The first (small) job in NZ!

We actually came to this campground to apply for various farming and housekeeping jobs online because there is good, unlimited, and free Wi-Fi here (which is still quite rare). But of course, the observant owner of the campground didn't miss anything! Somewhere in the conversation with her, I must have mentioned that we are applying for jobs and looking for work, and promptly, her husband comes to us a few hours later and says that we should come and knock on their house if we have time...

Did we dispose of the trash incorrectly? Or did we loiter in front of their house for too long to access the free Wi-Fi?

Although we had a slight suspicion that his offer would be about work (but that would be too nice, right! Surely it's about something else...), we were still somewhat skeptical as we made our way up the (muddy) path to the operator's house.

Really! His first words were, 'I heard you guys are looking for some work?' And after that, he said, 'Maybe I got some work for you...' Delighted to have found something so quickly, we immediately agree! To whatever it may be... the operator (let's call him Jefftwo) didn't tell us. We only know that he wants to pick us up at 10 a.m. the next morning and will tell us more then...

The next morning, the mystery unfolds. Somewhere on the West Coast (45 minutes by car), a truck has two flat tires (we already know that!), which need to be replaced. Jefftwo has already mounted the spare tires on the trailer, so we just need to hop in the car and off we go...

That's how we imagined it: During the 45-minute drive, we would have more conversations with locals and talk about the refugees in Europe, the increasingly mixed gene pool, and his daughter's useless boyfriend. Even though we don't understand everything (the accent is quite strong or it's just mumbling, we can't say for sure), we simply laugh when Jefftwo laughs and everything is good! Communication is actually going quite well.

Arriving at the repair site, Alex and I are fascinated by the landscape and can hardly believe our eyes. How can anyone work here seriously and concentrate without constantly looking at the scenery? Because this place is truly stunning, Alex and I drove here again this morning for the sunrise (yes, we actually voluntarily got up at 5 am!) and enjoyed the spectacle once more. Here's a photo from this morning since I didn't have my camera with me yesterday...

In addition to another incredibly beautiful place, today we also experience the New Zealand work ethic for the first time. Jefftwo starts off with a 10-minute chat with his colleagues at the construction site (we don't understand a word and stand there useless...), before slowly getting to work. However, right at the beginning, it becomes apparent... the correct screwdriver was forgotten! Hm... A colleague calls a friend who might have one. Alright, the friend is coming, no problem. No worries! Since nothing can be done for now, the chatting can continue in peace...

After a few minutes, the friend arrives, but in the meantime, the right tool has already been found somewhere. It doesn't seem to bother the friend at all that he came for nothing, and he joins in the conversation with a laugh!

The work itself is done quickly. Even though the professionals could do everything on their own very quickly, we also get the opportunity to lend a hand and tighten a few screws. Fortunately, thanks to the rain and the resulting mud, we actually look like we've worked hard...hehe!

Back at the campground, we realize that we must have appeared quite competent. For the afternoon, Jefftwo announces another job for us to do, and this time we are supposed to do it on our own. We are to clean up a small shed where there are an incredibly large number of wooden slats scattered around and create some space for a work area. With German efficiency and the desire to make a good impression, we finish in just 2 hours and we immediately get the hoped-for follow-up task: We are supposed to clean up his garage so that his campervan can fit inside... but... HOW THE HELL IS MORE THAN A MATCHBOX CAR SUPPOSED TO FIT IN HERE?? The garage is really filled with all sorts of stuff (including rusted and bent metal or leaking canisters, but no, none of it is trash! That needs to stay...), and for a moment, we despair and wonder if this is a test from Jefftwo to see if we are brave enough to point out when a task cannot be solved and just makes no sense :D

However, when we are given permission to simply stack all the junk somewhere on the side (as long as there is space in the middle of the garage for the car, the rest doesn't matter), the situation improves slowly but steadily. How anyone is supposed to find anything in this structure is a mystery to us, but strangely enough, Jefftwo is satisfied with us: 'You guys work very well. Bloody perfect. And you're working good together, too!' Thank you, that feels great! It's a good thing we had such a practical-oriented education and have perfectly internalized all the work processes of decluttering as a team.

We finish everything one hour earlier than planned! We each receive some money and 2 nights for free at the campground. And, more importantly: We are allowed to shower exclusively in the operator's house! It may not sound particularly special, but when you consider that this campground doesn't offer showers and we haven't seen the inside of a shower for 3 days already, it makes us feel quite privileged and honored! Awesome.

After a refreshing, yet short (we don't want to be rude and hog the bathroom for too long) shower and countless 'Thank you's, we are immediately granted the next treat: There's something for us to do again on Monday, and we need to paint two garden tables. In return, we'll receive more money and an overnight stay. Things are starting to go well for us!

Clean, refreshed, and somewhat exhausted from our first day of work, we fall fulfilled into our 'bed'... This is how work is done in NZ!