<< Like A Dream Yet NOT A DREAM >>: New Job

All the while, we thought that our new job is to pick blueberries. However, after we clarify again, we realized that blueberries are not ripen yet, the picking season only starts on mid of December. Now, our task is to pick raspberries, yummy!!!

The raspberry orchard

Compared to kiwi job, raspberries picking is really an easy job to us. This is because the tree is about 1.5 metres tall, which is so compatible with our height! We don't have the hassle and bassle troubles of trying to increase our height, and we don't have to strain our neck and shoulder to reach the tree.

My raspberries-picking look

All the raspberries waiting for me

Weighing our result each time we get a full tray

The rotten or over ripen berries which have to be separated. These will be used to make jam or frozen fruit

This job has its pros and cons. The pros is that the tree's height is very compatible with our height, and this is an easy job. Besides that, our supervisor and the boss treats us well, unlike the "head wind S" in Te Puke. The raspberries's orchard boss, 江叔 is from China. He monitor our work everyday himself, and he only stayed Hamilton for six months every year. Another six months, he will go back to China to enjoy his holiday.

Photo with 江叔, boss from China

Nothing is perfect so this job has its weaknesses too. The main weaknesses is we couldn't earn much money from this job. First, our wages is calculated based on the kgs of raspberries we picked. Everyday, we are going back to the same orchard and we have to pick those raspberries who are already ripen and red. In fact, we only able to collect about 15kg of raspberries per day. Another bad thing with this job is that the price of the raspberries is not fixed. During our first day of work, the price is NZD5 per kg. There's a heavy rain the second day, and each time if it rains, the raspberries will ripen and red very fast, hence there will be a lot of fruits for us to pick. However, this is not really a good news because the price drops to NZD4 per kg. Throughout our work here, the lowest kg we get is NZD3 per kg and we really feel tired and not worthy.

Besides raspberries picking, we got others job like folding the boxes and sticking the labels. These are not really a good job too as the wages is very low also. No matter how, it is still better than us working under the sun in the raspberry orchard.

Sticking the label, NZD0.01 for one stick :(

Folding the box - NZD0.10 for one box

Guessed the only thing we can do now is to pray for a better day and try to pick as much raspberries as we can. Luckily, we always steal some raspberries to eat while we pick, and that's what we earned extra, haha :p

There are also some unforgettable moments during our working days at raspberries farm. Once, there's heavy downpour for two days, and when we go to work on the third day, all the raspberries turn red out of a sudden. We all shocked when we reached the orchard as the amount of red raspberries is so much more than normal days. 江叔 also told us that we have to work till late night until the sunset when we can't see the trees anymore. In the end, all of us worked so fast and hardworking than usual, and seeing our effort, 江叔 treated about 20 of us a pizza dinner with coke!

At the end of the day, four of us managed to pick 200kg of raspberries!!! The main point is, we worked till 9pm at night until the sky is dark and we couldn't see the berries anymore. However, there are still alot of berries that haven't been picked; there are more than 1000kgs of berries at the orchard on that day! Although we were tired, we feel happy.

Work till the sky turns dark

We also saw some special moments in raspberries orchard. Besides the bird nest with blue eggs, we saw a bird who is hatching the eggs, and she never dare to move at all for long hours! Really Cute!

I also saw the queen of the bees who is making the beehive under the raspberries.

Another secret is that we always go to the blackberries trees beside us to steal the blackberries. This is the first time I see a blackberries trees, and also the first time I tried it. The taste is a bit sour and sweet, but when you taste it, you will like the taste slowly.