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23 Apr 2025
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Description
Welcome. This workaway suits outdoor nature- loving conservation & community focused workawayers with a positive attitude, can-do spirit, physical stamina and kind-heartedness. Meals suit gluten-able lacto-ovo vegetarians/vegans. We are having a Winter Break from hosting over May-July. Next dates available;
August: arriving 4pm Picton 27/8 for property/river tour, dinner & conservation doco, Workaway 28/8-1/9 and leave after breakfast 2/9 - 6 of 6 beds available.
Oct - arriving 4pm in Picton 22/10 for property/river tour, dinner & conservation doco, Workaway 23-27/10 and leave after breakfast 28/10 - 3 of 6 beds available.
We are delighted to share we received the Landscape & Habitat Award Port Marlborough Environment Awards 2025
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Our passion project has grown organically under the guidance of Nige & Mish. Nige has been involved in NZ conservation for 40 years and Mish is 3rd generation nursery grower. Our nature restoration covers this stunning 200 hectare Significant Natural Area at the head of Boons Valley, Waikawa, (10mins from Picton) on the South Island. The land is full of many natural treasures including rivers, old forests, waterfalls, glow-worms, endangered precious beetles, snails & plants. As such our conservation practices are guided by Biodiversity professionals in our region including Marlborough District Council and Dept of Conservation. We are everyday people doing our bit to help our environment.
Our 400-year mission is to recreate an ancient, natural, wonderland that our ancestors use to know. In restoring this precious whenua that includes Te Maunga o Pirpiri, the sacred mountain of mana whenua in this area, Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Maui. We are seeking to achieve three major legacy benefits:
1. Enrich a rich wildlife corridor from the two highest mountains in Picton (Te Maunga o Piripiri and Mt. McCormick/Te Maunga o PiriPiri Te Hautapu), past Waikawa Marae, to the sea including Kaipupu Sanctuary.
2. To bring People and Nature together so both can rejuvenate
3. Amplify conservation actions in Marlborough
Our conservation activities occur alongside our busy working life. Volunteers have the opportunity to experience numerous activities (depending on season, our needs & your interests) from;
- conservation weeding so native bush can thrive including wilding pine removal 95% hand-pulling, 5%. cut & paste chemical
- micro-sanctuary planting to speed up biodiversity & weed management
- propagating eco-sourced plants using local potting mix with fertiliser
- predator control through the forest (rats, mice, stoats, possums, feral cats, goats) to save NZ species
- trapline building - without access trails, NZ forests die from predator browsing. Our access paths cover 0.04% of land.
- building construction activities - retainer walls, path steps, reflection decks/furniture, shed repairs
- garden maintenance - weeding, weed-eating, lawn-mowing and mulching
- Qualified Conservationists, Builders, Carpenters, solar installers are welcome.
We are inclusive, and regularly host family, friends, friends of friends, local community & work colleagues, so there is a large social opportunity to meet a variety of people bringing different experiences, as well as connecting to our workaway community. We usually host up to 6 workaways at the same time for a week, which makes for new friendships and lots of interesting conversations. We encourage communication on your topics of interest, and on your conservation ideas and the differences you see here in NZ compared to your own country. We are always learning and growing, and happy to share reasons why we do what we do.
We are a remote off the grid wild environment only 10mins from Picton. There is plenty of free time after 5hrs of workaway mahi, to swim, drive to beach, go hiking and enjoying other experiences off or on the property. Suits singles, friend groups and couples.
nb: For transport logistics, we are 10min drive from Picton - 4hr ferry from Wellington, bus from Blenheim, Christchurch, Nelson or Kaikoura, or fly into Blenheim. We can pick you up from Picton Library (has great wifi).
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Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Mountain
Yoga / Wellness
Outdoor activities
Fitness
Vegetarian or vegan
Charity work
Gardening
Plant care
Hiking
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Learning about conservation in NZ directly from ourselves and from other visitors occur naturally here during meetings & various events hosted.
Learning about environment restoration, food that birds and insects eat, planting for biodiversity, how to propagate from seed and cuttings (season dependent), how to recognise when a seed is mature and should be picked (varies from plant to plant), trapping skills and why we trap to save NZ endemic species & trail building skills.
