Ending in Cromwell

I never thought I'd be sad to move on from manual labor and so far I'm still spot on with that assessment. Sad wouldn't be the right word. Its more of a nostalgic feeling for time that has, as usual, slipped through my fingers too quickly. It's hard to believe that we're finished with a harvest that three weeks ago seemed beyond reach. I have learned so much about grapes: how they are grown, the types, the tastes, how to harvest, how to prune, how to take them from the vine all the way through to the final product, and how to enjoy the final product that much more. I am so thankful to the people that took me through the process and put up with the occasional grape involved shenanigan. We stayed at our mentor and friend's place last night and had a feast of wine and cheese. Thank you Michael for everything. Here I sit on the dawn of a new day with my part in Carrick's 2009 Vintage complete. It's a sunny morning with birds everywhere. The nets that have held them back from fruity deliciousness are removed for the year and they are taking full advantage of grapes left on the vine by those with high hopes in quality over quantity. The rising sun has shut the door on two days of bad weather and the final clouds are receding to reveal the newly snow capped mountains that surround the BannockBurn Valley. While the vines have been abused the past two weeks with cold snaps and eager hands, they hold on to few leaves of the goldest color. This in combination with all others resisting change to the bitter end paints another sunrise of epic proportions. The dawn of a new day.

A Whole Lotta Ketchup

Hello there! It's been a while I know. No excuses really. I think I just got lost in trying to find a little work, then working and not wanting to spend free time anywhere but outside. Now I'm here though. Where is here? Wanaka. Technically I should be working but mother nature still rules over here so I have a day off. A brief history of the past month or so since I last wrote:

After the glaciers we headed down to Queenstown where we moved into a house that our friend from the States, Kristen, was living. It worked out perfectly that they had a room available right when we needed a place to base ourselves out of for work. Don't get me wrong, I love living in the van, but I figured most employers would probably get sick of me after a week or so of no shower... You understand I'm sure. So yeah, Kirsten hooked it up. Her and her kiwi boyfriend Matt actually. Great people who were such a help to us. Shout out to them! Unbeknownst to us we arrived to Queenstown at a fairly crappy time to look for work. Most places were just beginning to layoff their summer season staff before a couple of months of slow business in preparation for the winter season. Luckily Kirsten was able to get us work as waiters at the vineyard she worked at. The place, Stoneridge, is a beautiful chalet type facility that is used for hosting weddings. We were there in support of that venture. Most of our time in Queenstown was spent playing with a few days of work/week scattered in. The pics from climbing and hiking are from this month of time...

From there the vineyard harvest season was beginning and we headed off to a small town called Cromwell in search of work. We landed a job with Carrick Wines which was a blessing in many ways. The people we work with and for are all amazing and the vineyard is in a great location. Free camping is nearby, it's quiet, and it's beautiful. For the last 2.5 weeks we've been there working more or less. On the weekends we've made it back to Queenstown to hangout with Kristen before she heads off for Australia and then NY. Last weekend we went to Christchurch for Jaron and Kay's going away party. It was a short weekend but it was jam packed with fun; a great surf session at Magnet Bay, climbing at Castle Hill, and one hell of a fun party which, once again, I'm still recovering from two days later. Jaron, next time no booze! We have to break that trend now before it's too late!!! It seems like everyone is going away, no? The key players... We will miss them for sure. Time will tell but I know we'll all cross paths again. They're just too good of people for life to forget. Safe travels friends.