Tent City, Gisborne.

This part of my travels i call tent city. For the next 5 weeks that was all i had. And I am not complaining. I loved it. Well we got to Gisborne only to find out that work had been delayed for 2 weeks. The squash were not ready for picking. Shit, What Now?? We stay in the camp ground discussing what we would do. When a young girl over heard us and said she might be able to help. Her name was Sarah. She is actually from Wairoa(an hour south of Gisborne) and was staying at the camp ground with her grand parents. Sarah rang around for us and got Joe one days work in Wairoa the next day, so we took it. Up early the next morning we headed off. And here we meet Annie and Bruce. Annie hires people for weeding the squash, she said the work would start the next day. They were terrific. They let us pitch our tent on their lawn and stay with them. What was suppose to be for 1 night ended up being 2 weeks. They have a half finished log house, all the walls and roof but no windows or doors. And it is fantastic. All cooking and bathroom facilities were in a big shed next to the house, no power but when needed a generator. And i couldn't possibly leave out that this was all in the middle of a beautiful lavender farm. You woke up in the mornings to the most wonderful smell. Joe worked for 2 weeks while i weeded her lavender for her. She was very grateful but as i explained it was my contribution for letting us stay with them. They are salt of the earth people. I dont think i could thank them enough for what they did. It was while staying with them that Joe and I decided to be friends, as neither of us were very ready for another relationship. Once this was decided we had a ball. No pressure. Well work was calling in Gisborne so we headed back up. We both started work for Fenwich Orchards, packing squash. I very much enjoyed this, it had a physical side to it and you could get a real sweat up. I was working with some people i now regard as my friends and yet i was only there for 3 weeks. Lucy, she is now teaching in Gisborne. She had just come back from the U.K. So I fired a million questions at her. Sunny and his sister(I forget her name) He was a young moari fellow that always had a smile on his face. They were great. I think her name was Danielle. Lovely people. Then it rained. The first rain I had struck. ' Sorry Pip we wont be working for the next week because of the rain'. Once again 'shit'. So I made a decision that i would head on down the country. I had to be in Motueka by the 18th Feb to work for Heywood Orchards packing apples. By this time Joe had a night time job at an irish pub and was quite settled and had decided to stay. So I handed my notice in, a for the next 4 days before i left i had people asking me to stay. I couldnt. I needed to carry on. I went to the pub for the last time and decided to take a lesson from Joe and go and meet someone. So I asked if i could join these people playing pool, here i meet Cassie. She is a young women, with a lovely little boy. She lives in Gisborne and i stayed with her my last night there. We still keep in contact and i hope to get back to see her before i fly out. While at the camp ground i also met Devon(she's from America, travelling round with the polo club) and Marty(from holland, he has his own van and is travelling round N.Z in it) I try and keep in contact with both of them. I truely met some great people in Gisborne. But now... time to travel.

At the start

Well what can i say about this? It was the most exciting time for me, leaving little Waihi and about to begin the most awesome time of my life. I couldn't have been more excited. And yet so terrible sad. To leave Allan and do something that I've wanted to do all my life was not an easy thing. The hardest ever. So with the car packed, I went to say goodbye to my best friend, Nic. Sorry i couldnt help but cry, she seemed fine about it, so i got myself together - said my goodbyes and left. And managed to cry all the way to Paeroa. Mum and Dad were milking when we reached their bus. So walked to the shed and waited for them. It was good spending the night with them. The phone rang about 7.00pm, it was Nic. She had rang to tell me off. She said after i left she just cried and cried and it spoilt her whole milking. Pitched the tent and stay the night in that next to the bus. We travelled to the unit in the morning and had breakfast with mum and dad, it was really nice. With breakfast over, we (joe and I) hit the road destined for Collette and Daron's. We stayed with them for one night. Spent time with the kids, man i was going to miss them. But i knew i would be in frequent contact with them and it made it as bit easier. So then... off to Gisborne, due to start work on the 6th Jan, 2005. And tent city for 5 weeks.