Meeting many different people from all walks of life - farmers, environmentalists, business entreprenneurs, students trail builders, athletes and family members & local friends and community members to name a few.
Learning the philosophies of being welcoming hosts and good kaitiaki/guardians of whenua/land for generations to come.
Both Nige & Mish are outdoor people. At the moment, most of our activities are based onsite as with 200Ha or 500 acres to restore, we are highly motivated to do as much as we can now, every trap cleared, tree planted, helps to ensure birdsong triples & natural world flourishes. We are positively focused and acknowledge the good things, you will see the positive difference you make while you are here.
The most unique aspect to this property is that the land is magical. There are so many incredibly stunning views. We still have unexplored parts of the property to enjoy - its wild and rugged in parts, and there are also beautiful tamed parts of the land to enjoy resting within. Part of the volunteer experience (if you are interested) may include nature practices such as Forest Bathing (time, weather & Mish's work commitments permittting) as Mish is a certified guide and likes to share these practices as a gift for your help here.
Help
Most of our tasks are outdoors supporting conservation practices or garden maintenance hosting conservation groups. You will help with purpose for the environment on any of these (seasonal projects)
Nursery: Mish collects seed, germinates, grows and then we return plants to whenua/land. You are welcome to be part of this process. So far we have grown 35,000 eco-sourced plants. We grow from cuttings and using root hormone. We use locally sourced potting mix for native plants with fertilisation pellets for healthy growth.
Planting for conservation: We will be extensively planting to speed up biodiversity for bird & insect food over March- September. This includes erecting plant protectors and weedmat. We have planted 15,000 shrubs and trees to date, creating a microsanctuary for wildlife corridors.
Weeding for conservation. Whilst weeding doesn't sound very glamourous, it is of high importance in an environmental restoration project, so weeds don't invade pure forests and birds don't spread them. We ramp up weed control over Oct-Mar. It takes around 3 years of weeding, before newly planted native plants crowd weeds out. We mainly hand pull weeds, with minimal use of chemicals for hardy weeds like blackberry, gorse, broome. We cut and paste chemical products on individual plants. We are not an organic project.
Garden Maintenance: We are visited by many community groups including Te Ātiawa Trust, Waikawa Marae, Marlborough District Council, Department of Conservation, Kaipupu Sanctuary, and various scientists in the biology, ecology, freshwater field, schools including Waitohi Kindergarten, Marlborough Boys College, Queen Charlotte College and government organisations to help support guardianship of Te Taiao/natural world as good kaitiaki (guardians). We like to have the common areas looking aesthetically neat - grass mown, banks weeded, mulched. This helps increase the positive vitality/mana of this place. These groups are welcomed here supporting nature connection for wellness, and conservation practices.
Trail building & maintenance - there are 14km of handbuilt trails for plant & non-native animal pest control. Trails are regularly improved with a grubber so paths are easier to walk & complete conservation tasks. If you do trail tasks, it's likely your day will be longer, and you can balance up with a shorter day after that. Without trails, we can't access the forest to protect it from browsing non-native animals like possums & goats. We are successfully re-wilding, the seedlings are returning where there are trails and predator control.
Hunting:Nigel culls ungulates (goats) & possums as they heavily browse and cause damage to the native trees and eat all the new seedlings and new shoots on plants.Nige works with his conservation dog Ash who is now 2yrs old and still in training. If you are interested and without skills, Nige is willing to share during your down time here.
Non-native animal control: If you are interested in trapping for conservation, but it's new to you, Nige is happy to share outside of your workday. If you know how to trap, or want to trap independently as part of your mahi, let Nige know. Learn how NZ restoration projects check and record predator removal (rats, mice, stoats, possums mainly) on the 14km of handbuilt traplines. Nigel spearheads a massive trapline program to support bird & insect life and its working with birdsong quadrupling over the last 4.5 years with the removal of over 4400 non-indigeneous mammals.. Fitness is a requirement for trapping as the land is steep rising from 100m to 970m. There are 720+ traps on the property. If Nige is available and invites you to join him, it is likely to be a fun adventurous day in the bush, and an authentic kiwi conservation experience.
