the first few days in Blenheim

We found kiwis growing in someone's front yard.

Sunset over the street where we first were staying at Koanui Lodge.

A praying mantis we found at the Koanui Lodge

So here starts the blog. I'm in New Zealand. In Blenheim currently. It's a really small town with not much to do but vineyard work and catching rides to the beach. The first few nights we stayed at the Koanui Lodge and Backpackers hostel which was nice enough but there weren't any dorm rooms available, which are cheaper, so we moved over to Arrow Backpackers outside of town. The hostel-goers here are much friendlier than over at Koanui, and the owners Bruce Lee and Suzanne (or Susan?) are great. The first night we spent down the street at their house because there weren't beds available (like Bruce said there would be) and Suzanne kept offering to cook for us. We finally gave in and had a delicious breakfast of beef, rice, pickled sesame leaf, something pattied, something else pickled, corn, and Korean miso soup. Bruce even went driving around looking for us that first night because we were out late and he thought we had lost our way.

It's taken a while to find vineyard work because there are so many travelers here to compete with, but Becky and I got work starting Monday with Contra through the help of Wan Ho, one of our many Korean roommates.

By the way, I'm sick of the bad acting on Korean soap operas and can't stand listening to any more easy listening 90's music.