15 May
At the very end of the road of the south island’s west coast, there’s a haven of peace in a minuscule village called Karamea. The name of this place is Rongo backpackers, rongo meaning actually peace in maori. As the name indicates, it’s a hostel… but a very special one. The concept goes beyond accommodation as we are used to and it embraces a larger project: the Living in Peace project. To sum up the idea (more…)
3 May
I had very nice days of tourism and sightseeing around New Zealand but now I feel it is time to get involved in the local life. And the best way is surely to plunge into the wwoofing experience! After sending some requests throughout the Help Exchange network, I find an organic farmstay. For 10 days I will be helping in Takaka. This town located in the Golden Bay region attracts sustainable life stylers as well as artists and bohemian travelers. At the same time, it’s a kind of Eldorado for wwoofers as many organic activities have flourished over the past decades.
Volker, my “host”, is one of the people who were seduced by the place. This German expatriated guy arrived in Takaka 20 years ago and settled his home in a location with stunning views on a bay. He works as a psychotherapist and, the rest of the time, maintains his small organic property with the help of wwoofers coming from every parts of the world. Over the last years he has been helped (more…)
27 Apr
One of the advantages of being a wwoofer is to have plenty of time to explore the area where you work :) I enjoyed my free time to go to explore Farewell Spit, the famous northernmost point of the South Island. I found this aerial view on the internet to give you an overview of the spit. This 26km line of golden sand ends with a lighthouse but, unfortunately, I couldn’t get so far. However, I could enjoy the tranquility of this incredible natural spot where the only disturbances are the calls of the birdlife. I spent a long while on the dunes watching the miracle of beauty created by the effects of the tide, as you can see in the following pictures: