Farmstay in Kurow
As I stated in my previous blog, my next stop was staying somewhere over the holidays. Housesitting. That sounded like a good idea. The family was away on holiday and I needed to take care of the house, dogs, chicken, a lamb and a calf. Farmstay in Kurow.
Introduction to the Wilsons
I had my own place; a guesthouse. A love having my own space. When traveling and staying in hostels, you do not have that much privacy. Now I had not only my own bedroom but also my own bathroom.
From the moment I was there, the Wilsons took me into their home and heart. I could take anything from the kitchen I wanted. Anna immediately started to cook vegetarian meals for me. Justin showed me how the farms worked. We moved some cattle. A funny experience.
The following day they showed me how to feed the chicken, where to find the eggs, how to clean the eggs and to whom I had to sell them. I bottle fed the calf and lamb and made friends with the dogs Pippi and Mayzee.
Farmstay in Kurow
bundle of puppies
Then it was time for them to go. I was on my own. But not for long. The next day I met the neighbor’s house sitter who invited me to the house and introduced me to 3 week old puppies. If I wanted to cuddle with them. It’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.
I drove a car for the first time in New Zealand. A little bit shaky because on the left side of the road. Or, as we like to say, at the wrong side of the road. I went to Oamaru twice a week to deliver some eggs. And also did some sightseeing (next blog). I had a lot of freedom!
The holidays didn’t quiet feel like usual. It was my first time of having Christmas in summer: a weird experience. When it was not too hot, I went with the dogs to the river by bike. I also clicker trained Labradoodle Pippi to put toys into a basket. A fun game!
After the family came home
with Anna on top of Mount Kurow
I still got no news from Immigration about my visa extension. And I still got no new address to go to. I could stay as long as I wanted. That was nice. I helped Anna with some household chores. Played with the children and trained with Pippi. I spend time with them and some friends at the lake.
When the days went by, and I still had no new place to go to, I made a decision: I needed to get back to Europe. I had not enough money for two more months. Not because of bad budgeting but due to some bad luck. Luckily I have great trust in ‘all will be okay’ and am grateful for having creative skills. So within a day after my decision I found myself a new host in Portugal.
I said goodbye to the Wilsons. Farmstay in Kurow was great! These hosts were the most beautiful people I ever met. Even with their busy life with three kids, they were very laid back. Caring and sharing. I took Anna for a coffee and she took me on a challenge: climbing Mount Kurow! Thank you Anna and Justin for the experience and the nice time we had together.
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