I began my trip to Auckland several weeks ago as I boarded the train in a near bye town to start my 9 hr journey up north. The town is about 30 minutes away from Wanganui, and as I approached the tracks with all my gear-there stood my canoe partner from the Wanganui River trip. He commuted to this town daily and had known of my departure date for Auckland. Head-to-toe in his greasy mechanic gear, he held a wrapped present out for me as a thank you and a send off for the beginning of my journeying around NZ. He had given me a book on Wanganui as well as a book of photography on the Wanganui River. I was so touched that this man (who is very quiet and reserved) had gone out of his way to gift me, and in such an un-ordinary location! I arrived in Auckland 9 hrs later in good spirits and navigated the city successfully to find my new home.
I was serenaded to sleep that night by AC/DC who were playing in a stadium near bye. After a night of AC/DC soundtrack filled dreams, I awoke to a jungle paradise full with winding paths, giant palm trees, a stream, large vegetable garden, and tropical flowers.
My host Gabrielle's garden was so large that it had become an urban sanctuary within the city, home to a multitude of birds, butterflies, and buzzing bees. I asked what I would be doing, and my host kindly informed me that Auckland has more weeds than any city around the world, and well-I would be weeding.
EVERYTHING grows in New Zealand, and even more so in Auckland due to its climate and location. I worked everyday 730-12ish weeding or doing various other landscaping and gardening jobs, and had the rest of the day free to sight-see and explore. Not bad, eh? Despite the garden paradise, the second I stepped out of the driveway I was within the city of Auckland (Avondale to be exact) amongst a predominantly Pacific Islander neighborhood, offering a variety of probably 300 Polynesian and Samoan takeouts, dollar stores, and money exchanges. It has increasingly become a poor community as more and more Samoan families pack themselves in the homes and garages of other family members, and the richer, white families move out. Thus, I was advised to watch for people hiding from the police within my host’s garden, as on more than one account, she has cleaned up giant ferns off the ground only to find hiding criminals. Sheesh! Luckily, my stay was criminal free and I did not come face to face with anyone except birds and insects, and maybe the host’s cat stalking me in the garden.
I did however, befriend Gabrielle’s neighbors one day as I was slaving away over sawing an overgrown tree branch unsuccessfully for an entire 40 minutes. I was asked if I needed help by a neighbor across the fence. Embarrassed, I said no of course and continued sawing away like my life depended on it. Luckily I got the branch down and ended up doing a few things with the family next door over the next 2 weeks. This family happened to be #1 on Gabrielle’s “problematic neighbors” list, who often partied and shot off fire works all night long. I used my peacemaking skills (or maybe just my ‘upfront’ skill from being an American) and told them I often mistook their fireworks for being atomic bombs going off in my room at night and then explained how difficult it was to wake up in the morning to pull jungle weeds for 5 hours. Luckily they laughed, and luckily we had quieter nights the next 2 weeks I was there.
The other WWOOFer I worked with was a 49 year old Italian man named Idel. This was Idel’s 10th summer with Gabrielle. He does not have a family and hates winter more than anything, so he has planned his life around WWOOFing in NZ for 4 months every Italian winter. Idel and I’s relationship started off mainly with us keeping to ourselves but evolved into us being very good friends. Idel had bizarre characteristics, and those in combination with his poor English made him one of the funniest individuals I have ever met. I have never had so much trouble trying to stifle my own laughter so as not to be impolite. Idel uses the term “ohmygod” for anything and everything. Anywhere from bumping into each other in the hallway, he’ll respond “ohmygod,” or tasting something hot, or dropping something, or like something or not like something, or for lord knows what else, it’s “ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!”
In one of the earlier days of my stay, he took me to a beach where he proceeded to sing at the top of his lungs in his rip-roaring Italian accent the entire two hours as he waded in the water. His enthusiasm for food was no different. We made pizza one night and topped it with fresh oregano and basil from the garden. Afterwards we ate homemade custard with strawberries and bananas we picked from the garden that was so glorious we ate 3 helpings each while Idel of course mumbled, “ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!”
I worked hard and tried to make such a good impression to my host that in the end, she granted me the affectionate compliment that she no longer thought of me as American but as Canadian. When I asked her why, she replied that I was sensible, humble and had common sense. And you see, that actually is quite a compliment coming from a Kiwi so I accepted the compliment and was pleased with the reactions of my first WWOOF host, even if it means being called a stinking Canadian. Pictured above is my goodbye dinner, though almost every meal we ate was on the same status as Gabrielle loved to cook.
And for all of those of you who were concerned about me spending all my time within the retirement community of New Zealand, I experienced some Auckland nightlife with kids my own age, as well as then proceeded on to SPLORE with crowds of 7,000 twenty-something yr olds. I also met up with 5 other Ithacans I’ve grown up with who happened to be in New Zealand at the same time.
It was a par-tay to say the least, as we danced and swam in the ocean together and live music played, all in the most beautiful spot opposite of the Coromandel Peninsula. With my first WWOOFing experience coming to its end at the start of a 3-day music fest, I am now back home in Wanganui sprawled out and recouping before my next adventure begins. I leave for my next WWOOFing job on March 1st, with two days beforehand set to explore the city of Wellington. My new family is a family of 4. I will help nanny their children, do housework and garden, AND help them with their outdoor education school they run for kids during the summer. They offer rock climbing, kayaking, high and low ropes courses, and many other awesome activities that I carefully chose them for so that I will get a chance to do ALL of them. (There website is: http://www.schoolcamps.co.nz/) I will let you know how that goes. I will also be transitioning from the North Island to the South Island now, which are said to be two different worlds. So here’s 2 months down on the North Island, and off to the South Island I go! See you in Christchurch.
The city presents itself with a "west-coast" vibe and has architecture that resembles San Francisco, but one is pleasantly reminded they are in New Zealand from the view of the surrounding mountain ranges and the Maori and Pacific Islander culture that seep into the urban landscape. 
Wellington has a strong music and arts scene. This weekend begins the New Zealand International Arts festival and there are art openings and concerts EVERYWHERE. It's a university town, it has a strong sports scene, its the nation's capital, the filming headquarters of LOTR, and the home of Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords! 