Building - there are endless building projects with retainer walls, improving sheds, nature platforms, safety steps, building sheds and more. We love it when a carpenter/builder/handy-person workawayer visits. We are open to longer stays if you are a certified builder or practically handy due to life experience. Note we offer 5 day stays first, to assess our mutual compatibility.
Your day: we meet for breakfast at 8.15am, and start projects at 9am . Mish packs lunch with thermos as projects are outdoors; we break for 30mins. After your work day which finishes at 2:30pm, you are free to explore, and we encourage independence as Nige & Mish usually continue to work a full day . Each of your accommodation spaces have lovely outdoor tables to spend time there until 7pm meal at main house. Enjoy this peaceful sanctuary and the beautiful environment of Picton and Waikawa - it is a special place.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We have 6 beds, 3 x double & 3 single beds around the property in caravan or sleepouts, rustic but warm/insulated and comfortable beds/bedding, all a short walk to the main house. All accommodation is off the grid, bring head torch for evening light.
If you are bringing your small campervan, you will be based near the caravan or workshop where it is flat.
Showering is in the main house and you have a separate bathroom to Mish and Nige. This is shared with any other friends or other workawayers staying. The laundry is shared and you are welcome to use. There are three toilets onsite, one in the house bathroom, one down by the nursery/caravan and a long drop near accommodation.
Meals are eaten with us in the evenings around 7pm. Mish cooks healthy and hearty vegetarian fare (can adjust to vegan). We are a vegetarian kitchen - sorry meat cooking is not an option. Mish cooks for up to 10 people per night as well as working alongside, so time is a consideration. As such we are unable to cater for gluten-free/halal etc as special dietary needs can be logistically challenging with extra time required to make separate meals, and we need the kitchen to prepare. If you are still really keen to join us, it could be an option if you buy your own diet special ingredients and supplement the group cooking to support your needs.
Workawayers pitch in washing/cleaning up after the meal and keeping our shared space including bathrooms clean. We operate marae-style on the last morning with everyone pitching in with stripping beds, cleaning bathroom, kitchen, vacuuming and leaving your space as you found it.
We do live off the grid with our own hydro-electricity system with Pelton wheel. If there has been a lack or a lot of rain, we sometimes lose power/water - rare'ish but can occur. If this happens we might be glamping until the river subsides or it rains so we can get power up and running again. Life is still comfortable with a back up petrol generator for electricity, gas oven, wood heater & water storage, so basics are covered. Main issue will be limiting water use during this time, so river swimming or basin washes are the alternate to showering if we lose power/water. All part of the adventure!
We have mobile reception over most part of the property, the main house & near all toilets. The accommodation at the bottom of the property doesn't have reception. Fast Starlink internet is available at the main house.
What else ...
We are 10mins drive from Picton which is the gateway to the Marlborough Sounds. there are so many activities available to enjoy including kayaking, hiking, fishing, conservation volunteering on other projects. There are also many cafes, pubs & various gift, art, and book shops in Picton. A bus can take you to Blenheim where there is a bigger town for shopping & movies. Some visitors push-bike to Picton as an option as well.
As mentioned, we are outdoors people focused on conservation. Our lifestyle is wholesome and outdoors focused on the property. We encourage you to explore outside of your workaway mahi; to get to know the region.
