Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
21 May 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 12 days
Feedback
33
Email verified
Badges (3)
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Details
Description
64 y.o married couple with 4 children plus 7 grandchildren (All left home ) - property of 6.54 acres with a couple of sheep … John currently working 2 days a week and Judy is now retired stay at home nanny of the 7 grandchildren.
Love to travel and share experiences with world travellers. Have a passion for mission work and have worked in East Timor, Solomon Islands, Uganda, holidayed in Bali, Bangkok, India, Kenya, Himalayas, USA. Canada, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Andorra, Switzerland, Germany, Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand, Vanuatu ....to name a few.....love travelling.....
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Share the joys of travelling and experiences had. Share the beauty of The Yarra Valley Wine Region and native animals of Australia.
Help
Have large vegetable garden which always need attention. Have three hothouses which grow vegetables etc and have small orchard with 25 + fruit trees and plenty of gardens to weed and modify.
If you are talented at landscaping there are a couple of hundred smaller bluestone pavers for garden edging to be laid.
Fencing can always do with some attention.
Fire wood to cut and split, ferns and thistles to be dug out etc etc etc.
Paint tasks also available, sheds need touch up and re paint.
Happy for you to make yourself at home and even jump in the kitchen and surprise us with your culinary delights.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Negotiable depending on length of stay & when. Have double room available at most times with ensuite.
What else ...
Residence close to public transport, bus 500 meters - train 12 kilometers.
Access to wireless internet and telephone.
Location is the centre of the Yarra Valley Wine Region with numerous tourist attractions within a short drive. IE. Healesville Sanctuary, Puffing Billy Historical Train, Dandenong Ranges
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Host ref number: 14116514384b
Feedback (20)
24 Mar 2025
Left by Workawayer (Feng) for host
I was so lucky staying in John and Judy's place at the beginning of my Australia trip. I helped with gardening, chores and cooking. They welcomed me as a part of their family and tried to offer me very authentic Australian experience with food, dinner, visit to their kids' familes, community activities.....which I appreciated very much. We had… read more
29 Jan 2025
Left by Workawayer (Waka) for host
Thanks for making my trip a wonderful memories. John and Judy were welcoming me as a part of their family. I could experience much Australian culture, such as food and conversation, throughout spending time with them. Workaway was flexible, and I could easily arrange my day trip going to Melbourne. Thank you so much!
18 Jan 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Delphine & Arnaud)
Had an awesome time with these guys, surprised us with their travel plans by putting so much into them.... great reading their blog and enjoying their journey. Belgium is certainly now on my bucket list....
(Excellent
)
28 Nov 2024
Left by Workawayer (Delphine & Arnaud) for host
We had an amazing time with John an Judy!! We are greatful for this experience and the time we've spend with this lovely couple. Helping in the garden, a bit in the house and the foodbank is the least we could do.
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
24 Mar 2025
Left by Workawayer (Feng) for host
I was so lucky staying in John and Judy's place at the beginning of my Australia trip. I helped with gardening, chores and cooking. They welcomed me as a part of their family and tried to offer me very authentic Australian experience with food, dinner, visit to their kids' familes, community activities.....which I appreciated very much. We had… read more
29 Jan 2025
Left by Workawayer (Waka) for host
Thanks for making my trip a wonderful memories. John and Judy were welcoming me as a part of their family. I could experience much Australian culture, such as food and conversation, throughout spending time with them. Workaway was flexible, and I could easily arrange my day trip going to Melbourne. Thank you so much!
18 Jan 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Delphine & Arnaud)
Had an awesome time with these guys, surprised us with their travel plans by putting so much into them.... great reading their blog and enjoying their journey. Belgium is certainly now on my bucket list....
(Excellent)
28 Nov 2024
Left by Workawayer (Delphine & Arnaud) for host
We had an amazing time with John an Judy!! We are greatful for this experience and the time we've spend with this lovely couple. Helping in the garden, a bit in the house and the foodbank is the least we could do.
18 Jan 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Lorenzo & Alice)
Had a great time with these guys sharing our travel and wine experiences. Both willing worker and were always ready to please....Definitely recommend them
(Excellent)
3 Apr 2024
Left by Workawayer (Julian & Jeanine) for host
We have had an amazing time at John and Judy's! We came as guests and left as friends. They provided us with a great room with ensuite bathroom, made amazing meals (like really really amazing) and treated us as family.
With their help we were also able to fix our car, which has made a big impact on our travels. We are very grateful for this… read more
With their help we were also able to fix our car, which has made a big impact on our travels. We are very grateful for this… read more
30 Jan 2024
Left by Workawayer (Miriam & Verena Sophie) for host
Thank you John and Judy for making my First workaway experience such a good time!
