14 duck, 2 pigs and a family with 2 girls

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcc4lR0xeQcPiEcJuc8Q_1jxTn261dbZnbrWM09Ux3iDtSfyYojz_gP8zBLZcef4mo0psaKMF5ni3rsUFH9_eDTPJLZo1-6FB0_ZPNCXT0mQaSvhLsR95SSsfigDIZ0RJ7jPLGjv8XJAz7/s1600-h/P1020807.JPG">

I dont have internet access at my current woof and i plan on being here for about 2 more weeks, so check back in then. I have to come all the way into town (about 15kms) to get internet so i most likely wont be posting for a while. Sorry. I am really enjoying my current location with a knife maker and his two daughters(9 and 11). I will be splitting firewood, constructing a pig pen, and roofing a shed in the coming weeks.,

from woof to woof in kaitaia

I have decided to do another woof before heading up to hike the cape. I will still be in the kaitaia area but this time with a family. The review in the woof book mentions knife making, wood carving, establishing a food forest, as well access and advise on many far north walking tracks. Good enough for me. Ill give it a try and report back.

So i stay the night in a kaitaia backpackers and will be picked up by pete tomorrow around 10:00am (note that i am 17 hours ahead of US central time)

Above are pictures from a bike ride i took two days ago. Certainly a trip highlight so far (other highlights include the motor cycle adventure to pearl bay and the coatal track on Great barrier island. I have to extremely selective about my trip favorites due to the fact that it is all so pleasant). Anyways, back to the bike ride. Not easy, covering a fare amount of milage, yet the views were simply stunning. The ups and downs of gravel roads had a roller coaster type feel. The tasman sea a few miles off to the west could be seen only from the apex of certain climbs.

My competitive nature came out in which I pretended to be among the leading pack of a tour de france mountain stage. This did not stop me from enjoying the magnificance of my suroundings.

The past week woofing with John (67,divorced, retired surveyer) has been quite interesting. Jobs here have included, splitting wood, wind generator maintenance, wood treatment(for his future house) and last but not least the transport of the beams(7 meters in length) to the mill in which i helped feed them through a thicknesser. The beams were heavy to say the least and to my supprise there was no machinery in the mill to help with the process of feeding the wood through.

More to come, just off to kaitaia now...

New home in Kaitaia (northland)

I now am 5 hours drive north of Auckland. Constant and gusty winds. I will have no trees in which to hang my hammock during my 3 night hike to the lighthouse. I recently watched an interesting youtube video "the story of stuff" i urge you all to watch it and let me know what you think (its about 15 minutes but well worth your time) The camper seen here is where i have been for the past 4 nights. I find great reward in minimalistic living. "may my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living whatever they sing is better than to know ... may my mind stroll about hungry and fearless and thirsty and supple" _e.e. cummings

Leaving Great Barrier Island

Its official, I just changed the date of my return to the states. Instead of August 1st, I now arrive February 7th. I try to live life with no regrets, and I knew I would always regret missing the south island during the summer months. Therefore, I stay.

I leave Great Barrier tomorrow, I will spend a night in Auckland and leave on the bus up to Kaitaia to woof/hike/Adventure. It was very gratifying to leave GBI with 76 dollars more than i had when i arrived 17 days ago. However that money is now a bus ticket. I will try to make it to Kaitai with the 4.60 dollars i have left. Just as a challenge, i dont need to but it should be interesting. I greatly look forward to the view of The Tasman Sea meeting the Pacific.

Above is a picture of the family i woofed for on Great barrier and pick of some tree climbing adventures with the boys following our beach cricket match.

As I have mentioned previously, I greatly enjoy receiving comments on the blog. If you have not made a comment yet, i hope you will so that i will know who all is following. Thanks guys.

Finished wood stack and fishing

They needed firewood, they got it.

Good to finish my wood project before Archie returned (Archie runs the backpacker place im staying and had gone to Auckland for some supplies)

He took me out for a fish late afternoon which was quite fun. We caught about 7 around the size seen in the picture and cooked them up for dinner.

When out for difficult trail run yesterday over to the other side of the island (not too long just steep)

Thanks for the comments everyone; I quite enjoy them.

_smith

tramline trail run video

Thought you might like to know what im up to on the trails of the great barrier. This particular trek once was a tramline the british used for excavating giant kauri trees for their shipbuilding back. Hiking/running with a day pack has its advantages as well. Great Barrier is geared toward the day trips rather than the overnights because there are not that many campsites. It has worked out well but I look forward to hiking with my big pack upon my return to the mainland.

splitting wood, climbing, and fort building

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355581450105590322" />
Great day, made some good progress with the wood then it was off to fort making with the boys. Erica, whose house im staying is quite the cook. We had the muscles, pippys, and cockles in a delicious soup. Banana pancakes for breakfast.