Tag Archives: wwoofing

HI

Kauai

This will be the last post that is a status update post. My blog will be shifting directions. You can still follow me on Facebook for more personal updates. 

As I mentioned, we ended up staying at another farm for a few days. It is primarily a dragonfruit farm, but they also host bees as well. We were fortunate enough to be working during one of the days when they were processing the honey from the hives. 

I was so glad to be there during this day. Bees are a truly amazing species, and it was wonderful to get to work so closely with them and to learn so much about the process of harvesting honey. I will have to have bees of my own some day. 

We were excited about the possibility of arriving in Kauai and working at yet another location. The view from the plane confirmed our suspicion of its beauty. 

That being said, it is also one of the wettest places on Earth. The fog and mist is a near constant here, and after we arrived on the farm and unpacked, we realized how wet it would be. We have been here for five days, and I am still waiting for a pair of shoes to dry out. Our fellow farmers are nice, but we suspect they are somehow crazy to be able to tolerate this weather year-round. 

“Welcome to Kauai. This is the dry season,” they said. Hmm.  It’s rained every day here, and one day it rained ten times – cleared up to a sunny day in between every time. We have heard that it is not normal. As with the rest of the world, the weather has been unusual this year. 

I do get it though. It’s a beautiful place, a beautiful farm, and the owner is extremely kind. The plan is to simply be grateful and enjoy the things we can while we are here in this magical (though strange) land. Next step: go camping on the coast. 

HI

Oregon and Hawaii

My next adventure has been brewing for some time. I had many ideas in mind: other long-distance trails, careers to try, countries to visit. My girl, Andrea, and I decided on Hawaii. 

After settling on this idea, sometime in April, we decided the most logical way to start an adventure there was through WWOOFing. It is a worldwide organization where farms and potential farmers have profiles, and the profiles can be reviewed to decide on a good match. Most of the farms offer a work-for-stay program, and some even offer some of the harvest from the farm to supplement meals. This way, we decided, when we arrive, we will already have secured a place to stay, and rent will be covered. After applying to a few, we found one that stood out as our first WWOOF farm experience – a goat and chicken farm on the big island of Hawai’i. After talking with the owners on the farm a few times, we were ready to go. We sold and donated a bunch of our possessions and bought our tickets. 

We had arranged to stop in Oregon for a few days to visit my brother and to explore the state. Zack and Eleanor were both gracious hosts and took us to see some of their favorite spots in the state. 

It was both of our first time on the Pacific Ocean. This lookout was said to be the best on the whole coast, with a view of 70 miles on a clear day. 

Mary’s Peak, formerly Spirit Mountain, was an inspiring viewpoint. 



We hiked down to Salt Creek Falls, the second largest in Oregon, but I’m willing to say it was the first mistiest. 

After saying our goodbyes, we took the plane from Portland to Kona, Hawai’i. We got in super late and ended up stealth camping in Kona. In retrospect, this was more stressful than my ideal first day in paradise, especially considering the lack of grass here. In its place, lava rocks, tropical trees, and spiky shrubs. 

Welcome to a new way of living.