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Description
Kia ora koutou,
This is an off grid Permaculture Retreat situated in Pakoka Scenic Reserve, looking over beautiful Aotea Harbour.
**Introduction:**
In a stunning bush block in coastal Waikato, two young enthusiasts are channelling resilience and innovation to create a thriving hub of permaculture, arts, and spirituality.
**Our Vision:**
Our vision is to transform human relationships with whenua (land) through regenerating the land, offering a space to disconnect/connect, and helping people in their own journey.
We always look forward to share and learn any ideas of alternative thinking, curiosity, creativity, knowledge and experiences. Our common goal is to make Earth more sustainable, starting from this land we live on. We believe we are all learning from each other and working together to have a positive impact. If you are passionate about these, you will enjoy your time at the Permaculture Retreat here.
GETTING TO KNOW US:
Dan is a multi-skilled innovative technologist. He worked as an engineer and electrician before becoming full time in our land. He knows a lot about Sustainability, seamless design transitions, invisible structures, electricity, plumbing. He is a nature whisperer also a natural at problem solving and creating solutions. He enjoys spending time with and learning about the eco system, animal communication and loves a good surf.
Merve is a scientist by trade, now working as Permaculture Educator/Designer. She also trained by local Maori on indigenous connection to land and growing food. She loves experimenting and learning. She has vast knowledge on Food forest designing, gardening, pruning, preserving, fermenting, Maramataka and Moon Calendar, Herbs and invisible structures. She enjoys hiking, outdoors, reading and creative work i.e writing, making crafts, art..
LAND:
The land is settled amongst native trees of a Scenic Reserve. We are located 25 minutes *Out* of Raglan. We run as a permaculture retreat, meaning we have guests staying in our accommodation and camp ground, have events happening in our venue from time to time as well as our little community that is living on the land. We have multiple spaces to enjoy and explore.
☆ INDOORS ☆
CASA - Main house
Kitchen (fully equipped)(We do not have a fridge), Fire place, instruments, board games.
MAHANA
• Open space with couches to chill, read, make music, yoga etc
• Instruments
SANAT - Create & Flow
• Creative space for artistic expression
• Drawing table, paints & brushes
• Pottery Wheel
• Art display
____
☆ OUTDOORS ☆
• Gardens
• Orchard/Food forest
• Beeyard
• Farm animals (Bunnies, Chickens, Cows,Ducks, Goats and Sheep)
• Loop Track - Pakoka Reserve
(Native bush & Swim spots)
• Trampoline & Slackline
FACILITIES
• BBQ
• Solar showers / Gas califont shower
• Composting toilets
• Solar power for our lights and to charge our devices. (Limited on solar power)
WHAT WE OFFER:
We offer a full immersion on Permaculture Living, applying these principles to the Land and our lives to design a better life for all. There is a lot of practical skill and knowledge you can gain during your stay including but not limited to energy systems, forest gardening, off-grid designs, preserving food, building, food forest design and maintenance, building garden beds, spring water supply and water solutions...
This is an experience of dipping your toes into a new world where a different way of living is possible. It is a great opportunity for those that want to experience land living.
You will also have access to our library of permaculture, gardening, and health books as well as other resources such as paints, tools and instruments during your stay should you want to use them.
With the knowledge you can gain living with us, it's possible to start your own project or simply become more aware. We suggest staying longer to maximize your experience and learning.
LOCATION:
Aotea Harbour, Raglan, New Zealand
(25min from Raglan town, 50 min from Hamilton CBD and 40 min to Kawhia).
DURATION:
4 week total volunteering period.
HOURS:
3 hours/ day
5 days a week
DIET:
We grow, trade, forage and hunt a majority of our food. Although we eat mainly vegetarian, we enjoy homegrown or hunted meat occasionally. We also milk our goats when we can. (More details below).
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
The land is not a finished masterpiece; it's a living, evolving project. We, the longest residents, have not mastered everything here. The land is our ongoing classroom, and every day is a new lesson. The land, our greatest teacher, has absorbed our vision and experiences over the years. Approach this place with gratitude for what we have achieved together, and bring with you an eagerness to learn. Your unique knowledge and skills are valuable additions to the collective wisdom cultivated here.
