WINTER TRAVELS IN AUSTRALASIA 2008

Whew.... what a trip! The south island of New Zealand, as always, is SOOooooo beautiful. I bought an old "backpacker car" in Christchurch for $1500nz ($1250us) and sold it to the next budget traveler 3 1/2 weeks later for $1400nz. It was a 1993 Mazda station wagon with mattress, and along the way I picked up a blanket, pillows, small gas camper stove burner, pots, pans, mugs, etc at Salvation Army thrift shops and town recycle areas. Then off I went ! I drove around the south island and spent most of my time wending my way up the famously-beautiful West Coast. Part of this amazing road was very much like our own historic Route 1 on the California coast below Monterey. Fabulous.

At night I would camp in the car right next to beaches and by mountain lakes and rivers-- all for free. New Zealand is SO accommodating to campers, unlike our own East Coast (though western USA is better in this regard). I tried to catch the wily NZ trout but came up empty handed. Ah well.....

I discovered a blueberry farmer who had started his business only 4 years before, and he had just finished harvesting 4000 pounds of berries! I took pictures and got ideas, and this year we will be planting another 100 blueberry bushes at the Great Cape farm. Hopefully you will be able to "pick-your-own" fresh, organic blueberries here in Brewster in a few years!

On the return trip I stopped in Hawaii for 6 days and located a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture farm) on Kauii, the western-most island. I will keep in touch with them to see if we can do an exchange program. Wouldn't it be great to spend a few winter months working on an organic farm in Hawaii ?!?

OK-- THANKS FOR LISTENING, and as always--
Help one another. Recycle/reuse/rebuild. Be conscious. Eat well. Know who your plant friends are--get to know them. Love health and one another-- Stephan

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