To recap, we had decided to make good our escape from the Chateau Tongariro figuring life, and the life of our work visas, was too short to be miserable there. We were then left with the daunting problem of what to do next. We had not only not earned anything significant to ease our financial situation but had also lost the security of a couple of months employment within which to figure out our next move. The first of our two competing options was to make a mad dash down to Wanaka, the place we ultimately wanted to settle for the winter season, thus missing out everything in between including Wellington which we both really wanted to see. Or we continue our gradual descent finding HelpX hosts to accomodate us for free but not having the funds to really enjoy the places where we stayed. This option was complicated by the inevitable difficulties that arise when you need an instant response but are unable to contact the host. In this case we knew of a host living in Wellington who would have been perfect to stay with for a few days, allowing us to see the capital without having to spend too much. But we couldn't get hold of her. Luckily we had a backup plan, a host the other side of Mt Ruapehu who ran a horse trekking business, and who could offer the potential for horse riding to even inexperienced helpers. Got to be worth a shot! They were able to squeeze us in for just under a week despite already having 3 other helpers.

On leaving the Chateau we headed first to the top of the road through Whakapapa to see the Whakapapa ski village (a surreal experience in the height of summer with no snow around) and also some of the desolate scenery from the Mordor scenes in Return of the King. Particularly the ones where Frodo and Sam are approaching the end of their journey up the side of Mount Doom. Dominic says Kudos to me for not punching him in the face due to his repeated and dramatic uses of the phrase "CAST it into the FIRES of Mount Doom," and various derivations thereof.

We arrived at our destination after passing through the small but funky village of Ohakune and were put straight to work on the vege garden, clearing and replanting. After the severe lack of sleep caused by the previous nights partying (alas not ours) we were hoping just to crash and sleep but we didn't mind too much, particularly when we got the chance to have a little ride around the paddock on some of the horses who live there after finishing on the garden.

One day we were asked to lead the horses during a trek a family (from Scotland actually) had paid for. We were quite excited about this prospect but I ended up feeling totally out of my depth as I realised that if the horse bolted i actually had no idea what to do. I felt extremely nervous for the whole journey as I was responsible for the child's safety. Luckily nothing happened, but the child riding the horse I was leading was rather funny telling me all about her family history including the time her sister was sat on her grandfathers lap and sneezed spaghetti over him, that her friend Megan is the best at horseriding and that she's not allowed to wear lipgloss but her sister can, all interjected with the odd 'my ladybits are hurting'.

Whilst at the homestay we learnt how to brush the horses, fit their saddles and reigns and how to clean their hooves. All of these new found skills were put into use during a three hour horsetrek through the surrounding countryside. Dom was riding Jimmy and I had Yo-Yo who was very mischievious and kept kicking the other horses, he actually made a gash in Nugget's leg... trust me to get the naughty one. The next morning we awoke with sore arses but luckily no John Wayne style walking. I learnt the hard way that a thong isn't a good underwear choice when horseriding (Just to be clear, Mellissa wrote this bit).

We were staying at this place with three other helpers; Yana and Jennifer from Germany and Peggy from Holland. When travelling and meeting lots of different people you're bound to cross paths with someone you don't get on with. Peggy was this person for me. Bossy, interfering, needy, annoying ... and if you think i'm being harsh then let me tell you even Dominic the sweetest, most tolerant, non-b****y person I know even fell out with her. There wasn't alot of work to do apart from moving a great big mound of fire wood from one place to another and pulling out thistles from the field as they're poisionous to horses. One day we all went to pull out the thistles (the worst job of the two) but Dom and I found there wasn't enough equipment for us all so we said we'd do firewood and halfway into our hours we'd swap and do thistles. After all there's no way we're pulling thistles out barehanded. Peggy took this to mean we were avoiding doing the thisles (she had three pairs of gloves and a spade) and she caused a big hoo-har which basically resulted in Dom arguing with her and me telling her she's completely wrong and then not really saying more that two words to her for the rest of the stay. Yana and Jennifer were sweet though.

We spent a few evenings at the host Callums' friend Martin's epic house. A campfire was lit, drinking, cooking sausages, guitar playing, toasting marshmellows and (unsuccessfully) fishing for eels. Martin was actually a double for the hobbits in Lord of the Rings as he's pretty short and knew someone working for Weta, lucky sod. Now everytime Dom and I watch the films we can't help but say 'That could be Martin!' everytime Frodo, Sam, Merry or Pippin are walking along with their backs to the camera. Suffice it to say Dom asked him a million questions about his experience and heard a few amusing stories (such as Martin walking around the workshop when some executives were visiting deciding on which special effects company to use for the Tin-tin movie, Weta did the effects in the end, and him being grabbed and transformed into the eponymous Beligian hero to give the suits an idea of how they would proceed). Apologies for the running LOTR theme emerging but if you're attuned to that side of things it's hard to avoid it, and it was such an epic undertaking. And New Zealand just IS Middle-Earth!

The homestay was shared with not only thirteen horses but also a one eared goat, mummy goat. Mummy goat has had a pretty tough life; she lost all of her family but her son in the harsh winter last year, then some dogs attacked her son and killed him then the dogs came back for her and ripped her ear off. Not suprisingly she was a pretty nervous goat. One child from the family trek we led suggested she should be renamed Vincent Van Goat... one ear...goat....get it? Anyway, because of this dog attack (you'll be pleased to know the dogs were put down) it was neccessary to spray her ear with blue disinfectant spray twice a day to keep the flies off. Dom and I went to tackle this one day. Goatty isn't stupid she knew what we were there to do and didn't want it done. We dropped food just outside of her reach and then hid behind her kennel thinking she would come out, eat the grass and we'd spray her but instead she just meerely peered around the back of her kennel whilst we were huddled together trying to outsmart an animal which was in this case much smarter than us. Was pretty funny. I'm adamant that mummy goat actually tutted and rolled her eyes as she cast gaze upon us trying to fox her, 'bloody humans'.