We have many projects going on. We are looking for someone who is passionate about nature, creativity, learning, Permaculture and personal growth. Who also is ready to immerse themselves fully in all areas of what it takes to run a permaculture farm.
Expectations: Supporting Lands Growth:
We encourage everyone not only to be open but, more significantly, to join us with a shared purpose—nurturing the growth.
Open Communication:
Transparency is a cornerstone of Lands community. We foster a culture of open and honest communication, encouraging everyone to express their thoughts with clarity and directness. Suppressing ideas can impede our collective growth, so let's embrace open expression.
Creating a Safe Environment:
While speaking up might be challenging, it is crucial for our shared journey. Our goal is to cultivate a secure space where everyone feels not only heard but also understood and supported.
Directness with Kindness:
While we value direct communication, it is equally crucial to infuse kindness and thoughtfulness into our interactions. Let's approach discussions with empathy and understanding.
Collective Oneness:
Open communication serves as the bridge to uniting as a community. Embracing sometimes uncomfortable yet necessary conversations is essential to our collective growth.
Challenges on this Land: Realistic Expectations:
While the land is an incredible place for learning and growth, it's crucial to set realistic expectations. The journey on this land is not always smooth sailing; some days will be effortless, while others may present challenges. It's akin to sailing in the ocean – there might be storms, unexpected turns, and tough days.
We aim to avoid fostering false notions that this journey will be without its difficulties. The essence lies in how we navigate through these challenges, come together as a team, and collectively make things right. Working together, being considerate, and supporting each other are crucial during tough times
Participation in Decision-Making:
Empowering Your Voice: Throughout your time here, we believe in the power of your voice and your capacity to shape the community. Volunteers not only have the opportunity but are actively encouraged to participate in decision-making.
**Encouraging Individual Choices**
Embracing Diverse Preferences:
Acknowledge that individuals have varying comfort levels when engaging in decision-making. Your opinion is valued, whether you actively participate or choose to observe.
Respecting Personal Boundaries:
It's perfectly acceptable to opt-out of decision-making if you prefer to go with the flow. Your autonomy is respected, and your decision to step back is fully acknowledged and supported.
Open Communication:
Feel free to express your stance, even if it's non-participation. Honest communication builds an environment where diverse approaches are celebrated, and each individual's choices are honored.
Team Collaboration and System Changes:
As a member of the team, you have the opportunity to propose changes to the system. Each presented change, if agreed upon by the group, will be implemented. Our collective goal is to make it better, more sustainable, and enhance the ecosystem.
**Encouraging Informed Engagement**
Observation as a Learning Tool:
We encourage newcomers to take the time to observe and understand our established practices. Learning the intricacies of our system is a valuable foundation for meaningful engagement.
Experience Informs Insights:
Engaging in day-to-day activities allows you to grasp the nuances and reasons behind our actions. By immersing yourself in our community, you gain insights that contribute to constructive feedback and potential improvements.
Understand Before Innovate:
While we welcome fresh perspectives, we emphasis the importance of understanding the existing system before suggesting changes. This approach ensures that innovations are informed, considerate, and aligned with the collective wisdom cultivated over time.
Before joining us, we kindly ask you to carefully consider the following points. This serves as an update, outlining our shared vision and expectations. If, upon reading, you find that this might be too much or is no longer the right fit for you, that's perfectly okay. Your decision is respected.
However, if you wholeheartedly embrace this challenge, express enthusiasm about being part of our team, and have carefully read and understood the content above, we extend a warm welcome to you on this land. We encourage everyone to formally acknowledge their agreement or understanding of these principles as a collective commitment to our shared journey.
Thank you for taking the time to consider. We sincerely appreciate your honesty and openness in this matter.
These are steps of applying to become a workaway here with us:
First is reading our profile properly and answering our questions by mailing us, if it's a match we will ask further questions or send our guidelines to agree with them which will be actioned in the first week of arrival also so you have them to look back to when needed.
Any questions always feel free to ask in this process. We are very detailed people and are involved in quite a high tech project. We do not wish to be involved with people that are not on the same wave length as us yet. We simply do not have the time for this.
