I started writing this blog post at the beginning of December 2017 on a rainy day in Franz Josef, New Zealand. I got side tracked, but after a long conversation with my grandparents and parents about my wwoofing experiences, I have been inspired to continue writing, here in Australia. This article is dedicated specifically to my mom, who is very unimpressed by wwoofing. This will hopefully shed a positive light on it. I am being extremely unspecific with the names and locations of my wwoof hosts in case they would rather not be mentioned online!
Over my trip throughout New Zealand, I wwoofed at 4 different locations totalling 23 nights. I spent 11 nights at an arboretum near Hamilton, on the North island, 3 nights at Hinemoa Point, in Rotorua, also on the North island, 5 nights in the Upper Moutere, in the northern part of the South Island and 4 nights in Punakaiki, on the western coast of the South island. I estimate that wwoofing for that amount of time has saved me a total of approximately 800-1000 dollars because I did not need to spend money on food or accommodation.
It’s safe to say that wwoofing was not always what I expected. I reckon that in order to be able to get the best experience from wwoofing that you possibly can, it’s better to stay with a host for more than 2 weeks. Wwoofing is valuable not only for the skills that you acquire, but also for the relationship that you develop with the hosts. However, it takes at least 2-3 nights to get comfortable in a new environment and for the hosts to get comfortable with their new guest. So, staying with hosts for 4-5 days for most of my stays meant that I was leaving my hosts just as I was just getting comfortable with them! Of course, some I connected with faster than others.
I also expected my wwoof hosts to be more accommodating to a traveler’s needs. Except for my hosts in Punakaiki, who offered to drive me into town anytime I wanted, I was often forced to occupy myself on the farms during my afternoons off because I had no way of getting into town. The properties were always far away from any public transportation options. You can call me naïve to expect this, but I know that if I was hosting a traveler without a car, I would assume that sightseeing the nearby area was part of their plan and I would absolutely go out of my way and offer them some rides here and there to show them my city. Later on, however, I did come to appreciate some of the down time that those afternoons on the farms provided me. They gave me some time to unwind, write in my journal, read and reflect. I also now know that this is a point that I should address before arriving at my host’s place.
Now, on to the good stuff…the following is a brief summary of each of my wwoofing locations and how each of my hosts inspired me in some way.
Arboretum near hamilton
I stayed 11 nights here because I wanted to learn about trees, which I did! My hosts’ passion for trees reverberated on me. I spent my afternoons walking around the arboretum, learning how to identify native tree species with an identification booklet. I am so thankful at how willing my hosts were to answer all the questions I had and to share their knowledge with me. I spent over an hour at their dinner table every night and we would talk about anything and everything: Canadian politics (which a lot of it I had to Google, how shameful!), trees, the environment, family life, travelling. Shortly after they married, my hosts travelled from the UK all the way to Japan by vehicle in 1978, through countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. Even after having a family in his early 30s, my host decided to pursue his university studies. He was then one of the first-ever arboriculture consultants in New Zealand and up until recently, he was teaching at the local college. In the 1990s, my hosts bought an old quarry and have transformed it into a beautiful 17-hectare arboretum, with sculptures, walking paths and tree species from all over the world. They are currently working on getting the arboretum publicly funded.
My hosts at the Arboretum have taught me that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and if you really want something, you can make it happen.
Hinemoa Point
Despite having the comfiest bed I have stayed in since the beginning of my travels, this was one of my least preferred wwoofing experiences because I needed to do solo, repetitive work (taking weeds out of the garden). But there were good times as well…I admire my host’s spitfire personality. I have no doubt that this lady will live beyond 100 years old. On my second night at her place, I had booked a Maori experience tour. The tour advertises that they will give you a lift to and from your accommodation. Of course, because I was staying at a house, the workers from the Maori experience explained to me that I could not get picked up. Well, my host got involved. She made some calls and some visits and later texted me to inform me that I would be getting picked up and dropped off to and from her house. Free shuttle service for one person, can’t complain… Also, as of this summer, at the age of 78, she decided to convert part of her house into Air BNB bedrooms. She knows how to work an Ipad better than I can… good for her for keeping up with the times! Each night I was there, she welcomed a new set of guests. I met a couple from China, who gave me their contact information for when I go there, a couple from Kenya, who now live in London, who I am still briefly in touch with, and a couple from New Mexico, USA. We all sat together over the dinner table drinking tea and having discussions about the stupidity of US politics mostly.
