Year of the Kiwi

I’ve taken a woefully small amount of pictures in the past few weeks. There have been stretches of days where I haven’t even touched the camera. Goodness, it must’ve been lonely! When things become a bit routine, I forget how those everyday activities and everyday people become just as significant as the “highlight” moments in travel. It’s a shame really that I haven’t had made more note of them. I’m probably thinking about this now because I’ve reached my last weekend in Dunedin and have had to say many goodbyes this week… to folks at poker, work and the hostel. My attachment to these people and places really snuck up on me. But alas, it’s my last weekend in this place I’ve called home in the past 2 months. I accomplished exactly what I came to Dunedin to do… work and save up money to finish off my travels in New Zealand. Tonight is the All Blacks game, a highlight amongst highlights. And I promise… many many highlight moments to come in the next posts.

 

 

Though I’ve been working full time hours at Dunedin Wool Dumpers, the folks at Adecco have been hooking me up with some weekend work as well. So I haven’t had much of relaxing on the weekends, but why relax when I can get paid to tour Southern Otago with Fulton Hogan on such a gorgeous winter morning?

 

 

The catch is that I have to occasionally get out of the warm van to put some sign up in the freezing cold. Actually, half the time I wasn’t even doing anything then. You know when you look at a road crew and there are four guys standing around watching one guy work? I was one of the four guys… it just sort of happens.

 

 

The signs were to notify the public of the closure of Clydesvale bridge that weekend. The funny thing is that the bridge was being worked on at 10:30 in the morning and we couldn’t get around to putting up some of the signs until after noon. Sucks for some drivers who had to drive half an hour to find that out.

 

 

No comment necessary.

 

 

Quick shot of Gary before helping him load the plate onto the trailer. Gary and I went on an excellent adventure driving around for half a day just to collect these plates, a thermometer, and a container of hot water. A ridiculous amount of petrol and human resources wasted just to get things that should’ve already been at the work site. But oh well, that’s why most people have jobs I guess… ineptitude.

 

 

How many men does it take to fill a container of water? This has got to be the most expensive water ever.

 

 

Jason (we did the stop/go work together a few weeks back) and I then drove ALL the way back to Dunedin to get a single electric blanket the crew needed, then ALL the way back to the bridge to deliver it, then ALL the way back home to Dunedin. Total extra hours for me… 3… total cost to the contractors… it’s like they don’t even care.

 

 

One of the other presses at the Wool Dumpers. This one compresses things vertically. It’s a bitch to load and even a bigger bitch to feed straps to which was my job.

 

 

Look at that intensity!

 

 

Daniel moving a cage around with the Hyster. I really wish I had a forklift license so I can do that.

 

 

I remember the first time I tried baling up wool packs. Spent a good 10 minutes trying to unhook the darn thing! Gave everyone there a good laugh watching me struggle. Was a pro at it by the second week though, and it was my turn to laugh when the other temps tried it.

 

 

A cool looking industrial scale used to weigh the heavy bales of wool.

 

 

Snapped this shot doing a night-fill shift at Countdown (there goes another Saturday night). It’s my desktop background right now.

 

 

The weather’s been typically shit on the weekends, but one day I decided to venture up Mt. Cargill anyway to get a panoramic view of Dunedin. Halfway up the hill, another vehicle came backing down all the way. “What the hell are they doing?… amateurs”. As I drove up the hill myself… the wheels started turning, but the car wasn’t going anywhere… yeah, even with my V6 3 liter engine and nice tires. Ohhh. With nowhere to turn around… back, back, back I went.

 

 

Determined to get to the top, I parked the car at the bottom of the hill and walked up the slippery slope for an hour in the blustery chilly winds.

 

 

More clouds had rolled in by the time I got to the top, but it was still a sweet as view of the Otago Peninsula and all of Dunedin.

 

 

Scott and Scott, a couple of the guys I regularly play pub poker with. Last time playing at Heff’s so I made it a point to bring my camera and take some pictures.

 

 

Nathe is one of the tournament hosts… One of the many friendly familiar faces in town.

 

 

Ofa changing the oil in my car after I mentioned I hadn’t done it since buying the car (I know… horrible, but not as horrible as the thick black oil the drained out the bottom). I’m gonna feel a whole lot more confident about selling the car when it comes time to do that.

 

 

Tony and Tiola working away sewing the wool packs… one of the sights and sounds it will be weird not to see or hear in the morning anymore.

 

 

It was quite a cruisy day at work just stamping and bundling. Daniel and I probably did half the work we were supposed to, but Neil didn’t really care… It was my last day at work. You’d think I’d be happy to leave and never have to wake up to the cold, the smell of sheep, hands covered in lanolin, the sore muscles… but it’s just been an awesome experience working with real Kiwi blokes, laughing and telling stories all day, and feeling really appreciated.

 

 

Curly straps.

 

 

Neil’s mastery of the forklift is just unreal. It would take anyone else a day to do what he can easily in an hour. I guess that’s why he’s always playing solitaire in the office when I walk in… because all his work is already done.

 

 

With two hours left in the day, Neil told me, “You’re fired”. That was it… my experience at Dunedin Wool Dumpers was over. We all shared a few handshakes, hugs, sincere thanks, and heartfelt goodbyes. Come to think of it, it was my last day of work in New Zealand… ever.

 

 

I then headed back to the Adecco office to hand back my smelly work boots and thank Kaye for all the opportunities she gave me. My whole work search started out quite sucky in Dunedin, but it all ended up great and memorable… as it always does.

 

So there it is… just a few of my memories from the past 3 weeks. It’s almost tragic all the things I’ve done and people I’ve met that weren’t mentioned, considering I’m supposed to be the Chronicler of All Things. But I guess memories will remain my my memory alone. I’m just greatful to have been able to see Dunedin from the point of view of someone working and living here and to have had a taste of the Southern Man life.