Were WOOFERS Not Dogs

Written by Christopher Ford (c.ford@mcrmail.com)


Ruapehu Farm Stay – New Zealand Farm Stay

PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT AUTHORS PERMISSION

Date 30 October 2003 AuthorChristopher Ford Contact c.ford@mcrmail.com WERE WOOFERS NOT DOGS

Traveling doesn’t come cheap. Even with a very strong pound and a stern budget I still crossed my fingers and prayed waiting for cash at each ATM I visited. I’d been away from home 5 months to date, jumped off, climbed up, and swam through, every piece of land, rock, and stretch of water in New Zealand. It was time to give back a little of what I’d taken, and take back a little of what I’d spent.

Backpacking notice boards and hostel hearsay persuaded me to travel north to Ohakune, North Island, New Zealand. My reason for coming, to WOOF: that is to be a Willing Worker on an Organic Farm. Four weeks of intensive farming, in exchange for 3 home cooked meals and a bed. A chance to rebuild my connection to mother earth, liverepparttar organic life, and more importantly, preserve enough money for a skydive in Taupo.

Although Ohakune is large enough to export world famous carrots and skiing, it is still yet to discoverrepparttar 134173 merits of public transport. With my thumb outstretched, and sporting my best ‘pick me up I’m not a psychopath smile’ I called uponrepparttar 134174 good will of passing motorists to get merepparttar 134175 extra 3km south torepparttar 134176 farm, my destination.

Sadly, as it transpired, that’s exactly whatrepparttar 134177 passing motorists did. Pass me by. One car became two, and 78 became a joke. A few cars away from my thumb becomingrepparttar 134178 finger, I started to walk.

4km on, braving more rain than I thought existed, I swung openrepparttar 134179 white picket gate, sent my backpack torepparttar 134180 ground, and introduced myself torepparttar 134181 host. The person onrepparttar 134182 other end of my arm was Sue Allomes; teacher, foster mother, and all round matriarch. She briefly showed me aroundrepparttar 134183 farm, to my accommodation, and once introductions torepparttar 134184 other workers and animals were made, dinner was served.

The accommodation was a caravan. I can’t find a better word than grim to describe it. Electricity, gas, or running water hadn’t been seen sincerepparttar 134185 mould arrived inrepparttar 134186 late 80’s. I entered nonetheless and fought backrepparttar 134187 stench to get a closer look. The only reasonrepparttar 134188 roof wasn’t gushing water was becauserepparttar 134189 rain had since stopped. Still, I pinned a postcard onrepparttar 134190 wall, prayed for a drought, and called it home. Caravan #4, Ruapehu Homestead, New Zealand.

The main income forrepparttar 134191 farm comes fromrepparttar 134192 horse trekking business they operate that runs a 3-hr guided trek acrossrepparttar 134193 scenic Ruapehu district. Also offered was a selection of lodge accommodation, and country dining inrepparttar 134194 restaurant. The WOOFERS were responsible for maintaining, cleaning andrepparttar 134195 general upkeep of everything insiderepparttar 134196 picket fence. First impressions were good. I was eager to hang up my compass and reach forrepparttar 134197 elbow grease.

Routine soon concreted itself into our day. We groomed and fedrepparttar 134198 horses not long after ourselves and set aboutrepparttar 134199 daily chores withrepparttar 134200 fresh enthusiasm each day. Bread was to be baked, fences to be fixed, and weeds weeded. Simplistic in theory yet pathetically executed in practice. Inrepparttar 134201 first week alone, I was responsible for allrepparttar 134202 inedible bread inrepparttar 134203 house, destroying 3 fence posts, and digging uprepparttar 134204 allrepparttar 134205 broccoli in one vegetable patch. I then decided to do what any other person worth their salt would do: deny it. “Come to think of it Sue, I did seerepparttar 134206 new German girl leaning onrepparttar 134207 fence yesterday”.

Experience Malaysia today with asia-hotels-Malaysia

Written by Macel Legaspi


Paragon Travel Limited, a premiere internet hotel guides and reservation systems operating company, has recently lauched asia-hotels-malaysia.com. Asia-hotels-malaysia is a one-stop hotel online booking and travel guide in Malaysia. Malaysia, one ofrepparttar most pleasant countries to visit in Asia, is a haven of beaches, from powdery sand stretches to black

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