I'm a Willing Worker On Organic Farms and I'm heading to my third today.
My first wwoofing experience was in Silverdale, North Auckland with the Kettles at Vedic Academy Produce. It's a property with three houses and the meditation temple. They practice Transcendental Meditation, but I didn't get an opportunity to learn much about it. It's from India, and I think the Beatles were into it. I did get to do a lot of gardening, weeding, and helped making a path in the "bush". I planted kumara, a sort of sweet potato brought to NZ by the indigenous Maori, basil, corn, leeks and other veggies. We made a hot compost pile with grass clippings, manure, and garden waste. We probably should have added more carbon as it was getting too hot at 70 degrees Celsius, potentially destroying valuable nitrogen! I participated in Betsy's horticulture and permaculture classes, helping to make some raised garden beds with native ponga fern tree trunks.
In my off time, I visited some parks and enjoyed the wonderful native flora and fauna. The bird life is incredible, as NZ has evolved seperately from the rest of the world and without land mammals until approximately 900 years ago. The Tui has a birdsong reminiscent of an Aphex Twin track. Fantails fearlessly follow you, darting about to scavenge insects you may have stirred up walking. Unfortunately the introduction of possums, stoats, cats, dogs and other animals have decimated the bird population, and most of the native bush has been cleared for pastureland for sheep and cattle.
I'm finishing up my stay at my second WWOOF host today in Mangawhai. Jennifer and Marvin are an older couple, but they still have plenty of energy to run Olive Branch Farm. I've been hauling plenty of olive branches around, as the trees were overgrown and needed lots of pruning. I also planted some lettuce, weeded, trimmed, and fed goats. There are four adult goats and seven kids here, and they are damn adorable. 11 goats are a lot of work, and I think Marvin might regret getting them a bit... Marvin is from the U.S. and lived for quite a while in Washington State. Jennifer is a native kiwi, but has lived in San Francisco, Philadelphia and WA where she met Marvin. I had some great conversations with them discussing politics, philosophy and life.
On my day off yesterday I visited Goat Island, a marine reserve with no goats present. I snorkeled and saw some rays (mantas?), red mokis and other fish.
One consequence of my skipping over to the southern hemisphere has been my having to experience my spring allergies for the second time this year. The snot has really been flowing at times, and it's not yet December, the equivalent of June in the north and the worst month for me... Sigh.
Today I'm headed to my next WWOOF host in Kohukohu, driving up through old Kauri forest and on the ferry across the Hokianga Harbor.
My first wwoofing experience was in Silverdale, North Auckland with the Kettles at Vedic Academy Produce. It's a property with three houses and the meditation temple. They practice Transcendental Meditation, but I didn't get an opportunity to learn much about it. It's from India, and I think the Beatles were into it. I did get to do a lot of gardening, weeding, and helped making a path in the "bush". I planted kumara, a sort of sweet potato brought to NZ by the indigenous Maori, basil, corn, leeks and other veggies. We made a hot compost pile with grass clippings, manure, and garden waste. We probably should have added more carbon as it was getting too hot at 70 degrees Celsius, potentially destroying valuable nitrogen! I participated in Betsy's horticulture and permaculture classes, helping to make some raised garden beds with native ponga fern tree trunks.
In my off time, I visited some parks and enjoyed the wonderful native flora and fauna. The bird life is incredible, as NZ has evolved seperately from the rest of the world and without land mammals until approximately 900 years ago. The Tui has a birdsong reminiscent of an Aphex Twin track. Fantails fearlessly follow you, darting about to scavenge insects you may have stirred up walking. Unfortunately the introduction of possums, stoats, cats, dogs and other animals have decimated the bird population, and most of the native bush has been cleared for pastureland for sheep and cattle.
I'm finishing up my stay at my second WWOOF host today in Mangawhai. Jennifer and Marvin are an older couple, but they still have plenty of energy to run Olive Branch Farm. I've been hauling plenty of olive branches around, as the trees were overgrown and needed lots of pruning. I also planted some lettuce, weeded, trimmed, and fed goats. There are four adult goats and seven kids here, and they are damn adorable. 11 goats are a lot of work, and I think Marvin might regret getting them a bit... Marvin is from the U.S. and lived for quite a while in Washington State. Jennifer is a native kiwi, but has lived in San Francisco, Philadelphia and WA where she met Marvin. I had some great conversations with them discussing politics, philosophy and life. 
I think I speak for everyone when I bemoan the dearth of goat photos. Don't hold out on us, Alex! How about some sleeping goats or nursing kids?!
ReplyDeleteHa! Seriously, though, I hope you're having a great time. Happy travels.
Richard