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Description
This is a small, river front property in the countryside located just off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. My wife Maria, myself (Jessie) and our two dogs live in our beautiful mudbrick homestead built amongst a big garden, gumtrees, birdlife and koalas. Maria is a blacksmith and has her workshop on the property, we also have a separate self contained apartment we rent out as tourists coming through like to stay the night after travelling the Great Ocean Road and visiting the 12 Apostles as well as many other tourist attractions we are surrounded by. We are sustainably minded people, and we run the BnB with this in mind. We keep chickens, only 3 as they produce enough eggs for us and our guests.
The gardens are extensive, and we are slowly transforming them from ornamental to food based. We have been using permaculture practices as well as keeping the gardens organic and pesticide free. We are learning a lot as we go! The river is great for fishing, kayaking and we also have a small boat we take on it occasionally too. We are located 15mins from Port Campbell and Timboon and 30 mins from Warrnambool.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are lucky to live in such a beautiful spot - travellers are close to world renown picturesque sightseeing, and the property is a gorgeous and magical place in itself. Maria and I have both done lots of travelling and love to meet new people. There is plenty of fun, creative, and interesting work to be done on the property and we would love to learn from travellers knowledge as they can learn from ours.
Help
With a baby on the way, Maria and I are looking for help around the property. Help in the gardens with things like weeding, soil improvement, planting, building bamboo structures, spreading mulch etc. Someone with a green thumb or experience with permaculture/horticulture would enjoy themselves! We also have general maintenance of the house exterior and a few building projects on the go so any experience there is helpful too. There is always something to do as we continue to convert the landscape of the property!
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
The accomodation we use as our BnB will be offered to our Workawayers in the off season and slow times. It is a fully self contained villa, separate from the house, sustainably built using refurbished timbers, decorated with mosaics and has a small balcony where you can look out over the property and the river. Very serene! It is a one bedroom with a queen size bed, but also has a pull out sofa, with one bathroom and a small kitchen equipped with a small kitchen which includes gas stove/oven, microwave, and everyday essentials including coffee/tea facilities, spices, oil, etc. The living room has a smart TV and Bluetooth speaker to enjoy. We try our best to do right by the planet, and use environmentally friendly products in the space, including quality bamboo blend linens. Workawayers will also have access to their own outdoor alfresco area with their own BBQ and chiminea. As the apartment is self contained Workawayers will be responsible for their own food, and will need to do their own laundry offsite at one of the nearby towns.
What else ...
Exploring world renown natural sites such as the 12 Apostles, are at our doorstep, as well as pristine beaches, an artisian food trail, clifftop walks, fishing, kayaking and hiking . Workawayers will need access to their own vehicle, as we are not located near any public transport, we're in the middle of the countryside!
Maria and I love to live and work on this magical piece of land, and when we aren't working on our own businesses from home, we love to eat good food, enjoy outdoor fires, fishing and beach walks with the dogs. We live a serene life in harmony with the nature around us and are looking for people to appreciate our slice of paradise in the same way. We'd expect Workawayers to be respectful of our home which we live and work from, and take responsibility for themselves.
As we do run as a business, we can only offer Workawayers a stay during the off season and/or midweek stays so it does not affect our income.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have Starlink as our internet provider so can offer fairly fast speeds at most times. I run my own graphic design business from home, uploading and downloading large files without a problem.
Can possibly accept pets
We can accept one dog. We have a large property for them to roam, however in the warmer months they need to be tethered as we do have tiger snakes on the property. We do the same without dogs! The dog needs to be socialised and friendly towards other dogs, and you will need to clean up after it. Unfortunately we cant accept dogs on our furniture and they cannot be left alone in the apartment, if you head out, the dog has to go with you.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
3-4 hours per day,max 15 hrs a week
