It’s been over a month now since I last posted on my blog, I guess at first I just didn’t know what to write about next, and then I got myself a job and met some amazing people and that kept me pretty busy.
So I started working in a Kiwi Orchard pruning the plants and tying them down ready for the next season.
I’ve been working for just under a month now, it’s been an experience if anything. So before I started the job I questioned others in the hostel as to what it was like, pretty negative comments to be honest, I mean its manual labour so you have to expect some gripes and groans.
So I arrived on the Sunday at the working hostel in Tauranga, I was meant to start work on the Monday but due to the weather I didn’t start until Tuesday.
So the work isn’t hard but you need to go at some speed, the tasks are to prune away old and unneeded vines and then tie down the nice ones at about 15 cm apart. So pretty easy right, well… one you start clipping the vines to the wires you put so much pressure on your thumbs when you clip them after only my first 4 hours my thumbs were numb and they have been ever since. Also all the contractor wanted was for us to go faster, I personally managed to go pretty fast and once you get the hang of it its pretty easy to speed up. Not for everyone though as it seems that some people are really slow, I was going at least 3x the speed of some people. The contractor would then say that if they continued with this sort of work then he wouldn’t be able to pay them for it. Quite a few people moved on after this, but if you’re not prepared to work hard then there’s not really a place for you.
So you need to be at least 165cm to do the job, trouble is for people taller they then have to lean back most of the day, which seems to cause them back pain, fortunately I’m pretty short so just strained my neck a little and it only hurts whilst I do the work. The tools you need for the job are a pair of loppers, secateurs, and a bag full of kiwi lock clips, some gloves and some fabric loops. Mostly supplied by the contractor but if you want better tools you can purchase your own.
The only really bad thing about this job is that it is currently the winter period in NZ so it is raining 2-3 times a week, and whilst your in the pruning business they don’t really permit to you working in the rain. The reasons I was told for this were because the cuts are made the plants could get infected, the vines tend to snap more when wet and the contractors don’t want the blame when the employees start to get sick. So I only have worked 3-4-5 days per week, which isn’t manageable to make money and save. I won’t lie though, I may have taken a few sick days due to hangovers.
My time here in Tauranga staying at 109 loft backpackers has been pretty amazing to say the least. Everyone was so welcoming straight away, I met so many new people from so many different places and made some amazing memories that i will never forget. Unfortunately like most hostels everyone leaves and moves on with their travels. Most people were doing the kiwi pruning but decided to leave for several different reasons. The hostel was pretty cool, several times we sat down together for meals, went out to different places and got pretty drunk most evenings, so all in all it was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
The hostel is so empty now, its gone from being pretty much full to having around 12 people left, its so quiet and doesn’t have that homely atmosphere it had a few days ago, So I myself have chosen to move on and find work elsewhere.
“I’d rather live a life filled with challenges instead of a life filled with routine”
Joe Bloggs 