Well, summer is pretty much here.

About three weeks ago Tom got a job in Auckland and made the decision to have himself a holiday in Tonga. Matthew on the other hand was being as indecisive as usual, but had made the decision to do hard, sunny, outdoor work like so many backpackers do. The thought of spending his second summer of 2008 indoors was just too much to bare. So on Friday the 7th of November Matt set sail (on a bus) to sunny Napier, the Art Deco town on the east coast of North Island. Utter disappointment. The town could quite confidently compete with Wellington for the title of windiest place in New Zealand. Matt also found it incredibly difficult to understand the towns appeal, the art deco stylings of the high street appearing to him as a slightly scruffy, Disneyland-esque tourist attraction. There was little to do or see.

Matt would however have stayed (the purpose of his trip there was to find work after all) if it were not for a single email. Matt had got an offer of work on vineyards on Waiheke island (half an hour from Auckland by Ferry), over December and January. This meant he would have to travel back up to Auckland AGAIN.

At this point Matt decided that he couldn't spend money and didn't like the idea of another three weeks in Auckland. There was only one option for him.

WWOOFing.

Matt would travel midway between Napier and Auckland to Taupo. Or to be more accurate, Acacia Bay, ten minutes west of Taupo. Here he began his first adventure in WWOOFing, at the Tauhara Centre, a spiritual retreat, for spiritual people.

The following two and a half weeks were enough to convince Matt that he will continue to WWOOF after he has finished work on Waiheke. WWOOFing, for the unlearned, stands for 'Willing Workers On Organic Farms', and there are hundreds of places working with this scheme. Workers, such as Matt, give four to five hours of help in exchange for food and shelter. Two months into his travels Matt has already realised that travelling is not about the places, the sights or the actual travelling. It's about the people you meet. He spent the majority of his time in a group of eight people. Three Germans, one Austrian, one Swede, one American, one French, and one Chilean. When travelling you form friendships fast, you have to. And it's quickly becoming apparent that these people he is meeting are forming the majority of the memories, the anecdotes, the photos. The faster you travel, the less people you truly get to know. WWOOFing therefore is the way forward.

For those interested, Matt spent the majority of his time working in the gardens at the centre. Planting, digging, weeding, landscaping, clearing tracks in the woods (with machetes!) and generally turning a tomato shade of red in the baking heat. Since everyone tended to finish at about two, the day was never robbed from the WWOOFers, they spent some fantastic evenings taking long walks, relaxing and swimming at secluded beaches on Lake Taupo, swimming at the hot and cold rivers in Taupo or near Rotorua, climbing in Taupo, Salsa dancing lesson on Thursdays, some went skydiving, some did the Tongariro crossing, all played Kubb. Matt was also lucky enough to be at Tauhara during its seventieth birthday celebrations, a time when many parties were had, events held, big dinners eaten and much wine drunk. All in all, it has been considered by him as a fantastic experience.

On Friday the 28th of November Matthew had to leave Tauhara, but he didn't have to travel far, he simply moved down into Taupo for two nights while the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge takes place (it started four hours ago). Matt decided to stay to see it as one Kerstin Treiber of City Garden Lodge fame is taking part in the 160km ride around the southern hemisphere's largest lake. A lovely Friday evening was had having met up in Taupo a visit to a pub resulted in Matt getting two for one pints and both receiving a bowl of complimentary mussels. This morning Matt, with his 'Kerstin Treiber' supporters badge and camera in hand, spent over an hour watching the ten thousand or so cyclists start the race. He somehow managed to miss Kerstin. Useless.

It should hopefully prove far easier for him to get a photo at the finish of the race, she should be going a bit slower by then. The photo album will be updated with further photos of the day when Matt next gets to a computer, very likely on Waiheke island in a couple of days time (The photo album is now up to date).

When Matt leaves Taupo tomorrow, he will be heading straight Waiheke island, ready to start work on Monday. While excited to see the island, he is also sad to be leaving Taupo, a place he has become very fond of. But he will be back. Reuniting with his former travel companion, Matt and Tom will venture back to Taupo in February to see Billy Connolly, go skydiving over the lake and do the Tongariro crossing.

Matt's adventures in WWOOFing are over for now and his adventures in backbreaking work over Christmas are about to start. It may be a little while before he updates the blog again, for want of something other than work to talk about. Until then, 'Go Kerstin Go!'

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