If you have any questions, please ask. We look forward to hearing from you.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (56)
I stayed with Mish and Nige for 5 full days at the start of March, and I couldn't have felt more welcome. From the moment Mish picked us up in the minivan with a huge, beaming smile on her face to when we were dropped back off 5 days later, Mish and Nige showed nothing but care and kindness. They provided generous hospitality and a… read more
Mish and Nige’s place is very well set up for Workawayers, with several guest rooms. The… read more
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(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
I stayed with Mish and Nige for 5 full days at the start of March, and I couldn't have felt more welcome. From the moment Mish picked us up in the minivan with a huge, beaming smile on her face to when we were dropped back off 5 days later, Mish and Nige showed nothing but care and kindness. They provided generous hospitality and a… read more
Mish and Nige’s place is very well set up for Workawayers, with several guest rooms. The… read more
Mish was very knowledgeable about the native plants in New Zealand, resulting in us being able to participate in her project of resestablishing native plants on their property. On top of teaching,… read more
Mel is a humble person who is a delight with her gentle spirit and curiousity of the natural world and environmental sustainable practices. Mel is a hard-worker, will try any job, and loves to complete tasks. We loved Mel’s adventurous spirit, solo- exploring into the forest finding some magical… read more
Mish and Nige's passion and enthusiasm for caring for the land was inspiring and they took great care to explain their processes. As hosts, they could not have been more… read more
Bex was part of a 5 person workaway community, and did alot of weeding around 1-3yr old native plants, tidying up our native… read more
Sarahann has excellent communication skills, and is super easy to spend time with. She is kind, considerate, generous, proactive and flexible. Quick to smile, with a positive attitude, Sarahann is focused & dedicated to quality work, with no job too big or… read more
I spent a wonderful week soaking up the natural beauty of Mish and Nige's home. They have done a fabulous job protecting and restoring this 500 acre property -- from tree planting to trapping -- and are excellent teachers. Every day was different, with… read more
I felt so at home at Mish and Nige’s place and especially enjoyed the sense of community in working alongside other Workawayers.
Having worked in wildlife conservation and habitat restoration in the UK I enjoyed… read more
I learned so much about… read more
I am a New Zealander, born and raised in Blenheim/Waiharakeke, and spent much of my childhood outdoors in this region. I am a recent Ecology graduate about to start work, so volunteered with Mish and Nige for a week to gain more hands-on conservation mahi… read more
We were well received, the accommodation was wonderful (a private room in the trees) and we ate well.
We are belgian naturalists, Aurélien is a son of a forest officer and Elisa belongs to a forestry family. To be honest we were desconcerted by the project.
We thought that we were going to… read more
My week at your place was peaceful and resourceful, thank you for your welcoming :)
We were blessed to have Clo visit us for her second Workaway. Clo spent alot of time in the nursery propagating native plants from cuttings, 'pricking out' seedlings into pots, trimming & staking older plants to thrive. Other projects including weeding, planting native plants, trail building, mulching, cleaning up an old… read more
The land on which they live is beautiful. It is a special place, even in an area as spectacular as the South Island. It’s full of cascading water and massive native trees….topping out to the highest peak in the… read more
Nige and Mish have great hospitality and will immediately make you feel at home, and they do such an amazing job fostering a sense of… read more
Yeah I could write a huge text about my experience at this wonderful place, but I think with putting this in a nutshell and say that this Workaway was amazing and I can only recommed this lovely guy's. It was an amazing energy.
thank you so much!
How can we even begin to describe this amazing experience we had with you. And obviously with your dogs, Ash and Fred.
Your place is a paradise of flowers, birds, trees and love.
When we arrived, you gave us all the information we needed to feel independent and comfortable. You have a really beautiful house, and the bedroom was very… read more
We really enjoyed our work, Noemi had great fun realizing an art project and I(Meike) was able to learn how to work with a chainsaw. We also enjoyed working with Michelle and Nigel and the other workawayers… read more
The job consisting of planting native NZ trees. Mish and Nige were so full of good vibes and energy, it was a real pleasure to work along their side. Even if the job was physical, Mish always support her workaway-women and she was never pushy. She… read more
Thank you for the… read more
I was so lucky to be working with such a great group of like minded people… read more
They’re incredibly dedicated to… read more
We were six workawayers from all around the globe and we planted around 400 trees in their beautiful bush. It is steep terrain some places and we had alot of rain, but Mish did what she could to make it a fun experience and made cakes, snacks and… read more
The place is a little paradise and it was an honour to contribute to its restoration!
We loved learning about native trees, birds and plants. We did planting, weeding and games by the fireplace!
Thank you for everything you shared with us!
All the best 🌿🪶
Both of them are extremely caring and looked after our well being the whole… read more
There is such a wonderful energy to the place, and their passion and drive for the conservation and restoration is obvious in everything they do.
Their project is heart-led and Mish and Nige speak so emotively about their… read more
Jen is an incredibly kind, positive, fun and hardworking person and it has been an absolute pleasure to host. I would highly recommend Jen and her partner Rowen to any work-away host. They are both so proactive and helpful in every way and so willing to tackle any jobs. Jen loves projects and our walking trail has been weeded and… read more
