I’ve been staying and working in Nelson the past 4 weeks now, so I figure it’s time to write about where I’m staying and working. Part of the delay has been the picture backlog presented by the last few posts (okay, the Toothpick didn’t take long). Part of the delay has been me enjoying doing nothing. Nothing at all! It’s a wonderful life doing nothing for stretches at a time. After a while it can get boring, but then you go do something and you look forward to doing nothing again.

I’m working at a hostel called ‘The Bug’. Yes, that kind of Bug.

I first came across The Bug when coming back to Nelson after my Abel Tasman kayak/hike. Instead of opting for my usual camping, I decided to upgrade and stay in a hostel for a few nights. The Bug is the highest rated hostel in Nelson (and the highest rated in it’s size category for New Zealand), so the glowing reviews and relatively low prices were very attractive. Walking into reception, you definitely feel a different vibe from the place – you are walking into a house that’s been converted. But not just a cheap and dirty conversion to hold lots of people, the Bug has been upgraded and built up with backpackers directly in mind. It’s a marvelous spot.

After staying 2 nights, there was an online posting about the Bug needing new cleaners. Bathrooms and kitchens are the primary spots to clean daily.

3 hours a day, 6 days a week, and I get free accomodation. I’m in a very nice 3-bed share room with a couple long term stayers, but the bunk beds here in the bigger rooms are also very nice and sturdy.

I was quite happy to apply, and got accepted within a few hours. I had a bit of time to kill before they needed me, thus I went on the Travers-Sabine Circuit with Danielle. Having survived that, I then began work at the Bug. The daily routine tends to go: Bathrooms–>Kitchen–>Lounge–>Reception.

Once we are finished with the supplies, they get aired out on the lovely patio area, near the foosball table.

The work is pretty easy and the other staff are good company. Work finishes around 12:30pm each day, after which we get to use the sparkling clean kitchen to make lunch. As the saying goes, all in a good day’s work.

Probably the main reason I’ve been enjoying the hostel is the atmosphere and people it brings in. The hostel is outside the city center (20 minute walk), thus eliminating the potential for the big tour buses to drop off people. So travellers tend to be a bit older (ie 22-30 instead of 18-21), a bit more relaxed, and to me, much more enjoyable people to be around. And while the hostel offers free wifi (very rare in New Zealand), they have a policy that laptops can’t be used in the kitchen or lounge (only the reception area and bedrooms). This is a great idea as it fosters people talking to each other and being sociable rather than sitting at a computer (probably the main reason I’ve taken so long to update). The Bug is a gem of a hostel here in New Zealand, and I’m very glad to have made it my home for the time being!