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Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Bay of Plenty
November 22nd 2009
Published: November 22nd 2009
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Our Sleeping QuartersOur Sleeping QuartersOur Sleeping Quarters

Cozy tent where we sleep

A Sneak Peak From our Hostel



Hello All!

As promised, this entry shows where we have been hanging out and how we have been getting around. As you can see this is where we sleep- thanks to Jeremy & M for lending their tent to us. Basically, its big enough for just the two of us. Its very cozy !

As you can see there are pictures of what our hostel looks like.

Our wheels



Here is a picture of our wheels. This car is a '91 Nissan Primera. It took us awhile to get used to driving on the other side of the road but we both feel comfortable with it now. At the beginning one of us would turn the wipers on at least once when we started driving as the signal button in on the right not the left. All in all, it gets us to where we need to go!

Catching Up on the Week's events



Since our last entry which was a week ago, we have had an exciting week. As many of you know, we have been searching for work.
Our WheelsOur WheelsOur Wheels

Note the steering wheel on the right!
Everyday we were out handing out resumes at various places and then following up. One place Carla applied to had over 200 applications so needless to say its very competitive job market. Also this week, Cadbury stopped in Tauranga to hand out free mini dairy milk bars as they have recently substituted palm oil for cocoa butter. Needless to say we all ate lots of chocolate - can't wait to visit the Cadbury factory in Dunedin next year!


Carla lands a job -finally!



So back in October I applied for a summer ambassador job with the City of Tauranga on a whim which lead to a group interview on the 9 of November. The process was very different from what i was used to. You had to talk about yourself and why you would be good for the job etc followed by 2 group activities.

They had four sets of interviews and each group had 10-12 people. We were told there were only 10 spots available and we would hear back on the 20 of November!

Waiting Game is Over



So after patiently waiting until the 20th...I received a
The KitchenThe KitchenThe Kitchen

Its very spacious and on the other side is an oven, more sinks and counter space. Along with 2 industrial fridges!
call and they asked me to join the team!!!! After i got off the phone, I literally jumped up and down and squealed with delight as it was very competitive.
(I still can't believe I got the job!!)
I begin on the 17 of Dec and work right through til the 4 of Jan. I basically, roam the beach at the Mount and hand out surveys to people and answer any questions that they may have. So i will be on the beach literally for Christmas!!

Nick's Random Job



Tuesday morning we were woken by one of the staff at the hostel knocking on our tent. Her husband was going to a job on the west coast and the contractor's labourer had not shown up, so they thought of me. I left Wednesday morning at 5:30 for Raglan, New Zealand's best surf haven, unfortunately I was there for work. The job was repairing some mud steps in a walking track and building a boardwalk through a swampy section of the track. The work was alright, however it rained really hard Wednesday and I got completely soaked, and I didn't exactly pack rubber boots. Met some cool people at
The Back YardThe Back YardThe Back Yard

which has a volleyball net and space to sun tan
the hostel in Raglan.
On the way out of town the guys were looking for a place to rent for three weeks to finish the job. They found this house that an older couple lives in and was willing to rent out. They were super nice and the place came with some major perks... like a bbq and hottub on the deck, homemade beer wine and spirits, and the old guy is an islander and gave us some fresh flounder he had speared the night before, along with a promise to show me how to get my own.
Unfortunately I was only hired for the three days, but it sounded like they might need more help on that job yet, either way we'll be back in Raglan to try some surfing!

As always, if you are reading this -we would love to hear from you!!
Until next week.... Cheers!


Additional photos below
Photos: 7, Displayed: 7


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The beer we drink down hereThe beer we drink down here
The beer we drink down here

Tui is the brand that we drink. Under each cap is trivia and can be about anything.
Fish FryFish Fry
Fish Fry

Flounder that Nick was given
Fish fry#2Fish fry#2
Fish fry#2

All cooked...Nick was told to batter it in flour and throw in the pan with head, tail and all.(no gutting required) It actually was very tasty! No we didn't eat the head or tail


22nd November 2009

Yay!!
So happy you two found some work!! Congrats Carla on the city job - that sounds Awesome!!! Tauranga sounds lovely and we definitely enjoyed our stay while we were there and are happy you two are doing well :) Loved reading your blog and definitely looking foward to more pictures and updates of your travel as time goes on :) Cheers, Tamara and Justin
5th December 2009

I hope you didnt eat the gutts either lol... Sorry this is delayed; I have been busy and finally have a sec besides the constant house hunt-- I hope to keep hearing about your adventures! Do you guys have a permanent'sh address for the next month or so???

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