The Fashion Island – Papamoa

During our time as kiwi packers in Te-Puke, we always visit to a town called Papamoa to satisfy our shopping desires. It takes about 20 minutes drive to Papamoa from Te-Puke. This town is famous with the Papamoa beach and Fashion Island. You can also do your grocery and household shopping at Pak’N Save, New World and Warehouse.

We spotted someone selling “Cheap Rocks Melons” on our way to Papamoa, so we get off to have a look and tasted it.

 We were looking for the sweetest melons to bring home

Finally, we reached Fashion Island where you can find many shops are selling clothes, accessories and shoes.

 

We found our shops here... :P

Tips: You can find free hangers from some shops such as JayJay, Supreme in NZ. This time JayJay is giving out free hanger, it helps us from saving the hanger cost.

Lucky Dips selling at one of the shops

If Fashion Island does not fulfill your shopping desires, you can continue shopping at Warehouse, New World and Pak’N Save which are located besides Fashion Island.

 

 Our groceries of the week

At one of our times to Papamoa, we saw double rainbows! It’s DOUBLE RAINBOWS!! To take some photos for memory, we keep turning the roundabouts before turning into Papamoa road, it’s funny but we were horned by the cars behind. Oops, sorry: P

Papamoa Beach

Pipi picking session again~

Dig dig dig

Faster grab the pipi when the waves get back

What a windy and cold morning

Our harvest

Playing with the birds@@

There are some hotels around the beach for tourists to spend their days with the lovely beach, but not for us, we got to back to Te Puke to cook the Pipi as our lunch.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next enjoyable experience in another town.

Fun time with Kiwi farms

Still blogging about Te Puke? Kiwi fruit? What else we can find in this small town? Yeah, you must not miss out the vast kiwi farm. One of the famous kiwi farms is Kiwi 360. Kiwi 360 is famous with its GIANT kiwi fruit located in front of the visitor center. You can take photo with the giant kiwi fruit and climb up to the top of the kiwi fruit to have a bird eye view of the kiwi farm. There is a souvenir shop, café and KiwiKart tour that bring you go through the lush orchards.

Kiwi 360

The best photo of us with Giant Green Kiwi after trying N-times of capturing :P

 We looks happier when taking photo with Giant Yellow Kiwi^^

Does Zespri sounds familiar for you?

 With 2 little kiwi fruit dolls, there are so adorable^^

Te Puke safety sign board that you can see on the road,  so creative.

We went to Kiwi 360 for 2^nd time during autumn time; the 1^st time was in summer. 

Look at the leaves, there are so colourful~~

  

We went to another two kiwi farms beside kiwi 360 which gives us the chance to be closer to the fruits. ^^ Kiwi Fruit tree is not too tall for us, that’s why we still can work as kiwi picker with our height, but we chose not to be a kiwi picker because it’s a very tiring job. 

 Heading to another kiwi farm and spotted this dried cone farm as cone season is just over.

All kiwi farms are covered by a kind of tall and flat plant called Shelter Belt, 

it protects kiwi trees from big wind. 

We are not too short, aren’t we? :P

Kiwi fruit close up

Beautiful trees

I can’t wait to taste on the kiwi fruit!

 

The feeling of blissful*.*

 

 I met my ‘best friend’ last summer: P

 

The giant kiwi fruit is trying to eat us, help! 

 

Two little fresh kiwi fruits, product of NZ :)

 

Enjoy reading, stay tuned for our next experience in Papamoa.

 

Life in Te Puke

Te Puke is a peaceful with low population small town. It only becomes lively when reaches kiwi fruit season.  During kiwi fruit season, the town will be full of people such as working holiday permit holders, working permit holders, students and residents from the neighbourhoods to work as kiwi packers, kiwi graders and kiwi picker jobs. Kiwi fruit season is last for 3-4 months (Mar-June each year), the best choice for accommodation is to search for home-stay at that period.  You can find room-for-rent notes at the supermarkets’ notice board such as New World and Countdown, or asking the people around the town, backpacker house or lodge. Everyone in the town is kind enough to give you a hand on searching for a suitable accommodation.  The average rental price at the town is NZD100 per week per head included room with bed and blanket, water and electricity usage and internet access. 

