Geraldine Abridged and Some Dunedin

So I haven't posted for quite some time, so I though I would get one in quickly. I could write thousands of words about the past week, but the below will have to do for now. perhaps I will elaborate another time.

being on the internet is seeming to only remind me of the things i miss in MN, but that is okay because i've had a great week. i left that other farm and had a couple days in a christchurch hostel. i met a dutch girl and we hung out a bit. it was cool to have some company. hostels can be a bit isolating i think if you are traveling alone and the atmosphere isn't exactly friendly. this one was great though.

from there i took a bus to a town called Geraldine. it was a beauitful little place in the foothills. david, the owner of an organic flax oil farm picked me up and we headed to his place for wwoofing and a music festival. at the beginning, davids place was a bit of a mess. the floor was torn up and furniture was everywhere. the kitchen wasn't clean. the food available wasn't much. i was a bit uncomfortable i will admit.

but, as i stayed there longer i realized that things weren't actually as disordered as they appeared. david runs his house the organic way, so everything was produced from the garden or on the farm. we started each morning by milking the goats and feeding the chickens. goat milking was fun for me since i haven't milked anything before. then we took it in and made the cheese. david's daughter was an amazing musician, quite an interesting person, and a good host for the wwoofers. the farm was beauitiful. there were huge 1000 year old trees everywhere and a river ran through near the house with a fantastic swimming hole and crystal clear water. the work was tough for 4 days, but the food was stellar. i say the work was tough, but it was also motivating to know it was all for a festival that we coudl take part in and the team was great. we ran into trouble a few times and worked out of it and it made for a great bonding experience.

for the festival david brought in a chef and the food was even more amazing. i was surrounded by musicians, folkies, and great food. it was a full house and people were camping all around. some highlights of the festival: playing fiddle at the blackboard concert, rotating between sweet lodge, river, and fire, singalongs, driving to a 30 foot high waterfall and jumping off the top, etc. it was tough to go, but i had a free ride to dunedin.

i got to dunedin last night and the couple that gave me the ride did more than they were required to in order to set me up in town. they found a place for me to wwoof (a bed and breakfast where i am now) and they have sort of plugged me in to a variety of folks here. great story from last night. they told to go to the folk club, so i got a ride from some of their friends who dropped me at the door. it was an old church renivated into a convert hall and bar. the stage was set under a huge stainglass window in the front. i entered through the back, dropped a name, and said i would be interested in playing a bit of fiddle before the main act (common practice at the club apperently). they said alright and so i made my way in looking for a place to sit and tune my fiddle. then a voice said, "and now, having just walked in the door, a wwoofer from the USA woudl like to play some fiddle tunes for all of you!" surprised, i simply continued on up to the stage in front of probably 100 people and tuned my fiddle there. i think the tunes were well received, hopefully most were not familiar with how good the old time stuff can sound. the main concert was enjoyable as well.

so now i am at a bed and breakfast working for a few days. word is i might do some accounting, maybe some gardening, and of course the stuff that is inherent to running a hotel. then i'm staying with another couple down the road. i think dunedin is going to be a fun place. i'm excited for the irish music session on tuesday, a danish band at "chruch on saturday", and all in between.