Lots of vitamin C

Is Ben really driving a tractor?
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Here we meet our 2nd Wwoofing hosts at Lancaster Citrus in Wairoa.  And we thought we ate a lot of citrus at the last spot with their lemon and grapefruit trees....  Here we have beautiful mandarins, tangelos, and valencia oranges, and not just a couple, but acres of trees, all in neat rows.  A delicious place to work.

So aside from their orchard, they also ran a shop where they sold mixed produce alongside homemade jams, sauces, and honey.  It was interesting to see how the small business functions, and we were glad to help out wherever we could.  It didn't hurt that we had the company of their pets: Humphry the hog (actually a kunikuni pig), Arnie the goat, their two dogs Benji and Lucky Duck, and the two cats Marmalade and... darn, forgot that last one's name.  Plus we had the pleasure of a weekend visit from an adorable granddaughter, which is the kind of work Jenny always enjoys- it's been too long since we've seen The Wiggles.

Yes, Ben is seriously driving a tractor.
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Day trips here took us to the Morere hot springs, where we spent the afternoon soaking in some very hot water while enjoying the inevitable breathtaking views.  We also visited Mahia scenic reserve, some more beach, and did some some short walks around the beautiful lakes Waikaremoana and Waikareiti in Te Urewera National park.

Perhaps the most exciting part of our stay was the discovery of a Monstera Deliciosa plant in their yard, which bears the amazing Monster fruit normally found in Central America and occasionally in Wholefoods.  It has scales that pop off when it is ripe and ready to eat, and a custardy flesh that tastes like a blend of pineapple, banana, and kiwi fruit.  We happily took a few to ripen along the next week or two with us in the car.  Yum.