I arrived on Waiheke Island several weeks ago where my hosts drove me to the highest point on the island and welcomed me to their straw-bale, country farm-house home, surrounded by acreage of permaculture grown gardens and fruit trees, chickens, semi-tropical forests overlooking autumn-tinted vineyards and rolling farm land- all surrounded by white sand beaches and the aqua-marine South Pacific sea. Again, another one of the most beautiful places in the world that I’ve gotten to call home.
Culturally, Waiheke is full of ex-Auckland urbanites wanting a slower paced life and artists and wine-makers catering to the influx of tourists that swamp the island over summer months. I didn’t exactly find the exotic “island life” I was looking for, but rather an affluent population of families with young kids and an old-timer community seeking peace and quiet. I couldn’t complain though, as picturesque postcard views became part of my everyday life. My hosts Darren and Laura were an eccentric couple who were world travelers and worked in the NZ music festival business for years. Thus, they seeping with cooky creativity and were caught in between a constant balancing of maintaining that go with the flow, world traveler/festival go-er partying vibe while making a living and raising a family. And that’s where I came in.
My first weekend there we attended a 50th birthday party of the man who founded SPLORE (the amazing festival I went to a few months ago), and some high-up guy in the kiwi film industry. The party was set amongst Whatipu-probably one of the world’s most beautiful beaches with a setup using ideas from SPLORE-disco balls hanging from trees, light shows and a massive, high-quality sound-system, dj’s, etc. The guest list included 200 musicians, set designers, directors and other NZ filmies (almost all of whom I was told were involved with the LOTR movies). My ticket in to this strictly VIP party was as, of course, as the the nanny.
I went on beach walks during the day with the wee ones and spent my nights amongst sleeping toddlers and babies, rocking them back to sleep in the night so their parents could partay. A costume code was strictly enforced, and after going through my hosts’ closet, I found myself transformed into a groovy psychedelic wizard. One night, I couldn’t get a balling newborn back to sleep and swaddled the babe in my wizard robes and meandered through the crowd of aliens, monsters, fairies, and merpeople until I found the parents. I’m telling you, WWOOFing can lead you to crazy things.
Jala
When I wasn’t at exotic, high-end film-industry parties, I spent my days caring for 14 month- old Jasper and often 6 yr-old Jala too. From the second I woke up, little Jasper was in my arms throughout the day until his bedtime came after dinner. Despite being punched, regurgitated on, pinched and pooped on, we became good friends. Though after the first week of working close to 10 hour days, I almost cried. The workload was not one that I expected. I was getting paid $200/wk which seemed enticing as a WWOOFer, but hardly seemed worth it for the amount of hardwork, care, and love put in for their kiddies. The parents had far too much on their plates, and it seemed the WWOOFer bore the burden.
I decided to cut my time a week short to a total of 3 weeks and go through my days making the best of it. I am constantly learning more and more about raising children and about the kind of parent I want to be and the kind I don’t. The intensive live-in nanny experiences are teaching me two things: one that kids are great and I think that I am going to make a damn good mom, and two I think I’ll happily wait a good 15 years to have any. Phew kids are tiring.
In the meantime, I’ve learned much from living in a home fueled only by the sun and the rain water. After weeks of draught, washing dishes in a wee bucket, not taking showers for days and days, not flushing toilets (we poured dishwater back into the toilet...it’s sort of like flushing..sortof), I’ve never appreciated rain more. On an overcast day I blew the power vacuuming and running the washing machine at the same time.
I learned to run the generator on nights I needed to charge my computer, and I learned to love my sleepout with no power at all, but dimly lit candles at night. It all seemed so foreign at first, but I am learning and seeing the importance and benefits more and more of sustainable living. Take note of the family’s massive rain storage unit.
On my last weekend, the family and I drove to the nearbye Coromandel Peninsula where we stayed at a large eco-community for another friend’s birthday. After two nights with the family in a campervan, I was pleasantly surprised when they offered to leave me behind on the peninsula to explore by myself for 2 days and then taking the ferry back to Waiheke. I spent 2 nights in the sleepy, quaint, fishing town of Coromandel relaxing in a hostel and sleeping in to what seemed like a heavenly hour of 8oclock.
I returned to Waiheke for several days to say goodbye to the family. After seeing some of my jumping photos, they insisted on having one of their own. Our last morning together was hectic as always-packing lunches and getting everyone off to school and work in time, but we managed to snap a pretty decent photo. What do you think?
After Waiheke Island, my next family is located at the very tippy top of the country-past the northern most town of Kaitaia, deep into the untouched Northland bush. Here, I’ll be staying with a family who lives completely off the grid with their 3 children. It is both challenging and exhilarating seeing how self-sufficient one can live. I expect this new family and bush-life experience to teach me a lot.
But FIRST, because I decided to leave Waiheke a week early, I’ve got 10 days to travel to an in-between destination called the Bay of Islands. There I’ll stay in hostels in wee little fishing villages and explore what the Bay of Islands has to offer (a total of 144 islands in the area). Looking forward to re-fueling with some more solo time and giving my back a break from carrying babies all day. Spending the night in Auckland before I head up North. The bustling, culturally rich city excites me as much as the mountains do (that is... as long as I’m not here too long). Off to explore Auckland relishing in independent travel, culture, beauty, beach, people, art..a very cool city! I’ll write more after my mini-Phoebe vacation in the bay of islands. Peace!
Many of the places I'm staying have long-term backpackers doing seasonal fruit-picking work or are working in local restaurants, stores, and bars. While the hostels themselves have a cool international environment, many of these travelers have yet to make it out of the areas their living in to see other parts of NZ. Many do the big touristy bus trips for their sight-seeing, and spend the rest of their time working, living, and partying with other international travelers within the hostel. While I'm sure this could be a lot of fun, I don't think that is REALLY seeing New Zealand. I couldn't be happier with the shape my own journey has taken-through having family in the country and through all the friendships and connections I am making with Kiwis through WWOOFing.
I am definitely not a local, but I don't quite feel like a tourist in this country either. I'm always eager for what my next family is going to teach me and for trying out their way of life. It also makes the long-term travel aspect go a little easier. Five months away from home now-it forces you to become right at home with whomever you're living with. You've got to trust them from day 1 (or maybe day 2)and to stay open-minded or else you may not end up having a very good time. It is very cool to see how large I can expand these connections into what feels like family-and it certainly is an amazing way to experience a country. Tomorrow I'm headed off to an area North of Kaitaia along 90 mile beach. You can see on the map where I've been and where I'm going. Waiheke Island is off the coast from Auckland, the Bay of Islands are North from there in Kerikeri and Russel, and further North from there is Kaitaia and 90 Mile Beach. My next host family sent me photo of their home surrounded by rainforest. Pretty cool, eh? 
