Over a week has passed in Tauranga. I started to work on the kiwi farm last Saturday and I can agree kiwifruit picking is hard work. However, we had quite a few days off after the first day in as it started to rain and it kept raining from Sunday till Thursday. it was a bit boring to sit and wait here in the hostel but what can you do. if the weather holds up there is work everyday.I wanna get my first paycheck before I go out the city and spend any money. No that anyone is making mega bucks picking kiwifruits but definitively more than I've been doing for the past few months.I rather stay here till the season is finished and reward my mind and aching muscles with hot spring spa or something.
Kiwifruit picking is an experience indeed. It is hard but not too bad once the body gets used to it. You are walking along the row picking quickly as many fruits as you can and place them carefully in the basket you are carrying in the front. it is like backpack in the front. A full basket gets quite heavy. But I think the biggest challenge is to hold your arms above your shoulders all day.
Most of the time we've been on the hourly rate because Gold kiwifruits are more fragile and need handle away more carefully. So no throwing them in the trailer bin or so. But an other picker found a ripe Gold fruit and passed it to me. Yam, they are much sweeter and tastier than green ones. The best kiwis are going be exported to Japan.
I could go on and on about kiwifruits. pretty much everybody in this hostel work either picking, packing or the the toughest ones both. You can pick kiwis during the day and pack during the day. Ehmm I am not in that bad money trouble yet. So it's is all good and in some twisted way I enjoy physical labor for a change. It's like a great work out and you get paid for that. We work from the sunrise to the sunset if it is not raining. So the sun is shining and the birds singing. Simple life, no cafes tempting me in to spend my savings. Neither need I find a gym or go for a run after work. it's all done during the day while working. But cannot deny that a few more days in a row and I'll be praying for rain...
