I was leaving for Spain, I had 5 months left in New Zealand. I was living in New Plymouth at the time, a small coastal town on the west coast of the North Island. I had been on a road trip with a good friend from Italy in the South Island a year prior and that was it, before i knew it I fell in love. The landscape, the mountains, the air & adventure. I handed in my notice for my job at the time, gave myself two weeks to prepare, sold my surfboard, left the apartment, told my roommate (who was on summer break at the time)'' Andy, I'm going to the South Island this summer in search to find the perfect beach, if you want to make a good amout of summer cash you could come along. I remembered a few of my german friends telling me about a place called Motueka where they were picking apples for a good amount of cash. I didn't care, I just wanted to enjoy my last summer in New Zealand in the sun. Job or not I was still getting a summer apartment on the beach, two weeks later we left. I always say "everything happens for a reason and seems to fall into place when you let it".We made it to picton,( the first settlement that you reach by boat when you arrive to the South Island ) and slept in the car.