Thursday, July 30, 2015

73 : Work Exchange in Dunedin

Hello!

As written in previous post, I would love to share about my experience in doing work exchange / work for accommodation (WFA). Basically, WFA is a NON-PAID job where you work for few hours per day for free accommodation/meals.

I managed to get WFA in Penny's Backpackers Lodge, Dunedin as a receptionist / front desk. It requires me to work 5 hours / day, 4x a week to get 1 week of free accommodation. Easy job : entertain walk-in guests, replying booking emails, answering inquiries and HAVE FUN hahahaha!






It was so much fun since we got to meet lots of travelers from around the world. Sipping my morning coffee in the kitchen while listening to others travel plan of the day was one of the things that I enjoyed the most :)


On a very sunny day, we normally leave the building and walk around the town enjoying the sun and observing people. Or enjoying few scoops of goodness, called ice-cream!

Our $3 of awesome-ness!

Enjoying the sun in front of The Clock Tower with lovely roomates. Room 2 FTW!

Or just watching movies in the living room. HAHA!

We stayed there around a month, we feel like we are living with our extended family. Hence, the family dinner. We cooked and enjoyed the meal together, like a real family. FUNTAIMZ!




I made cekodok ikan bilis for them! (and there was Floyd's legendary lamb curry yo!)

I was glad to be part of Penny's big family. I did return to the hostel and worked in the laundry team before I traveled through the West Coast of South Island.

Home, away from home.


So peeps, try to look for WFA to get new experiences mixing around with locals/travelers if you have any chances. It might be hard at first, but hey; you can absolutely do it! :D


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

72 : Crossing Cook Strait

Greetings!

When I was working in a hostel back in Dunedin, I met this one cool kid named Will; or William to be exact. He said that I should go Wellington and enjoy the wind there. So I did.

Took the morning ferry from Picton jetty to Wellington, on the day the storm crossing through Aotearoa. After biding farewell to my host in Nelson (she is the nicest, even asked me to come back if anything goes wrong on my way to Welly) and my West-coast travel partners; I took off via Bluebridge ferry.

Boarding pass to return before boarding the bus. The bus will take the ferry passengers from the counter to the ferry.

I was expecting a very small version of ferry compared to the real one. Duhh..

Went outside to check things out.

Gloomiest weather since I first landed in Aotearoa.

So, I boarded on a Santa Regina..

Gloomy and cold.



The neighbour.

Living hall

By the time I reached Wellington after 3 hours journey, Will and his lovely mom were already there waiting for me. I was so lucky because he was in town at that time and this beautiful soul even offered me a spare couch in his parents house for that night. YEAY! We went back home and his lovely mother cook a very nice dinner for me :)


ps : Got inspired to update from this pocketchuboi. Hiks.
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