I felt welcomed from the first moment and I really enjoyed spending time with you and your lovely family and friends! Thank you for all your recomendations, the great dinner, the good talks and the cultural exchange!
I had a wonderful time staying with you,
Miriam
I felt welcomed from the first moment and I really enjoyed spending time with you and your lovely family and friends! Thank you for all your recomendations, the great dinner, the good talks and the cultural exchange!
I had a wonderful time staying with you,
Miriam
25 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Miriam & Verena Sophie)
Awesome young lass who we highly recommend…. Great communicator who was keen to share her experiences and was enthusiastic to help at whatever was asked of her. Pity she couldn’t have stayed longer…:
(Excellent)
25 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Catherine)
Enthusiastic and bubbly lass who fit in with our family immediately, nothing was to hard and she was always eager to help in any way she could...Related with our grandchildren with ease.....Had a great time sharing stories and life experiences with her and her travel buddy Ed. Highly recommend Cat, would have loved her to stay longer.
(Excellent)
25 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Eduarda)
Ed and her travel companion Cat (also registered Workawayer) spent 10 days with us and were enthusiastic about joining us in all of our activities. Sharing their stories and experiences. Great workers who spent a whole day hanging off the end of a wood splitter….nothing was too difficult for them…. Great companions for our grandchildren and… read more
(Excellent)
17 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Edith & Carlo) for host
We spent a week and a half at Judy and John's.
They hosted us on their large property, where we had our own room with a private bathroom so we could afford our privacy.
We mainly did gardening and fed the sheep when they were out of town.
We immediately felt part of the family, sharing moments of their daily lives together, and we appreciated it… read more
They hosted us on their large property, where we had our own room with a private bathroom so we could afford our privacy.
We mainly did gardening and fed the sheep when they were out of town.
We immediately felt part of the family, sharing moments of their daily lives together, and we appreciated it… read more
14 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Edith & Carlo)
Excellent couple who we had a wonderful time with...did everything expected of them and more....knocked out a pizza or two from scratch....Great work ethic in that when knowing it was going to be a hot day were up early and completed their task before the heat set in. Communicated and mixed well with the family and friends joining us with a… read more
(Excellent)
14 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Pia)
One must take the good with the bad....When Pia and Lara were with us it rained and it rained, damping the chores that were outside, but there were able to keep themselves busy in cleaning our windows and cooked some meals, soup and a pasta dish that is now in our recipe repertoire and spent time entertaining our grandchildren....
Recommend these… read more
Recommend these… read more
(Excellent)
4 Nov 2023
Left by Workawayer (Pia) for host
We stayed with John and Judy for a week and liked it there! Unfortunately we couldn’t do a lot of work outside because of the weather. We stayed inside and helped with the cooking and played with their lovely grandchildren.
We enjoyed our stay :)
Thank you for hosting us!
We enjoyed our stay :)
Thank you for hosting us!
14 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Carmen-Ly & Thomas)
Carmen-Ly and Thomas stayed with us when arriving from their home countries and settled in very quickly making themselves at home joining in with our family and friends. Both have a friendly outlook to life and shared many experiences. Were ready and available to help and did all that was asked of them gardening and weeding the paddocks in… read more
(Excellent)
1 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Carmen-Ly & Thomas) for host
John and Judy were very welcoming from the day we arrived. As we arrived late and had been travelling for 30 hours, John picked us up from the train station near their house. Our sweet room was ready when we arrived, so it was perfect.
We stayed with John and Judy for 2 weeks and it was the best way to start our journey in Australia.
We had our… read more
We stayed with John and Judy for 2 weeks and it was the best way to start our journey in Australia.
We had our… read more
30 Dec 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Mirte)
Mirte was lovely friendly lass who quickly assimilated into the family day to day activities and was always ready to assist. We had a family member hospitalised and Mirte was a life saver in that she readily took responsibility of looking after 2 of our grandchildren (10 and 4 y.o) who warmed to her immediately, cooked for them and put them to… read more
(Excellent)
25 Dec 2022
Left by Workawayer (Mirte) for host
I can’t thank John en Judy enough for my stay with them! John en Judy are a lovely couple with a big family and six amazing grandchilderen. As soon as I got there, they took me with them to their family christmas party’s, visiting their friends or other things they had to do. You will feel immediately welcome with them.