Please answer the following questions when you are writing to us:
-What you would like to learn during your time here?
It is totally fine to be a beginner but if you have skills/knowledge you would like to share, teach and show to the team here, we would also love to learn from you.
-What experience do you have with Permaculture?
-Do you have any community living experience?
-Do you have any experience living off grid?
-What experience you have in cooking and what's your favorite meals to make?
-Please provide your arrival and departure dates on a Sunday for the 4 week duration. Also let us know your accommodation preference: if you'd like a private room or if you're open to camping with your own campervan or tent.
-Are you physically fit?
-Are you pro active?
How do you handle stress or challenging situations? We value a supportive and positive environment and want to ensure all feels comfortable and capable in various circumstances.
Gardens, Food forest, Composting, Harvesting, Preserving, Pruning, Propagating, Garden bed making, Seed sowing, Maintenance, Infrastructure, Electrical (mostly extra low voltage as we are off grid), Plumbing, Building, Farming/Animals (Agriculture), Land development, Social media, Content creating, Advertising, Research and more! These are everything we do here.
Please let us know of any experiences you have had in these areas.
And the most important question...
What does this mean to you and how much do you want this?
Thank you :-)
ADDITIONAL INFO:
On our profile you can see our availability. If it is green; it means we have 2 private rooms available. If it is yellow; it means we have 1 private room available. If it is red; All rooms are full however we could still host people in their campervans/tents.
Please read all carefully before writing to us just so you have a good understanding of who we are, what we we do and what are the expectations, if you have any questions please ask as we are very open people.
We can arrange pick up from Raglan (the town closest to us)
We would like all Workaways to arrive on Sunday (no later than 3pm if driving to us) as then you have the afternoon to give you a little tour, connect with the land and let you settle in.
Offering this experience of permaculture living we are kindly asking you to take part in food contribution either by contributing $120 weekly per person or providing your own food during your time with us. Contributions are collected each Monday for the upcoming week.
We did our best to minimize the cost so that it's possible to share nice ORGANIC meals all together with a large range of ingredients.
Please let us know what option you would like to do when writing to us and that you have understood the food contribution.
With this permaculture experience, the skills you can learn from this would be a great reference for any further job in this field.
We are detailed people and always go for our best, we have passion for what we do and we are loving people.
Please when mailing us please use (CASA) as the “subject” this is to assure us that you have read everything.
Our admin day is on Monday so if we have not answered in the week it will be on the following Monday.
This is your chance to be apart of one of the front lines of planet earth in saving the eco system, making a sustainable future and being a part of a great fun Team.
Thank you for reading, we really appreciate this.
One vibe, One tribeTypes of help and learning opportunities
Art ProjectsHelp with Eco ProjectsTeachingGardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareFarmstay helpCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
So many benefits, such an amazing place to be. Learning here is endless.
There are a list of activities that are here.
•Animal communication/integration
•Arts and crafts
•Bush craft
•Bush walking and learning
•Ecosystems / guilds
•Energy systems
•Food Forest and Forest Gardening
•Healing Zone (Meditation, Forest Bathing)
•Learning about sustainability
•Native bush eatibles
•Outdoor Sports
•Permaculture Principles, Ethics and Applications
•Preserving food
•Playing/Learning instruments
•Renewable energy and solar energy
•Slack line ( balancing )
•Survival skills
•Surfing (Beginner's and advanced)
•Swimming (Jump-rock)
•Water systems
Around you can visit:
•Raglan (Surfer's heaven)
•Karioi Area for walking and tramping (Kariori is an extinct volcano and offers spectecular west coast views from the summit)
•Ruapuke beaches and Pirongia Forest Park
•Kawhia (a small town with a hot water beach and a gorge to visit. They also have amazing fish and chips :) )Help
Our farm is highly dynamic as it operates a wide range of permaculture systems, research projects, infrastructure expansion and also new land regeneration projects.
You will be included in tasks such as food forest management, digging, building, compost making, transplanting, building terraces, installing food forests, making firewood, weeding, planting and water supply systems. On top of these, we will be also doing daily living tasks like cooking and cleaning. Depending on your interests and previous experience we can also provide individual projects.
