Our current accommodation

As mentioned before, we are staying with a couple near Whakatane for about two weeks, more or less voluntarily. The couple consists of:

- Katharina: around 57 years old, originally from Austria/Switzerland, immigrated to New Zealand about 25 years ago because of her former husband. She has 2 children who now live in Europe again. Her daughter was in Cambridge.

- Paul: also around 57 years old, born in New Zealand, and good at joking around with us from time to time.

The two of them live in a wooden house where not only humans, but also spiders feel right at home --- which makes Lena and me particularly happy.

Since Katharina is originally from Austria/Switzerland, it has a positive effect on our English learning. If we don't understand an English word, we can simply ask Katharina and she will tell us in German. Additionally, the food here is usually very good (except for seaweed, shells, and lamb). We even had spaetzle once. A proper dessert is often included as well.

At the beginning of our stay, we helped Katharina renovate the kitchen by painting and sanding wooden beams, among other things. Now, our tasks mainly involve chopping down thistles (which are bigger than Lena or me), weeding, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, and hanging up the laundry. So, not only have we improved our DIY skills, but also our housekeeping skills.

Another girl named Fanny from France was also here with us, and occasionally we went on a small trip to Whakatane with her (as there is not much besides cows and hills here next to the house).

Last Sunday, we even went on a 6-hour hike. It was beautiful at the beginning with stunning views of the ocean and a secluded bay with lots of starfish and other sea creatures. However, by the end of the 6 hours, we were glad it was over. We had to replenish our burned calories with cookies and gummy bears.