We were so luckily that we met a super lovely home-stay family, Ivan & Robyn with their children, cutie grandchildren, and grandparents during our time there. They have a smart and big black dog named Boofie staying together with them, too. Ivan and Robyn treated us as part of their family and we are free to do whatever we wanted, as well as swimming (we didn’t swim because we can’t stand the cold weather). We enjoyed the dessert (ice-cream) from Ivan, bacon and egg pie baked by Robyn, and crazy moment when playing WII together with them. Beside, Robyn taught us the best way to cook steaks as different meats have different methods to cook in order to have the best taste, this is the best tips ever we have! Ivan always share the family photos and told us many stories about them, it was gorgeous! When the children and grandchildren came to visit them during weekends, they welcome us to join their family day; it was the warmest moment we had in our working holiday period. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ivan and Robyn for your hospitality and we enjoyed every moment staying with you and your family, the house is really nice and warm. We will never forget you all, and the yummy farewell dinner prepared by Robyn and Ivan. ^^

Sharing with you our happiest moment in Te Puke, enjoy ^^

  Have a walk nearby the house

 I like the weather, windy and warm

This is the house of our home-stay family, and that was our car :P

 1.Living room, 2.Kitchen with cute Liam,

3.Our room, 4. With kiwi fruits and swimming pool

 Robyn and Ivan, our home-stay owner, miss you^^

 

Start our day by reading newspaper. 

Yeah, you can get Chinese newspaper at NZ (We got it when we were at Auckland)

Celebrating the grandchildren, Madison's bday. There are so cute:) 

 

1.Kiwi fruits we got from our pack house, it's free^^, 2. Misshaped Kiwi fruits >.<

3.Kiwi fruits again, 4. Gold and green kiwi fruits ready to be served! 

 Picking Mandarin Oranges at friend's house *fresh*

1. Avocado tree at friend's house, 2. Thanks Fiona and Max for the Avocado *Yummy & Fresh*

3.Picking Feijoe at roadside, 4. Feijoe taste like guava but its softer *nice*

Yummy dinner cooked by ourselves: 1. Fish and Chips,2. Steaks

We have tried many yummy snacks at NZ, all of them were nice especially Bluebird potato chips, Vanilla and Hazelnut Yogurt, L&P soft drink, Nut Bar and Cookie Time's cookie. We are totally addicted to them, you must try them when you are in NZ!

1. Bluebird Grain Waves 18 Snack Packs and Kiwi As

2.Vanilla and Hazelnut yogurt

3. Bluebird (Thick Cut, Honey Baked Bacon, Original Cut)

4. Our snacks! You must try L&P soft drink which taste like lemon juice, Nut Bar, Cookie Time, Cadbury, MORO and Picnic chocolate.

5. Hot Cross Bun for Easter day, thanks Robyn :)

6. Hokey Pokey ice cream, famous in NZ, thanks Ivan :)

7. Kiwi fruits ice cream, thanks Tim and Siew Yee

8. Boysenberry ice cream, thanks Ivan again :P

Our NZ trip mates :)

Our housemates

Can you tell me there are how many Micky in total? :P

Baking Egg tart with Max and Amy

Farewell lunch and birthday celebration with friends we met at NZ. Nice to meet you all and thanks for the yummy food^^

Farewell dinner prepared by Robyn and Ivan. The food is very delicious, thanks^^

Gifts from Robyn, very appreciate it, thanks

Living in this small town was really a great experience for us. We will miss Te Puke, Robyn & Ivan family, friends we met there, and Trevelyan pack house forever.