Jobs!

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Hey everyone, Whangarei was a bust for the job market so Kerstin and I have traveled down to Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty (not to be confused with the Bay of Islands). The hostel we’re staying at is called, I kid you not, “Just the Ducks Nuts” which just about made me spit out the water I was drinking (a similar incident happened when I had to explain to Kerstin and a girl from France named Julie what marital aid meant ) when I was told it was a viable option for our stay in the Bay of Plenty.

There was a nice walk to a waterfall and through a little bit of Kauri forest (forest is a strong word as there were less than a dozen Kauri trees) and along the river back into town. Not half as long as the coastal walk and the weather was very nice. I have some pictures and with any luck I will be able to upload them this time.

It looks like finding work here will be a great deal easier than in Whangarei. We are on waiting lists in 2 job agencies, and the most probably work we will get in the next few days is at a fish processing and packing factory. Me, being the large strapping lad that I am, will probably be unloading from the boats, or storing boxes in the freezer. If I am so unlucky as to not get a job like that, then they’ll have me on the gutting line. Remember when I said my dream was to work in some dirty New Zealand dish pit? Well that really would be a dream at this point!

I’m learning to cook a greater variety of food now, not just pasta and rice (those 2 words are almost like swear words in a hostel kitchen) since it‘s cheaper to cook our meals together, we can even afford to buy some meat! I picked up a couple of cook books, but I managed to make a fantastic Sheppard’s pie with sheer ingenuity and guesswork. Grandma Hussmann will be happy to know that I’m getting some good old fashioned German cooking into me (as that is the only cooking that Kerstin knows), the night before last we had fried pork cutlets, mashed potatoes, and sour kraut.

Does anyone know any relatively simple recipes that don’t require too many ingredients? We’d love a little variety! Please send me an e-mail if you do: [e-mail]

Not much more to say than that, but I’ll update you the second I have employment!

I have employment! We have yet to work because kiwi fruit can only be picked when they are dry, but there are still some kiwi orchards that need to have their fruit picked within the next 2 weeks before it all goes bad. The contractor we are with also does the winter pruning which starts directly after the picking is done and will be going on until September.

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Photos

My Pie!
Shappard's Pie! It is so white because I'm using New Zealand Whitewash potatoes.

Top of the Falls
Top of the falls at Whangarei

Just Like Home
Look like anywhere you know?

Comments

[anonymous]

Wow! Eric, that place is gorgeous. Have fun with the work. Is your German improving. Grandma wants to know if Kerstin is working too are if she is a tourist. cheers Leslie