Wwoofing in New Zealand

After a good chunk of time in Asia, it felt pretty good to be in an English speaking country again. New Zealand is ridiculously easy to travel in – there are info centers everywhere with free brochures and maps (DON’T buy a Lonely Planet), people here are the friendliest in the western world and the natural wonders are un-fucking-paralleled (think Lord of the Rings backdrops). No one comes here for the cities, I tell ya. Since we spent an entire freaking year traveling together, TD and I decided it would be wise for us to take a one week vacation from each other. We had heard about the organization, WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms), which pairs up volunteers with host farms that provide free accommodation and board in exchange for work. Since we had already popped our farming cherry, we signed up for two individual experiences at different places.

KIM:For my week, I wwoofed at Solscape eco-resort in the chill surfing town of Raglan. The place consists of several different types of accommodation for guests, ranging from cool converted cabooses to teepees. Visually, the property is gorgeous; it’s set atop a hill with sweeping views of black volcanic sand beaches and the ocean. While the main income comes from the guests, Solscape has worked hard to maintain an eco-conscious design and sustainability – there are solar panels for electricity, compost toilets, vegetable gardens and solar water heaters. Wwoofers are mainly tasked with cleaning duties (rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry) but are only required to work 2 ½ hours per day (food is not provided). This works out well for most people, since it obviously attracts a surfer crowd who are eager to catch some waves. During my time there, another group was working on two earthbag structures which already had too many volunteers. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to get my hands dirty in the garden or with earthen building, but at least I planted a tree! Regardless, I met some really cool people and would recommend Solscape more for its atmosphere than learning possibilities.

TD: I spent my time with the Osmond family on their small farm, taking care of chickens and cows, building a cob house and eating crazy delicious food. With their children grown and out of the house, the Osmonds have taken on wwoof hosting as a full time gig. At any given point, they’ll show 1 to 5 people the ropes of farming, feed them three times a day and keep them busy. With Alistair’s easy going humor and Suzie’s nurturing instincts, it was like I was part of the family after the first 10 minutes. I learned so much in that week, like how to construct a cob wall, how to herd calves and what a ‘chook’ is (Kiwi for chicken). Most of all, I got to stuff my face with amazing home cooked meals to my hearts content. Suzie’s cooking was legendary – she could chuck off her overalls, throw on an apron and have a gourmet meal ready for us in 45 minutes. I can honestly say I haven’t eaten better in my whole life. I can’t thank the Osmonds enough for their generosity, humor and openness and truly hope I see them again one day.

With two positive experiences under our belt we definitely plan to wwoof again in the future. As a way to see a country on a budget and meet people through genuine working experience, it can’t be beat.