Explore and connect with different cultures and volunteer in Perth Hills, Australia

Details

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  Description

  ## 🌟 January Intake Invitation
  You are warmly invited to apply for our **January intake**.
  
  ## 🌿 Our Location in Perth Hills
  Our property is nestled in the beautiful Perth Hills, just 30 minutes from Perth CBD, 25 minutes from the airport, and 10 minutes from Midland. Spread across 20 acres, it’s a peaceful retreat surrounded by trees, native bushland, winter creeks, ponds, and a dam. Wildlife is part of daily life here—you may spot kangaroos, possums, and a variety of birds enjoying the grounds.
  
  We are located in the eastern part of Perth, in the Perth Hills Mundaring region. If you’d like to discover more about this area, you can visit *Experience Perth Hills Mundaring* online. One of the highlights nearby is **John Forrest National Park**, which you can walk to from our property. Many of our volunteers have loved bushwalking there, soaking in the native wildlife and stunning scenery.
  
  ## 🏝 Exploring Perth Together
  Volunteers often make friends with one another here and set out together to explore Perth. Popular destinations include **Rottnest Island**, the city’s beaches, Fremantle, and Scarborough. Public transport makes it easy to get around, and sharing an Uber is often a convenient and economical option.
  
  ## 🤝 A Multicultural Experience
  Frank and I have loved welcoming volunteers from all over the world. Sharing meals, learning about different cultures, and exchanging customs has been a joy for us—it feels like experiencing the world without ever leaving home. Over the years, we’ve hosted more than 200 young holidaymakers from countries including Germany, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Japan, China, Belgium, Peru, the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Morocco, Cameroon, Eritrea, Singapore, the USA, Portugal, Turkey, and Brazil.
  
  It has also been a joy to keep in touch with some of our former volunteers after they left us. In fact, Frank and I will be attending a wedding ceremony in Vietnam in 2026 for a couple who stayed with us in 2024.
  
  ## 🚀 Kickstarting Your Australian Adventure
  I am more than happy to help you begin your Australian journey. Whether it’s opening a bank account, applying for a Tax File Number (TFN), finding where to look for jobs, applying for FIFO positions, or even buying a car, van, or 4WD, I’ll guide you through the essentials to get started.
  
  You’ll usually be helping alongside other volunteers, which makes the experience even more rewarding. Our property has become a meeting place where people share road trip ideas, job-hunting tips, cheap travel hacks, and advice on exploring Australia. Beyond the practical support, this is a space for connection. Many of our volunteers have made lifelong friends here, bonding over shared adventures and cultural exchange.
  
  ## 🏡 Accommodation
  Accommodation includes three furnished rooms, each with a double bed, bedside tables, and a wardrobe. Rooms can be shared by two friends or a couple, or used by one helper individually.
  
  ## 🔄 Volunteer Exchange
  In exchange for your help, we offer free accommodation. The arrangement is 3 hours a day in the morning for 5 days with 2 days off, or 15 hours in the morning spread across 7 days. You’ll enjoy free Wi-Fi, car parking, no utility bills, your own room, shared laundry and kitchen facilities, and access to a communal fridge. We ask that you provide your own food, tea, and coffee.
  
  For commitments beyond 15 hours, small financial incentives may occasionally be offered, though this is rare.
  
  ## 🛠 Skills and Seasonal Needs
  Maintaining the property has become more challenging for us as we balance age and other commitments, so we truly value the support of volunteers. Different skills are needed depending on the season, and if you have experience caring for properties or understand seasonal requirements, please highlight this in your application.
  
  When you apply, it’s very helpful if you can explain your skills in relation to our seasonal needs. You might write something like:
  *“I am coming to Perth in April. Your property may need seasonal support such as ....... I have experience in ...... and can offer skills such as ......”*
  
  This kind of detail helps us understand how your abilities can best support the property at different times of the year. On average, I receive 50 applications each month, though it can occasionally reach 100.
  
  ## 🌸 The Estate
  The estate itself includes a welcoming main house, two charming holiday cottages, a swimming pool, a relaxing spa, beautiful front and back gardens filled with flowers and native trees, a tennis court and expansive bushland with a winter creek, dam, and natural ponds.
  
  A small shed is dedicated to gardening tools, making it easy to care for the gardens and bushland. The large shed is where we keep our 4WD buggy and tractor, along with reticulation supplies, plumbing supplies, painting materials, and other equipment needed for property upkeep.
  
  ## 🌍 Diversity and Hidden Talents
  We love discovering the hidden talents of our volunteers and encourage you to share any unique skills in your application. We welcome people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we ask for a minimum stay of two weeks. While we don’t have farm animals, we do share our home with five small dogs who are part of the family (no human children).
  
