, and Ute works at the organic shop. what a change of lifestyle. I worked for the Kings everyday, mostly in the garden, but also helped with building projects on the property, such as a wooden shed and an adobe outdoor shower. As the Kings were very musical people, I joined them every week at their World Music Choir, learning songs from Africa, Europe, and Asia.

march: went back to Nelson to hit the Flat Out Ultimate frisbee beach tournament. not terribly surprised to find tons of Americans there. played the first day in POURING cold rain, and covered in sand from head to toe. our team (go red cannons!) placed 4th overall. then i was finally ready to start my journey of discovering New Zealand's wilderness. For the next month and a half, it was just me, my tent, and the vast New Zealand landscape.

from the top...Kahurangi National Park - sweeping river valleys and lush green range; Abel Tasman National Park - sandy beaches, pirate coves

down the west coast...Paparoa National Park - crashing waves, magnificent coastline, towering limestone cliffs, palm forests, dense jungles

up into the Southern Alps...Arthurs Pass National Park - alpine mountains extending beyond the horizon topped with gray shale

further down the west coast...glacier country and Mt. Aspiring National Park - farmland stretched far and wide with snow capped mountain backdrops, bright turqoise waters flowing out in waterfalls, rivers, and lakes

the South...Fiordland National Park - winding through valleys so deep and surreal, a fantasy land where you are surrounded by castles, fortresses, sparkling fountains, and magical forests

Land of the Rising Sun

After a long hiatus, a short passage.

 

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A glimpse of light peeked out from the clouded horizon. The coastline flooded with light. The ocean, the green blades of grass, and the small hills awoke. This was the first light of Sunday June 15.

 

I sat in the middle of the deserted farmland, looking past the soft waves, and out into the rising sun. I fell deep into thought, of all that destiny has brought to me, and all that destiny has in store for me to come. There was a longing for the past and worries about the uncertain future. I left Opotiki behind, as well as all the Malaysians that had become my brothers and sisters in the past month. We are settling down in our lives, growing older and it is almost certain we will never enjoy each other's company in the same way again.

 

But looking out at the ocean panorama again, I felt better. I was at the East Cape, the first place in the world to see sunrise. There was the big wide world—the world that keeps on turning, the world that brings me to new people and adventures. And there was the bright rising sun that overwhelmed the dark cloud patches that covered it. And there was the sky decorated in a palette of clouds. There I was surrounded by broad green countryside. I let the last month run through my head one last time—lost things, broken things, anger, the sky is falling down, sadness, laughter, leaning on shoulders, sharing difficulties, mouthfuls of kiwifruit, and knowing smiles. The sun was up now. I stood up and turned to put my tent away.