This host told me that I wasn’t picking weeds fast enough and she could do it more efficiently than I was. Yes, that stung, but I learned that I need to add a little more spitfire to my personality and, just like the other hosts, that it’s never too late to start a new, challenging project, like Air BNB at the age of 78.
Upper Moutere
I thought I would be working in an olive grove, but because the hosts had recently added an extension to their house, I ended up developing my painting skills. Unfortunately, the host that would usually be working alongside me was out of town, so I was working solo, which I did not like very much. The contractors did provide some good company from time to time and gave me some good input, as did dad, who I would sometimes call in a panic, asking him why the filling wasn’t sanding easily. In the evenings, I would hang out with the daughter. We watched a lot of rom coms, which I was completely in the mood for. She is also a great artist and drew some henna on me! On my last day, I spent a few hours with her in the city: we hiked to the centre of New Zealand, grabbed ice cream and visited a museum. These hosts are inspirational in that they have lived in many different countries with their family. Their children were born in Abu Dhabi, Kenya and Isle of Man respectively. When they bought the olive grove, they knew nothing about olives…they just knew that they wanted to produce something on land. Interestingly, the wife is the one who runs the farm and the husband has the office job. The wife is the one who drives a pick-up truck, built the deck in front of their house and knows everything about tools. I’ve always been exposed to handy work being a man’s domain – I guess since dad does most of it back home. It’s cool to see it being done the other way around as well.
This host has taught me that I can still travel and live in a variety of countries with a family if I want to, that I should learn to do handy work on my own (dad, I’m not asking you to put up frames for me anymore) and just like the other hosts, that if you put your mind to something, you can make it happen, like they did when they bought the olive grove.
Punakaiki
Last but not least because this place was one of my New Zealand highlights. I loved how remote the west coast of New Zealand was. I had trouble getting cell service on the farm, but it’s the first time I felt like I was truly on vacation. It always helps to disconnect. I’ll never forget taking a dip in the refreshing streams and swimming holes on their lush 220 acre property as well as bathing in their outdoor bathtub at night, under one of the most beautiful night skies I have ever seen. I have never met people who are as committed to a cause as these hosts – that cause being environmental conservation. In the 1990s, they bought land to prevent mining activity in the west coast forest and because of that, had to endure hate and harassment from much of the small local community that is Punakaiki (approx. 100 residents), so much so that their children needed to be homeschooled. Despite these difficulties, my hosts have not given up fighting for the cause that matters to them. They are very involved with Westland petrel conservation at the moment. Each time a petrel was found stranded on the side of the road, my hosts would bring it home and release it from a more suitable location for the petrel.
I currently don’t have a cause that I think I would fight for as much as them. Hopefully that will come. But, staying with them has made me more certain than ever about my path to study environmental sciences.
All of my wwoof hosts have been inspirational in some way, even if the work in itself was not always what I had expected, or what I enjoyed. All of them have pursued a dream they had, or are continuously pushing themselves to seek new goals. Very rarely in life do people live with another family for an extended period of time, helping them with tasks. It is a mind-opening experience to see how other families, outside our circle of family and friends, outside our own country even, do things differently because we are often so accustomed to our own habits that we don’t even think about it. This does, however, also make you appreciate the way your family does things as well ♥
These are some of the good things that wwoofing has brought me and why I have decided to wwoof in Australia as well!