  ## 👩‍👩‍👦 About Us
  It is a private property, not registered as a business. Frank has owned it for almost 50 years, and it remains a cherished place that reflects his long dedication and care.
  A little about us: I, Junko, was born and raised in Japan and have lived in Australia for 31 years. In my spare time, I enjoy playing piano, snorkeling, and spending time with my dogs. Frank loves gardening and flying—he’s a hobby pilot—and he speaks English. I speak both English and Japanese.
  
  ##Open Garden is held every October on our property to celebrate community. It is a charity event, not a business, raising funds for local groups. In 2025, we supported Greyhound Adoption WA and The Perth Hills Choir. Frank and I are active in the Perth Hills community, and you are warmly invited to join us. I’m grateful that former volunteers returned to show their support.
  
  ## 📸 Stay Connected
  To see more of our life here and the wonderful volunteers who join us, follow us on Instagram (ask us for the link)

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House and pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Beach

  

  Nature

  

  Farming

  

  Pets

  

  Sustainability

  

  Videography

  

  Plant care

  

  History

  

  Music

  

  Animals
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I am more than happy to help you begin your Australian journey. Whether it’s opening a bank account, applying for a Tax File Number (TFN), finding where to look for jobs, applying for FIFO positions, or even buying a car, van, or 4WD, I’ll guide you through the essentials to get started. You’ll usually be helping alongside other volunteers, which makes the experience even more rewarding. Our property has become a meeting place where people share road trip ideas, job-hunting tips, cheap travel hacks, and advice on exploring Australia. Beyond the practical support, this is a space for connection. Many of our volunteers have made lifelong friends here, bonding over shared adventures and cultural exchange.

• 

  Help

  Caring for the property has become more challenging for us as we balance age and other commitments, so we truly value the support of volunteers. Different skills are needed depending on the season, and if you have experience caring for properties or understand seasonal requirements, please highlight this in your application. It helps us connect your skills with the property’s changing needs.
  
  When you apply, it’s very helpful if you can explain your skills in relation to our seasonal needs. You might write something like:
  “I am coming to Perth in April. Your property may need seasonal support such as ....... I have experience in ......and can offer skills such as ......”. This kind of detail helps us understand how your abilities can best support the property at different times of the year. It also makes it easier to match your strengths with the tasks we need most.
  
  The estate itself includes a welcoming main house, two charming holiday cottages, a swimming pool, a relaxing spa, beautiful front and back gardens filled with flowers and native trees, a tennis court and expansive bushland with a winter creek, dam, and natural ponds. A small shed is dedicated to gardening tools, making it easy to care for the gardens and bushland. The large shed is where we keep our 4WD buggy and tractor, along with reticulation supplies, plumbing supplies, painting materials, and other equipment needed for property upkeep.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Japanese: Fluent
  Hungarian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Frank is always on the go — he’s so busy that he hardly has time to stop for a cup of tea! As for me, I’m curious about learning other languages. I wouldn’t say I’m the best learner, but I enjoy trying, especially when I can practice with volunteers from different countries.
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  Accommodation

  Accommodation includes three furnished rooms, each with a double bed, bedside tables, and a wardrobe. Rooms can be shared by two friends or a couple, or used by one helper individually.
  
  In exchange for your help, we offer free accommodation. The arrangement is 3 hours a day in the morning for 5 days with 2 days off, or 15 hours in the morning spread across 7 days. You’ll enjoy free Wi-Fi, car parking, no utility bills, your own room, shared laundry and kitchen facilities, and access to a communal fridge. We ask that you provide your own food, tea, and coffee.

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  What else ...

  We are located in the east of Perth, in a beautiful area known as the Perth Hills. More specifically, our property belongs to the Perth Hills Mundaring region. If you’d like to learn more about this area, you can visit Experience Perth Hills Mundaring online.
  One of the highlights nearby is John Forrest National Park, which you can walk to from our property. Many of our volunteers have loved bushwalking there, enjoying the native wildlife and stunning scenery.
  Volunteers often make friends with one another here and set out together to explore Perth. Popular destinations include Rottnest Island, the city’s beaches, Fremantle, and Scarborough. Public transport makes it easy to get around, and sharing an Uber is often a convenient and economical option.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Digital nomads are very welcome at our property, provided you can commit to 3 hours of help in the mornings for 5 days each week. If your mornings are already occupied with other commitments, this arrangement may not be suitable. Our internet connection is reliable and fast, making it easy to balance your volunteer work with online projects, remote jobs, or study. Many volunteers find this routine ideal, as it leaves the rest of the day free to explore, connect, and enjoy the property.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Any size van is welcome here!

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Milky, Stormy, Ivory, Xiaky and Bonbon

  I have 5 small dogs

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