Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
5 Mar 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
58
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Details
Description
Our farm is part of the Compassberg Protected Environment near the top of the catchment of the Sneeuberg Mountains of the Great Karoo. We have a busy life farming cattle and hosting guests and home school our children. We would love help from people who have experience working with kids or have a special skill they can share with children (ours are 10&12). There are lots of maintenance projects including the upkeep of our natural earth building, so all those carpenters builders and people that are creative and love working with their hands are welcome. Each year we have a festival at Easter that we need lots of volunteers for!
This remote farm is far away from the air/sound/light/noise pollution of the city. It is the ideal place to connect with yourself and with nature. However, life on the farm is very busy. You need to be self motivated and comfortable with your own company. For this reason we prefer couples/pairs of volunteers.
We are an hour drive from the nearest ATM machine/petrol station and 20 minutes on a bumpy road to the nearest small shop. Sometimes we are cut off from civilization for a few days when the rains turn the roads into mud soup. We do weather in a big way: In winter we have can have snow and freezing temperatures, in summer we have flash floods, electric storms and occasionally intense heat (though being up in the mountains our temperatures are never get too unbearable high for too long). We know drought very well.
But if you love mountains and fresh air and you don't need cell phone reception then you will love this farm.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Visitors will learn about rural living where we are guided by the seasons and the focus is on life and death (the health and wellbeing of our animals, our environment and ourselves). You will get a perspective on sustainable not sentimental environmental practices. You will spend time working with our staff who have different life experiences and different perspectives from yourself. If you stay for long enough you may have the opportunity to visit the town of Nieu Bethesda and see what village life is like.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Tasks on the farm is physically demanding. If you are strong and able we need you!
We are looking for people with skills and experience in fixing things/ building things/ making things/ growing things/ cooking things/ childcare and teaching kids among other things.
Homeschooling our children.
There are also lots of jobs in the house including cooking for the family, organising chaos, playing with the kids, laundry etc
We need help with marketing our accommodation and workshops.
We need help with the ongoing maintenance of the farm, the fences, the infrastructure, the buildings as well as the running of the cattle.
We are needing help with veld restoration including erosion control, creating baseline data for veld management, removal of alien plants.
We need help with the vegetable garden, feeding the chickens and many many other projects.
Can you sew? We have lots of sewing projects that we need help with.
We need help with setting up and running a running fest our Easter festival
You will share meals with us and spend time with the family. However we are often juggling many projects at one time so you need to be a quick learner who doesn't need lots of mentoring in your tasks.
We prefer couples and volunteers over the age of 20 (or if you have lived away from home for at least 3 years). Because it can be a bit lonely and the work can be tough.
Life on the farm is never dull, every day there is something else to do, are you up for it?
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Afrikaans: Intermediate
Spanish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We want to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian and Xhosa. Come teach us!
Accommodation
You will stay in in a caravan or a cottage depending on availability. In the high holiday season we sometimes do not have accommodation, so if you are prepared to sleep in a tent you are welcome.
What else ...
We are looking for people with strength, energy, enthusiasm and a love of nature.
We welcome couples who are keen to help with childcare as well as helping on the farm.
If you are able to work hard and enjoy a remote location this opportunity will work for you. We prefer volunteers that have skills and experience in hands on work.
We prefer volunteers to stay three weeks or longer.
Please let us know in good time if your plans change and you are unable to make it as much organising goes into hosting you!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I work online part time so you have to share the internet with me.
Space for parking camper vans
Perfect parking
Can possibly accept pets
Pets that don't hunt and that get on with our dogs and cats
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
25 hours a week (some days more some less)
Feedback (28)
The work itself was pleasant varied farm work in one of my favorite biomes of South Africa. We will definatly miss the Kingwills and the Karoo!
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.9)
The work itself was pleasant varied farm work in one of my favorite biomes of South Africa. We will definatly miss the Kingwills and the Karoo!
It was very interesting to see how life works so far away from everything. We really liked the down-to-earth atmosphere and we… read more
Paula and Ian were very hospitable and there was a large variety of tasks and projects that we did on the farm.
It really was lots of fun and Paula and Ian and their children made our stay very memorable! We learned new skills and refined existing ones.
We… read more
I ll never forget it
Oscar
thank you so much.
I would recommend to go there, if you like being out in the nature.
Thanks for the time we had together!
We loved every moment with the kingwill family, felt like home - as our daughter lilly did. Little kyla and callum where great play partners. We already miss the time out there.
I got the chance to pregnancy test a cow - you have to stick your hand...arm up their bum which isn't exactly… read more
I had the chance to discover a lot of apects of the farm works such as running the cattle while riding a horse which was awesome.
The environment is just amazing, the farm is encounterd by a nature reserve and beautiful mountains all around.
And finally paula, E and their 2… read more
Take Care =)