They have four kids (who… read more
They have four kids (who… read more
2 Jul 2020
Left by Workawayer (PaulMgane) for host
A feedback won't be enough to describe our lovely stay at John and Judy's and how grateful we are to have met them. What should have been 2 weeks became 3 months "because" of the Covid, but we didn't feel stuck at all because we enjoyed every day we spent with this family. There is no better place to be : a caring family, AWESOME homemade food, a… read more
1 Jul 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (PaulMgane)
Well where does one start.....Paul and Megane were coming for 2 weeks and stayed 3 months......Covid-19 lockdown enforced the longer stay not being able to travel. But we made the most of their enjoyable stay. In their time with us purchased a car and prepared it for their continuing travels, chopped plenty of firewood, built fences, mortared… read more
(Excellent)
28 Feb 2020
Left by Workawayer (Verena & Manuel) for host
We spent five days with John and Judy and even though the weather wasn't the best, it was a great experience! They made delicious meals, gave us very good tips for our journey and drove us to the train and several activities. We also spent a day with their lovely grandchildren in the Healsville Sanctuary.
Thanks for everything John and Judy :-)
Thanks for everything John and Judy :-)
20 Jan 2020
Left by Workawayer (PipandGrace) for host
We had a great week at John and Judy's. We mainly weeded and did a few jobs around the house, cleaning etc. They included us in family activities and made us feel very welcome and comfortable in their home, and we enjoyed chatting about travels with them. They were always kind enough to give us lifts on our days off- Thank you again for having us!
19 Jan 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (PipandGrace)
Hosted Pip and Grace for a week....Friendly warm lasses who did all that was asked of them. (Every weed they pulled out I didn't have to). Shared experiences of their travels, recommended Workawayers.....
(Excellent)
15 Apr 2019
Left by Workawayer (Lucille & Anne-Sophie) for host
We had our best Workaway experience so far with John and Judy! They welcomed us warmly in their beautiful house and we instantly felt like part of the family. They were so nice to us, sharing yummy meals, evening games, movie nights and even invited us to the theater and the opening season game of AFL in Melbourne! It was so much fun to see a… read more
29 Dec 2015
Left by Workawayer (Serena) for host
Had a very nice stay here. John and Judy were so kind to have me stay the week over Christmas with them and their family!
Really lovely people- welcoming, funny and world travelers as well :)
The work was very fair (even felt like I could have helped out more!) kitchen stuff, cleaning, laundry, weeding, playing with Jesse their dog,… read more
Really lovely people- welcoming, funny and world travelers as well :)
The work was very fair (even felt like I could have helped out more!) kitchen stuff, cleaning, laundry, weeding, playing with Jesse their dog,… read more
22 Nov 2015
Left by Workawayer (Daniela & Itai) for host
We had a great visit to Jhon and Judy's home. Helping is such a natural thing for them and you truly feel it! It was a short but super nice and compfortable visit to there lovely place in Yarra valley. So good to meet people like them on the way! Thank you for hosting us!
27 Apr 2014
Left by Workawayer (Charlotte & Samuel George) for host
We have to say this was the best experience! We had never done workaway before and absolutely loved it! John and Judy where just the kindest and most welcoming people! They treated us like family and ensured we were properly set up for our travels. The work was good and we learnt lots of new skills. Can't wait to see them again hopefully before we… read more
16 Apr 2013
Left by Workawayer (Mathieu & Thomas ) for host
We are very "lacky" to met John and his family !! Always available and ready to help us along our trip. John is a great cooker, handyman , he learned us a lot of things. We hope see you again !! Thank you for all !! Math&Thom
27 Mar 2013
Left by Workawayer (mckenziebaird) for host
This family is absolutely wonderful! We loved getting to know John, Judy, and their children. They focus on cultural exchange and we were able to learn so much. The work was fun and they made sure we enjoyed what we were doing which was such a bonus! We were able to live life like a local and we couldn't have asked for a better Aussie experience!
14 Jan 2013
Left by host for Workawayer (jeanbain)
Both girls fit in very quickly and made themselves at home. Eager to help out in whatever needed doing and nothing was ever a problem. Great to share experiences with and keen travellers, we're jealous.... Cook a mean chocolate fudge pudding..... Would highly recommend these girls.
(Excellent)
2 Jan 2013
Left by host for Workawayer (Marco)
If everyone who visited was like Marco I would be over the moon. Marco from the start showed a friendly disposition and was eager to do whatever he could to help out wherever he could. IS A MEAN COOK who wouldn't let us pay for the food he used, to cook us magnificent meals....Jammed with my children playing the piano and guitar, was there when… read more
(Excellent)
17 Dec 2012
Left by Workawayer (Marco) for host
I was very lucky to meet people like jhon and his family!!!!!!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
9 Dec 2010
Left by Workawayer (Catherine) for host
great host!! he treated us as family, so kind and warm. The dinner time is memorable. They are just awesome.
