Leaving Opotiki

They even grow bananas

The beach I played at while Claire went diving for mussels

Claire and Em

Another gorgeous day

Patty and I (Mikes sister from NH) holding some massive crayfish (I bet you can guess what we had for dinner!)


LEAVING THE WONDERLAND

I've been at this home for over 2 weeks now and it's really started to feel like home. I guess that's one of the challenges of wwoofing, once you get comfortable somewhere, you're off to the next place to get to know new people and a new lifestyle.

I spent a lot of time at different beaches, some sandy, some rocky, but I hardly ever saw another person on the beach. Everyone here goes out to catch their seafood fresh for dinner. Most commonly they go diving for mussels, fishing for snapper, or setting traps for crayfish. Veges are grown in the garden, as well as fruit from the orchards. Claire prides herself on providing nutrient-dense food, and even has a hand held machine that can measure the nutrient density of her foods. All of her grains, nuts and seeds are soaked before being consumed to get rid of the phytic acid and allow for better absorption and get rid of the poison that's in the grains. The homemade bread is always sourdough made with wheat flour and ground wheat berries, oats, potatoes, etc.

I've learned so much about healthy living from Claire and her family, and hope to pass on some of what I've learned to anyone who is interested in knowing! ~