The Last of New Zealand

I wanted to recap my last few months in New Zealand.  I have a tendency to get caught up in work and not tell y'all what I have been up to.

 The Vineyard

If you remember the last Waiheke post, we had just finished pruning.  Next was the dirty work: tearing out one of our blocks.  The plants in this block had leafroll and were 16 years old, so the bosses decided it was time for them to go.  So Mario and Corey removed all the vines and left just the heads.  They did this while I was on my North Island adventure.  I’m sure the boys enjoyed it.  When I came back we had naked plants and a giant pile of vines all bundled up and stacked.

              

Our job now was to dig up the root system a little bit, attach a chain to the plants and tear them out with a tractor.  It was hard work, but good work.  Corey or Nicky was always doing the tractor work.  Mike, Donnah and I got to dig up the plants and attach the chains.  We had over 20,000 vines to pull out and it took over a month.  It didn’t help we had to work around the rain, but when we finished it was satisfying.  The empty wires and tore up ground was so different from the rest of the blocks.  I guess Goldie is going to let it lay fallow for year before they replant.  It’s supposed to be good for the soil.  Also who wants to rip out a block and replant it in the same year?  We don’t got time for that.

We were waiting for the vines to start growing.  So in-between the leaves growing we got to weed, by hand, and bud rub.  Bud rubbing might be the worst job ever.  Raking was boring, pulling out the old vines was strenuous, but this job was boring and spent all bent over.  In the beginning we devised a system so that we could do squats and lunges while working.  It only worked for about half the row before I just bent over and hurt my back all over again.

When the plants started to grow we had to go through and tuck the longer vines under the wires by hand.  When they got even longer we would work in teams and have to lift the wires up and out (out of the clips) over the long tendrils and clip them back in.  This whole time you do this you try not to decapitate vines, or just rip them off the base.  This happens to me all the time.  One my very last day when we were tucking the long vines in the syrah the wire broke.  Donnah and I both fell on our asses.  I was just stunned.  I didn’t even know that could happen.  The perfect ending to my last day.

               

 Also when there was extra time in the vineyard I got to plant Alyssum under two of the rows.  This plant is supposed to be beneficial, much like roses.  It attracts wasps (why is this good), creates a ground cover under the plants to prevent harmful weeds from growing and….  I wont be there to see the mature plants.  I just got to plant the seedlings and hope that they don’t all get eaten by pukekos.

    

planting alyssum

beautiful spring

           

The New House

 Between all this work I got to move into the most splendid house.  Sarah returned to England and asked me to house/cat sit for her while I was gone.  I jumped on the opportunity.  She just lives in the nicest place.  It’s at the bottom end of the island were not many people live.  She even lives on a dirt road.  There aren’t even buses.  So you have to have your own transportation.  I’m so happy I got to watch this place for 3 months.  Let me give you a tour. 

My lunches

My outhouse

The compost

 The laundry water and the line.

 In and around the neighborhood.  Most of my neighbors are sheep.

This is Paw Paw, the cat I was watching.

I'd show you more pictures, but I was in too much of a rush before I left to get decent ones.  You'll just have to use your imagination of a little country house, next to an open field with a nice porch.  It was magical.

Wedding Season

Wedding season was also starting up again.  That means after 5 days of work in the Vineyard I would work a long day on Friday (a double shift essentially) then work a 12-16 hour shift on Saturday.  It was tiring but fun. 

I did my usual; helping move furniture and cleaning, but only a little bit.   Lesley, the boss and chef of the Goldie Room, stole me for the kitchen.  I think this was mainly because I love baking, but she was also a little short on help.  I liked the kitchen side of it.  No more forced smiles, or almost dropping glasses.  Plus I got to nibble all day.  Taste testing is essential to good food.  Lesley was a lovely boss to work for.  I’m sad and happy I will be missing the wedding season.  I love the people and work, but I’m pretty sure I would have burnt myself out working the two jobs.

The newest addition to the family

The biggest lemon ever!!!

Gorgeous and delicious wedding cake.

ART

I also started my art project right before I left for Queenstown.  We had all the discarded vines from the block that we ripped out.  I knew I wanted to do something with it and I kind a just let it grow organically.  I hardly ever plan my artwork anymore.  I weaved the vine together and slowly created a structure.  I made little windows, arches and doorways.  In the end it turned into a maze for children, because I’m short all the walls were about four feet high.

Goodbyes

The last week in New Zealand was full.  This is the way it always works; isn’t it?  goodbyes

But the goodbye yumminess started before the last week.  Nicky cooked more than a few things.

afgan cookies I had been begging for.

scotched eggs wrapped in bacon with slaw, salad and garlic bread.

I had a Halloween party at Charlotte's and it was fabulous.  I got to be Rosie the Riveter.  I've wanted to be her for years.  Ever since Miranda was Rosie a few years back.  i think we both rocked it.  Maybe a little too much rocking because I went to work with a hangover.

Me!

My sister a few years ago.

The rest of the week was spent trying to sell my scooter, which I finally did on my last day of work.

goodbye scoot scoot!

  Then the work crew had afternoon coffee one day, afternoon beers the next day.

And the last day of work Leslie and Henierich arranged a work party disguising a going away.   It was very touching.  Usually going away parties are not organized.  I loved seeing everyone for the last time, chatting and drinking Heinrich’s beer.  We had the classic fish and chips on newspaper.

The next day (I know that there are a lot of next days) Nicky arranged eggs beni with just the vineyard crew.  It was delicious and another good time.  I feel like we were all just extending the goodbye a bit longer.  I’m going to miss working with all my lovely people.  I’ve made such good friends, it was so hard to leave.

I said my last goodbyes and Jim and Jane (my landlords and neighbors) took me to ferry terminal.  Goodbye Waiheke.

the bags after 14 months of travel

bye

bye bye

Mike picked me up from the ferry terminal and I got to see his beautiful house.  We drink wine talked most of the night and then had to wake up bright and early to catch my flight.  

I really am blessed with the friends I have made.  They take such good care of me. 

It still hasn’t sunk in I’m gone.