For these types of help, the individual must have these personal skills.
•Attention to detail
•Positivity and motivation
•Clean and tidy
•Kind and respectful
•Selfsufficient
•Fun !!
If you feel you have want it takes, we would love to meet you and have you a part of the team.
We are asking 15 hours per week, 3 hours a day from 9am to 12 midday -Monday to Friday.
We have a daily routine monday - friday to help us flow together. This gives us a good balance of a permaculture farm and have time for ourselves to enjoy.
Our daily routine:
8.30 :Morning Circle ( Stretch & Share)
9:00 Start the day
12:00 Finish tasks
12:30-13:00 Lunch
18.30 Dinner
As a community we like to enjoy great food together and expect when a person joins the community, they are in the same page with us.
We work with the Moon and its movements. The tasks we choose depends on what's the moon doing and its effects. First week is more about getting used to the space and connecting to our flow. Each week we choose tasks that will be learning experience for you while creating a positive impact. According weekly local events and meet ups, you will be invited to other permaculture properties and related events in town. 3rd week of the internship is about running the retreat, as a mini experience of land living at its best.
We have the Guidelines document with all the information you need to know about how we function. You will be given these guidelines to get familiar with before you arrive here. First one week of your arrival will be a trial to see if you can follow these guidelines. After 2 weeks, you will be able to suggest changes to the guidelines if you see there is any improvements to make. You also will be given a physical induction when arriving on site to help put this theory into action.
All of our workaways must participate at least once of all of the following:
Recycle center of Raglan - Extreme Waste
Raglan Growers market
Crop swap
These are local events and places that are relevant to Permaculture and Sustainability. We feel it will improve your experience of learning.
We look forward to sharing this time with you.Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Turkish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.Accommodation
On our profile you can see our avaliabilties. If it is green; it means we have 2 private rooms available and plenty of spaces to enjoy at our farm.. If it is yellow; we can still host people in their campervans. If it is red; we are fully booked for workaway.
What else ...
Raglan is close by which is a very good surfing place which we enjoy going to from time to time.
We also have many activities to do as well including bush walks, creative spaces...
Thank you for reading, we really appreciate this.
We looking forward to meeting you and look forward to the good times ahead.
One vibe, One tribeA little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
4G full bar cellular reception
Space for parking camper vans
We have beautiful campervan spots on the land.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
3 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (12)
Hollie has helped us in many ways on the permaculture farm here, from gardening, food forests, festival, workshops, community meals, infrastructure, maintenance, animals and just being a good friend to have… read more
Dan has such a huge knowledge about living of the land and self sufficiency and he is very proud of what they have achieved.… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.6)
Communication:
(4.5)
Hollie has helped us in many ways on the permaculture farm here, from gardening, food forests, festival, workshops, community meals, infrastructure, maintenance, animals and just being a good friend to have… read more
Dan has such a huge knowledge about living of the land and self sufficiency and he is very proud of what they have achieved.… read more
It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about gardening, permaculture, food… read more
The days became better and better.
A 'thank you' is not enough for all the fun times we shared and the knowledge I've gained along the way. Dan & Merve are natrual born teachers and very patient wich… read more
I spent 2 months with Dan and Merve and I can say that I learned a lot - about myself as well as permaculture and the good life off the grid. We realized several projects like building a 3 cabin composting toilet, setting up a Yurt and run a beautiful gathering for the community of the area around Reglan and even more far away.… read more
Thank you Merve and Daniel to have welcomed us in this paradise.
The place is just beautiful, and the atmosphere is very peaceful.
Thank you for your confidence and letting us make ourselves at home, we felt part of the family.
We hope the little babies goats are ok?
We missed lemon pie and little rabbits around :)
See… read more
Great team work and feel they are apart of our family.
We would like to thank you so much for helping us and it was great to meet you.
If anyone is interested in workaways I would highly recommend.
We look forward to seeing you again and you are always welcome back :-)
Merve and Daniel give you a lot of freedom to organize your day as they are working full time. On the weekends we went hiking and surfing. If you want to learn surfing in your free time this is an ideal place as they… read more