Apple Picking in Fruit Bowl Central

Imagine this - everyday you get up at 6.30am you get in a van with a bunch of international backpackers to descend on the orchard with the sun rising through the trees. You pretend you are a monkey for 8 hours climbing up and down a 3 metre ladder. You try and pick as fast as you can to make more than $10 an hour (3 quid). You go home covered in dirt and appley goodness with your muscles telling you to go back to bed.
But I actually really like apple picking and its only for three weeks. Bonus - I'm getting faster and a bit stronger so in the last few days i picked three instead of two bins (worth $30 a bin). I've found my monkey ladder feet and am enjoying being way up high, apple tree orchard queen, the only place where there is a refreshing breeze (its HOT work). I like the meditative side of picking, you let your mind relax and wander and keep in a happy zone and its a really rather pleasant form a strenuous, exhausting exercise!
So three weeks in Napier, i'm in a great hostel called Wallys with some other fellow working backpackers. I think this was what i was after in my festival aftermath. I was really feeling like i needed to stop and refresh for a time and i realised my money is low so here i am. Working life is good, so long as you stay in the positive mindset. Loads of people have picked apples for the morning, realised that they had just worked the hardest they ever have in their whole lives for the WORST pay ever, and quit. Sensible perhaps but i like the challenge of enjoying it for three weeks and also pushing myself to maybe one day make 4 boxes instead of 2 or 3! Why serve arrogant idiots in restaurants when you could monkey around in trees eh!

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