Autumn is well underway. There are beautiful colours before the leaves
fall off the trees. The good weather has continued almost unbroken over Easter
and it looks like it could stay like this for a bit longer. Of course the
winters are mainly sunny anyway, it is just the temperatures that change. There
have still been a few hot days but generally it is cool in the mornings and
then up to the mid teens during the day. We have started to light the fire in
the evening.
A week ago I started job number 9……..in the vineyard across
the road, harvesting the grapes. It is a pleasant job out in the autumn sun.
They don’t pick grapes when it rains, and you may not work every day as it
depends on the winemaker, if he wants more or less grapes. You start at 8am and
work to anything between 2.30 and 5.30. I cycle to work and it takes me 3
minutes (downhill) and 10 mins to get home. There are about 14 of us and
different people come and go. Quite a few older people work there to earn money
for holidays etc. You work in pairs, one on either side of the vine and walk as
a group along the rows. You can listen to your own music etc. One person has a
podcast to learn French while another is trying to learn Japanese, so you hear
them saying phrases as you move along. There are conversations going on and
generally there is a nice atmosphere. They also provide the Friday drinks of
beer and wine (of course) at the end of the day. It is quite tiring and your
back does ache by the end of the day. Unfortunately I go back to job number 3
next week so I may miss the rest of the harvest. I have got a week or 2 of
teaching, and the harvest may finish this week (so I could miss out on getting
the 2012 harvest t-shirt).
As we live in the sunniest place in New Zealand, we decided
to get solar powered water heating installed. It is due to be switched on in
the next couple of days. Winter work
mode will mean we don’t go to the wharf each day and we will get a chance to
get lots of garden work done (as well as our paid employment). We intend for Wheelie
Fantastic to do more group, corporate and conference work during the winter. We
have just launched our full website, www.wheeliefantastic.co.nz
and we need to add links and more photos to that. There is always admin etc to
do, so we are never not busy.
The local agricultural freebie newspaper reported on a
country show which took place recently. The article included a picture of a
child jumping a log while holding an animal by its tail. It turned out to be a
kids obstacle race which they did while carrying a dead possim!!
Mapua held its Easter fair on Easter Sunday. It was a
massive affair and is allegedly the largest fair on the south island. Over
15000 people attended it and the roads into the village were gridlocked. There
was a tailback on the main road from Nelson that went back for approx. 10km. We
will not see that many people here for the rest of the year.
Tomorrow(25thApril)
is ANZAC day, the commemoration of those who have died in wars. It is a public
holiday with shops only allowed to open from 1pm to 6pm. Today there was a
special assembly at school to mark ANZAC day. The kids were very respectful and
it finished off with the national anthem sang in maori and then English. I was
able to sing most of it!
As we approach the
end of April we are nearly at our one year anniversary of leaving Portrush.
What a year. I look back at my 2011 diary and with sadness read about who we
said goodbye to each day. I remember the feeling of excitement, sadness,
adventure and exhaustion as I read about each day. This time last year I had
just finished work. I looked at my little blue lunch bag, as it sat in the
vineyard the other day, at morning tea break, and remembered how it used to sit
in the staffroom at lunch time. Sometimes I feel like I am watching someone
else’s story unfold. I can’t say I have got used to life without a regular
salary, but as I have to prepare to teach next week, I can say I have got used
to not teaching every day. I enjoy the diversity and scope of being
self-employed. One year on and the adventure continues…….watch this space!
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