By Jennica Peterson  December 9th, 2009 6:00 am  |  Comments (6)

Volunteer to work at a vineyard like this one in New Zealand.

Last Friday on WPIX-TV, Afar co-founder Joe Diaz revealed five trips that might inspire you to change careers. Here’s one for travelers who want to get their hands dirty working outside, work beside locals who really know their land, and then end the day with a good glass of wine.

Trip: Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) in New Zealand
Overview: WWOOF is a world-wide network of organic farms that offers volunteers opportunities to learn about organic farming in exchange for free food and accommodation. There are openings on farms from Australia to Zambia. For example, on one of more than a thousand possibilities listed in New Zealand, you can learn about organic wine-making on a vineyard and farm in Hawke’s Bay.
Skills you’ll learn: How to naturally enrich the soil with compost and protect against pests to produce the best quality grapes; depending on the season, how to properly prune the vines or harvest the grapes; how to make wine; how to care for the family’s sheep and chickens.
Other highlights: Tasting the wine. Hiking to the nearby Tuki Tuki River. Staying in a private cottage overlooking the vineyards.
Price: Annual fee of $30 to view the WWOOF farm listings in New Zealand on the organization’s Website. The volunteering experience itself is free. Trips last from one day to an entire season.

Four other career-changing trips:

• Work alongside marine biologists in Greece
• Learn to cook in Morocco
• Help healthcare workers in Guatemala
  
• Teach English and surf in Bali

Photo by PhillipC

By Jennica Peterson  October 19th, 2009 6:00 am  |  Comments (1)

A hei matau pendant by Maori artist Hepi Maxwell.

The hei matau, or fish hook, is an important symbol to New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people. “The Maori fisherman was greatly respected because of his tireless efforts in catching food for his village. So the hei matau becomes a symbol of providing or prosperity,” says artist Hepi Maxwell, who is of Maori descent. Maxwell carves contemporary hei matau pendants (pictured) out of pounamu, a nephrite jade found in New Zealand. Visit him in his Creative Jade workshop on the North Island (call ahead). Pictured pendant costs $349. Creative Jade, 229 Vaughan Rd., Rotorua, New Zealand. 64/(0) 7-345-6622, creativejade.co.nz.

Photo by Maren Caruso.