Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
4 Feb 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
1
Email verified
Details
Description
We are a small family (Kirsty, 44 and Andrew, 52) with one child (Jayden, 15) who live on an amazing 40-hectare property in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley. We have a tiny organic market garden which is part of our little community, a small flock of dorper sheep, a couple of beautiful cows, laying hens, and a mixed fruit orchard. We live off-grid using solar energy and wood fired heating, collect our own rainwater and manage our own effluent with a healthy worm farm compost system. We have a large worm farm which provides fertilizer for our gardens and improves the quality of our grazing pastures. We have plans to plant a significant number of trees for shelter and drought forage and have just completed a small nut grove. Other projects include setting up an orchard grazing system so that we can start to raise our own meat chickens and building some new pig enclosures. While Kirsty looks after the plants and animals, Andrew manages the on-farm tourist accommodation for city dwellers who want to unplug and reconnect with family, food and nature. We're calling it a slow food holiday and this will hopefully provide the funding required to keep the rest of our lifestyle venture sustainable :o)
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We consider ourselves to be a modern Australian family. We are very much connected to our land and our community and are constantly trying to find ways to improve the health and resilience of the place that we call home. We are blessed to be surrounded with wildlife including dozens of native bird species (including eagles, lyrebirds, colourful parrots, cockatoos, herons, frogmouths and kookaburras) as well as wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and possums. We live in a particularly beautiful part of the NSW south coast with stunning walking trails and mountain views. We are just 35 minutes drive to some of the best beaches in the world and are home to amazing fresh produce and great local artisan producers.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We need help with things like tree planting, gardening, feeding and moving animals, building and fixing farm fences, harvesting fruit and vegetables and splitting and stacking firewood. We will need help with our big projects for 2023 that include understory planting in the fruit orchard and setting up a grazing system for meat chickens. We also appreciate a small amount of help around the house cleaning and cooking, although we will take care of most of that.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Guests sleep in our onsite caravan which is parked directly beside the main farmhouse. Here you have power and water and a comfortable double bed plus a bit of space for reading and relaxing and shutting out the world. The main farm house is a spacious, modern, solar passive light filled space with heated concrete floors and high ceilings. You may use the house as your home during your stay and treat the caravan just like a bedroom. Breakfast and lunch is a do-it-yourself affair using supplies provided by us. At dinner time we eat together around the dining table and meals will usually be cooked for you. We can cater for vegetarians or gluten free/nut free/dairy free types of diets, but vegans will need to prepare their own meals. Help with preparing dinner and washing up after meals is appreciated.
What else ...
Afternoons and weekends are generally yours to relax and explore. There are many walking trails and hikes nearby as well as a beautiful lake and rivers for paddling and swimming. Public transport is scarce in Kangaroo Valley but we are happy to make our vehicle available (when possible) to those with a valid drivers licence and clean driving record. We can also drop you off to transport hubs or scenic destinations with prior notice. We have mountain bikes and canoes that we are happy to lend and can hook you up with local riders if horse riding is your thing.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have 5G wi-fi and excellent mobile coverage with both Telstra and Optus.
Space for parking camper vans
We have plenty of space so could accommodate pretty much any kind of campervan or motorhome.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (1)
Even with some pretty hard constraints - drought, abused soil, wildlife pressure, ... - her perseverance on doing what's right is inspiring.
Kirsty is happy and eager to share her knowledge and she is constantly finding new workshops, projects or figuring out new ways to do… read more
Feedback
Even with some pretty hard constraints - drought, abused soil, wildlife pressure, ... - her perseverance on doing what's right is inspiring.
Kirsty is happy and eager to share her knowledge and she is constantly finding new workshops, projects or figuring out new ways to do… read more
