Farming, Penguins, and Backlash (Dunedin, NZ)

I spent 2 nights and one day on an organic vegetable farm south of here in Clinton. It wasn't all I'd hoped. It was kind of pretty and somewhat interesting, but not too pretty or interesting and exceptionally cold and dirty and not so much "farm" dirty as "unhygenic because I don't like cleaning" dirty. The farmers were German instead of Kiwi and the other WWOOFers not so great. After a sleepless night of hypothermia in an old broken down bus-motorhome, I spent 8 hours pulling weeds, mostly grass, from the muddy aisles between the beds of a lettuce-filled tunnel house. Then I spent a second warmer night with the true luxury of a hot water bottle clutched to my chest, packed up my things, and caught a ride back to Dunedin. The lettuce I had weeded went to the Dunedin farmer's market so I checked that out and then I signed up for my first tour bus experience.

Yes, tour bus. I even got a company issue long blue raincoat distributed to me because the guide didn't think my fleece would do it, but the tour is the only means, without one's own car, to access the Otago Penninsula. My timing was perfect to make today's trip so I spent 6 hours in the company of 10 other tourists, exploring the eastern most tip of New Zealand and getting as close as possible to not only South America, but sea lions, seals, albatross, and rare yellow-eyed penguins. Penguins! Tonight I am doing laundry and checking email for free and sleeping in a cozy attic (I get to crawl up a ladder and through a hatch and everything!) at the Elm Lodge hostel, in Dunedin. Tomorrow I hope to catch a bus to Te Anau and try to track down an Australian girl I met the other day who has a car and an interest in splitting "petrol" costs which would be good for all involved. That's the update folks. Thanks for your comments and emails. Hope you're all well.

Now for the BACKLASH part:
After all the pressure to create this ridiculous blog, there has been a backlash. Many of you feel the blog just doesn't cut it and have asked for mass emails. So demanding. I am indeed going to send emails from time to time to my family and those who have asked so if you want on board for this list, please email me and I'll add you to it. Gracias.