The Park Hotel Ruapehu

Work & tons of free stuff

Surprise! This is some kind of test, if this even works, but I just felt like writing in English, I hope you don't mind.. If you find a mistake feel free to keep it ;) 

 

Roommates

We were looking for a fruitpicking job on backpackerbord when we found The Park Hotel Ruapehu instead. For three hours of roomkeeping work a day we would get accommodation. After a few emails with JJ, the manager, we thought this might be nice to explore the national park a bit. 
When we arrived, she showed us our room, which we shared with Amy, a really nice, but not very comunicative, girl from the UK. Everything looked so nice, they have a big restaurant area with a fire place, and a smaller TV area with another fireplace.
Our room had a bunk bed and a bathroom downstairs, and another two beds (which Amy occupied) upstairs. Nothing special, but definitley bigger than Uwe and a toilet just five steps away is more than we're used to. First thing we did: shower and cooking.  

Housekeeping!

The next day was our first work day, on which we had to do some 'odd jobs' around the property. That included picking up rubbish in the carpark, removing stains from the walls in the stairwells, vacuum cleaning and removing cobwebs on the outsides. Not very hard. 
On sunday we met Debbie, head of the housekeeping department, she showed us how to do the beds (fitted sheets, I already miss you!) and some other easy stuff. 
Monday was so much worse. After the weekend nearly 50 rooms checked out, so we had to clean them ALL! That's why we had to work six hours that day (next day off). Finja and I were seperated, she was upstairs with Virgina and Andy from Argentinia and I was downstairs with Debbie and Amy. First thing I had to do was to strip all the beds and pillows, get all of the towels out and into the laundry. Then put linen, pillowcases, towels, soap and shampoo back in. In the meantime Debbie and Amy remade the beds and cleaned the bathrooms. After that, I grabbed a vacuum, a really shitty on, that fell apart every other minute and had me cursing about and tripping over the power cord countless times. After a few rooms I had kind of a routine, which made it faster but not easier. I also had to make the beds in the bunk rooms, which means, climbing on these stupid beds and fighting with the way too small fitted sheets. The six hours went by pretty fast, there was just so much work to do. 
In comparison, the other days were easy going and really relaxed. But still work, striping beds, making them, vacuum cleaning, getting this from over there, taking that back there. 
Yesterday we had to take some complete beds (matress and bottom part) from downstairs in a room upstairs. And today, we had to take the exact same beds back down! Surely it isn't
that hard to plan ahead a little further, is it?! 

And the winner gets... 

The best thing of the whole arrangement here is that we can keep any food we find in the rooms. Some backpackers just leave super good stuff behind. Like milk, apples, fresh muffins, coke, paprika, onions, juice... Who buys food for money and abandons it? There is also a huge 'free food' box in the fridge. And seriously, we don't have to buy anything anymore! Red Bull, cottage cheese, ham, peas, cornflakes, choc pops, yoghurt, cheese, mayonaise, milk, bread, peanutbutter, jam, butter, raisin bread and so much more which I already forgot. But all of that was still fresh, so we took it. Better than throwing it away, right? 
While working, we could also accidentally drop some of the tea, choclate powder, sugar, soap, shampoo, laundry powder or laundry coins in our pockets. Don't know how all that stuff got in there, but putting it back would look suspicious as well, so we decided to keep it. I don't think we'll ever run out of chocolate now. 
And then: Yesterday all the people who worked at the skilift left the hotel because the season is over and some of them apparently had too many clothes. So they asked us. And who would we be to say no? So I got a rally comfy wollen jumper, a blue skiinstructor's shirt and some swimming trunks (well, more like I found them and they are for a boy, but they fit and look quite nice, so why not?). Finja got a hoodie (oh, and what a nice one. but we agreed on her having that one and me getting the next cool thing we find) and a fleece. I don't know how I will fit all of that in my backpack, maybe I have to leave some of my stuff here. 
Damn, that sounds like we're living out of the bin or something, like we just pick up everything we see. We're not that bad. But we live on budget and free stuff is always good. We aren't used to luxury like milk or cheese, so we simply can't deny what's presented to us so nicely. Take what you can get and give nothing back! 

Such a good place to be!

What kind of backpacker gets to relax in a jacuzzi whirlpool for free? Right, us! All bubbly and hot with the sun shining occasionally and nice people coming and going to talk to. On our day off, we spend almost three hours inside. Way too nice to get out. 
In the evenings, we sat in really big beanbags next to the tv. Oh, best thing: I could finally watch a MotoGP race! Probably the only chance I get, and it was simply fantastic. I missed that. But I miss the race-sundays on the couch with my dad even more.
Anyway, the other days we met people from stray buses who only stayed one night, watched some videos on Youtube and read a lot. I'm reading the DaVinci Code (and I haven't seen the movie, so don't spoiler me! *glares*) and it's impossible to put down. Really great book, you should read it. It was a real bargain, only 2$ in an opportunity shop somewhere on Coromandel.
What else? We washed ALL our stuff, clothes, bedsheets from Uwe, with the totally legal and correctly purchased laundry coins. Sadly, everything smells like chlorine here, because the tap water consists of more chlorine than water. But still better than everything smelling dusty and sweaty. 

I hope this sounds alright and I didn't mess up too badly ^^
Sorry for the lack of pictures, but it's already late (or maybe early), my cam is upstairs and I'm too lazy to get it. 

We will leave here tomorrow and head on to Napier and Hastings, but I don't know when we'll be there, so don't worry if you don't hear anything from me. I'm probably just in the middle of some forest hugging some trees or something similar. You know, the usual :D

Some special thanks at this point to my lovely sister, my little deer, who always encourages me to try something new like this. Love you babygirl!