Stopover: Napier

Now behind me is a month, more precisely 21 days in which I worked in Napier. It was a really nice but also exhausting time, but let's start from the beginning.

On 05.11.2018 Elli and I arrived at Napier Arthouse Backpackers in Napier. The hostel couldn't have a better location: quickly cross the street and you're right on Napier beach. Unfortunately, you couldn't swim there because of strong and unpredictable currents.

Right after our arrival, we introduced ourselves to Glen. He arranges all the backpackers from the hostel to the companies. With little hope that we would have work the next day, we went to bed. The next morning at 7 o'clock we got up and prepared for a relaxed day, when we could explore Napier. But at 8 o'clock THE SMS came! 'You will be picked up at 9 o'clock and taken to your future workplace.' In a hurry, we got ready and quickly made sandwiches for breaks. Shortly after 9 o'clock Glen came and I signed, mind you, my first employment contract.
I worked on an apple plantation, the people were all very nice and relaxed. During the working hours I was allowed to do many different tasks:
1. Shoot ripping - the work was on older large trees. They had become very bushy and our task was to pluck the young shoots so that the apples get enough sunlight and can grow faster

2. Flower thinning - the work was on very young trees and we had to pluck all the buds, flowers and apples so that the tree puts all its energy into growth. That was the most boring task for me, which was mostly done in bad weather

3. Cutting, clipping and thinning - I can say in advance that time flew by with this work, that's why I liked it. Cutting: The young trees should have only one main 'leader' and it should grow as high and straight as possible, the others had to be cut off. Clipping: here we had to attach the leader to a wire rope so that the tree grows straight up. Thinning: And here we had to pluck all buds, flowers and apples
4. Fix the irrigation - one of the worst tasks! On the lower wire rope to which the trees were tied, there was an irrigation hose which we had to fix to the wire rope with a kind of cable tie. For us, that meant going down on our haunches every 50 cm and fixing the hose, and that for 2 hours, some did it all day long. Afterwards, you have a good soreness in your legs
5. Platform - the most funny and coolest task. On a mobile platform we did 'flower thinning', but the decisive difference was: we worked at height (between 7m and 12m)
6. Counting apple trees - For me, the WORST job. Since our supervisor thought I was a math teacher (I had mentioned that I had given math tutoring a few times), I was chosen for this job. And I had to work alone for 3 days on another plantation, just like the others. My work equipment for the following days was: a huge and heavy ladder, a counter, and a notebook in which I had to enter all the counted apples.

I always referred to my work as tree care and actually it fits quite well!
For the good work we did, I was allowed to fly in a helicopter with two other girls. That was my first helicopter flight and it will always be remembered.

Typically, a working day had 9 hours plus a 30-minute break. It was really cool to work with people from all over the world.

The weather couldn't have been more suitable. Except for the second last week of work, when we could only work on 3 out of 6 working days because the whole plantation was flooded.

On the plantation grounds, we were allowed to drive a quad-like vehicle, which was always lots of fun.

Now I know, I can take care of apple trees.
But now I have earned a vacation and it will be in Taupo. - Melli 👋🏼