Hi guys!
We have finally got a new weblog and hopefully this one will function slightly better than the last… Hope you are all well at home? Now I look forward to loads of letters from you all telling us how fantastic we both look in our photos and how wonderful our campervan is (which we obviously know already).
So, since the last update… We spent quite a few days in the Hawke’s Bay area, looking for work and making the most of a lovely car park with river access for washing! We finally got a job offer and I think I might have mentioned it in my last letter. So on Saturday last week we made our way across the hills (and they were big hills) to a place called Waiouru. The road there was really quite spectacular, in more ways than one. Amazing views all the way, huge hills and beautiful valleys, but a total of 36km of gravel road was pretty exhausting. Poor little van! We stayed the night just off the road in the middle of nowhere, about 30km in either direction to the nearest house. Wow. So after the poor little van had struggled up the hills, down the valleys and over the gravel, we arrived in Waiouru. Wow, it’s pretty remote. 816m above sea level and with literally 3 restaurants, 2 shops, a petrol station, an army museum, and an army training camp. And fortunately, one internet café. We stupidly arrived several hours before our friend Jen was due to arrive on her coach, and so after exploring the aforementioned delights of Waiouru (which took about fifteen minutes, including the time taken to brush our teeth in the museum toilets), we sat in the van and waited.
Jen finally arrived and we went off for a few days exploring around the southern part of the north island. We got some amazing views of a huge mountain, the name of which has escaped both Nick and I at the moment. We spent a couple of nights at campsites and also had a night right next to a dairy farm - fascinating smell… Cow dung and off milk together… Jen seemed to have had a great time, it being her first ever camping experience. Despite having a tent, it was only used for one night, with tent-putting-up being restricted on other nights by lack of space, low temperatures, and rain. So we tested the campervan’s capacity - it can sleep three, but as the mattress is slightly too small for the bad area, one person ends up sleeping wedged down the side… A few sleepless nights did result. However, we had a good time, saw some great scenery, and had a day in Palmerston North, where Jen will be starting work in a week or so. It has been referred to as the armpit of NZ, but we thought it was quite alright, much to Jen’s relief.
We arrived into Wellington and spent pretty much all of the few hours we had there stuck in the tourist information office, as we were served by probably the least experienced girl in there, who overcharged us for the ferry and then had to spend ages refunding us. But we made it onto the ferry, and the ferry made it to Picton, through the wind and the rain (photo taking on entry to the Marlborough Sounds was pretty tricky, as my hand kept being buffeted and I kept getting photos of the sky). We arrived in the South Island to horizontal rain and low temperatures, but made it to a campsite and the rain even had the decency to stop for the evening. And we managed to stay at a campsite with a Jacuzzi, so indulged ourselves, all three of us currently craving a bath!
And then on Thursday morning we made our way through the Marlborough Sounds again to Furneaux Lodge. Not a very inspiring day for the scenery, as it was a bit grey and cloudy, but that was all made up for when we saw a school of dolphins. Wow. I had seen on the website of the resort that they sometimes have dolphins in the bay, and was so excited by the idea of seeing some, and then was really pretty happy when we saw some on the way! Amazing!
So we are now working at Furneaux Lodge (see the amazing views on the webpage: www.furneaux.co.nz). The place is pretty relaxed and it has so far been up to us to ask what to do rather than being ordered around, but I think once we’ve settled in and got used to the boss’ approach we’ll be pretty happy here. We have said we’ll probably stay here for around a month, and then we’ll probably spend another couple of weeks seeing the South Island and then head on up to Auckland for work (assuming we’ve got some by then of course). At the moment, I am doing a combination of bar work and housekeeping (all physios amongst you will appreciate the trauma for me of having to do multiple hospital corners), and Nick is doing a bit of housekeeping as well as having been given the task of redesigning the gardens. Just as well we brought the computer! Everyone seems friendly, and loads of staff are leaving tomorrow so we are on full shift patterns as of tomorrow (although it’s 9.30pm on Sunday and we still have no rosta - this is what I mean about the boss’ laid-back approach). I have today mastered the art of milk-frothing, and have made some spectacular lattes and cappuccinos.
I am now going to go back to watching the tennis on the projector screen they have set up in the bar here, after going to see if the elusive rosta has appeared… Nick and I will be annoyed if we have tomorrow off, as we could have left on the boat tonight. Hope all is well at home. Yet again I will mention the weather - sunny and beautiful again today…
Lots of love to everyone, Vic and Nick.