Level 2 PIA Adventure Top of the South (Part 4)

It's a rare sleep-in for the PIA babies with breakfast at 8 a.m. and a leisurely start to the day. Our first visit is to Pics Peanut Buttery Factory. We learn about the process, how a wee NZ company has managed to produce the best peanut butter in the world, and have zero carbon and climate-positive status. Not bad from a guy who made his first batch in his home garage in a concrete mixer 13 years ago.

Peanut butter fun facts

• Frying a blob of peanut butter gets rid of fried fish smells in your kitchen.
• Easy chewing gum removal: Cover area with peanut butter and rub till gum comes away, use the same approach for sticky labels.
• Peanut butter can be used as a butter substitute in baking.
• Peanut butter is high in natural oils so can be used to lubricate squeaky things and even as an emergency shaving foam substitute.

A highlight would have to be making our own spread by cycling to crush the nuts. Left to their own devices some individuals would have completed the Tour de France during our allocated time crushing every nut in the place. Fortunately, Team Leader is never far away and the “look” is applied with effect. A spot of shopping is in order and based on the quantities purchased it seems our parent spouses need buttering up for holding the fort at home.

Next, we brave the supermarket - apparently, this is every man's favourite place. The car park is full (on a Wednesday) “Why aren’t all these people at work” the group thinks self-righteously.

Lunch at Rabbit Island - clearly the rabbits had heard we were arriving and had gone to ground. It's a little rainy so of course we want to go for a swim. An in-depth conversation with Cullen about the cons: no dry clothes, no towel, and wet van seat for the remainder of the trip…the deal breaker was he had to swim in his undies. This proposal sees 13 lifeguards appear from the group and Cullen is banned from the water.

Away to Golden Bay Fruit: a pack-house extraordinaire. Joy, it’s hair net time again! We get to see how apples are cleaned, graded and packed with state-of-the-art machinery. A million apples a day over the automated site and all exported. We see similar technology when we pop across to kiwifruit, although on seeing the size of the fruit we all feel a bit hard done by with what we get in the supermarket.

With labour so difficult to source we find the scanner that replaces 60 people amazing.

We hear about Honey from Dorje from 3Bee Honey where it is all exported. 180 T. A lesson in how small the NZ market is and lastly head to Mac Hops and learn about building the hop fences and see the massive processing plant.

All our hosts have an amazing story to tell. They are good practical people, able to think of new ideas and ways of doing things and are brave enough to give things a go. The message from them all is to, “give everything a go”.

Highlights

• We let Kylie drive for a bit. Team leader internalises the thought that this is definitely a one-hit wonder.
• Josh and Jordyn continue to climb the ask the most questions leaderboard leaving the rest of the team eating their dust.
• Royden, “DJ, half track” is banned from the play list.
• Batty Junior has sent through a join request to the class fb page, apparently, it will be a cold day in hell before we let him in, Batty Senior declares.
• Apparently, there is a snow forecast for the passes tomorrow but fortunately, we have a superior driver in our midst. Jordyn though, has her fingers and toes crossed for a continuation of the smorgasbord.
• Apparently, our last set of accommodations is substandard with the boys struggling with the curtains instead of doors concept - we feel that boarding school is not an experience they would appreciate.
• One last night of handing in our phones- excitement is mounting in anticipation of streaks continuing tomorrow with abandon.
• Royden finds himself some wee friends as an elderly couple pop over to chat at Pics - the stunned rabbit look intensifies as the conversation reaches the 10-minute mark.
• Richard, you’re a liability.