Help needed for hut renovation + bush maintenance near Castlepoint Beach, New Zealand

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    || UPDATE SEPT 2023|| RECOVERING FROM CYCLONE GABRILLE DAMAGE + SYNTROPIC FOOD FOREST! ||

    Visit our Glow Worms + Syntropic Food Forest!

    We've had some pretty exciting developments on our bush block and now have a lovely new hut to stay in with solar power and a working shower. It's up the top of the block in a native bush setting with great views, just magic. We have also planted a 40sqm sub-tropical, syntropic food forest.

    *️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️IMPORTANT: You need to be very independent, with your own vehiclek for this stay. We are not permanently living on our bush block (we are based in town and visit on weekends or over the summer break). The new hut means we are now staying on the land more often, so we'll be there to support you and hang out as much as we can.

    Unfortunately we were hit by Cyclone Gabriel last year and the repairs to our road, tree-clean up and damaged water systems have set us back with some of our more exciting projects. We have a second hut that we are renovating for friends and workaway folks and we are still building our cob rocket stove, but we're not sure when we'll be working on it again at this stage.

    We prefer stays of 4+ days if possible. If you're interested please get in touch!

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    Kia ora, we are a family of 6 - Grandma, Koro, Mum (Janine), Dad (Sam), Bella (8) and Molly (6). We own a beautiful block of native bush and pine forest just 10 minutes down the road from Aoteaoroa/NZ's most beautiful beach, Castlepoint.

    We have a run-down, off-grid foresters hut that we are fixing up, a cool kids tree hut and a caravan that's looking pretty grim on the outside, but rather cute on the inside, plus there's 55 hectares of bush to explore. This special place is where we head as often as we can to surf, play and spend time with friends and family.

    During the week, we work and live permanently in Masterton, which is 50 minutes drive inland from Castlepoint and a 1.5 hour drive or train ride away from from the capital Wellington.

    We need help!

    With two young kids, we just can't seem to make much progress at our bush block. We're running two businesses in town, plus we're unschooling our children and as a consequence we have half finished projects all over the show that need tackling! (the latest of which is a cob rocket stove heater that REALLY needs to be finished before the next winter comes along).

    Sam is a potter and ceramic sculptor, so we also have lots of ideas for arty fun around our land that never seem to come to fruition.

    We'd love to welcome some workaway adventurers to help us out and to become part of our place's story.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Babysitting and creative play
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    10 mins drive from NZ's most stunning beach and a great surf break (more than one, actually). Great diving and fishing. Local pub. Incredible rock formations, great walks, massive sand dune and a beautiful lighthouse with a cave underneath it. Castlepoint is one of NZ's hidden gems, but not for much longer as more and more people start to discover how amazing it is. If you love to surf, you'll definitely want to check out Castlepoints infamous surf break, The Gap.

    At the bush block - bird song, an experience of the 'kiwi' DIY mentality, working with Sam who's an experienced potter and ceramist who loves to earthbuild. Plus...our kids will remind you how to play!

    When you're in Masterton picking up supplies or hanging out, you are more than welcome to visit us and explore Sam's pottery. We can also introduce you to lots of great stuff in the arts and enviroment space happening in our local community.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    The types of jobs we need help with this summer are: finishing off the lining in the hut bathroom, constructing humarare toilets and composting system, scraping and painting window frames and doors on the old hut, cleaning, sanding and polyurethane of hut floors, weed eating, firewood, preparing for our cob rocket stove build, renovating caravan exterior.

    If you and the kids hit it off, childcare that frees us up to do the jobs could also be highly useful.

    *️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️IMPORTANT: You'll need to be very independent, with your own vehicle as we are not permanently living on our bush block (we are based in town and tend to visit our land on weekends or over the summer break). The new hut means we are now staying on the land more often, so we'll be there to support you and hang out as much as we can.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Maori: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Current accommodation is very basic. We have a caravan as well as an old bush hut we are renovating, you can choose where you stay. If the timing is right we may also be able to offer you accommodation in the new hut, which is much more comfortable

    We're offering accommodation, including cooking gas, in return for 2-3 hours work a day but you'd need to be self-sufficient for food and transport. We have solar power and good mobile data/phone reception at the new hut, and you're welcome to use the facilities there to charge your phone/laptop. You're also welcome to walk up and use the gas shower!

    The accommodation is best-suited to a couple or two singles, however we we love to accommodate children if we can so do get in touch if you have kids, we'll see what we can do.

    *️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️IMPORTANT: You will need your own vehicle.

    It's a 50 min drive to the closest town (Masterton) but Castlepoint has a pub and a store where you can get some supplies and top up with petrol. We're also happy to pick up fresh groceries when we come in and out of town .

    We're seeking longer term stays of 2 weeks or more, but may consider shorter stays.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    It's important to us that you are responsible and reliable because we'll not be with you some of the time and our land is precious to us. There is a complete fire ban over summer, and this needs to be respected by any visitors.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    we have solar power so the number of hours a day is limited, but if careful there is 4-6 hours a day available to work online. The connection needs to be via your phone as we don't have wifi on our land.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    Campavans or motorhome stays work VERY well for us because we are still finishing off the accommodation we have for workaway folks. We prefer our workawayers to have their own vehicle too, so they can be independent as our land is 50 mins from the closest town and we don't live there full-time.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    This is possible on request.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 2-3 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 512848198225

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Sample life onboard a sailing vessel, helping me on a Schooner in New Zealand
Experience Coastal living north of Auckland, New Zealand