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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
4 Mar 2024
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100.0 %
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Details
Description
We are a family of four who run a boutique alpaca stud in the Western Bay of Plenty. We are about 30 minutes drive from Tauranga and the beautiful beaches at Mount Maunganui and Waihi Beach. Our house is high in the Kaimais nestled against the bush line, with fabulous views of the sea and easy access to bush walks. As well as the alpacas, we have two dogs.
We both work, one as an engineer and one running a copywriting business from home. We were English Language teachers in the past so happy to help anyone looking to practice their English! Our two children will also talk the hind legs off a donkey, so heaps of opportunity to pick up a Kiwi accent :)
Our days are busy, the house is "slightly" chaotic but we love having people stay and to share this beautiful part of New Zealand with our guests!
You will have a wing of the house that that has its own large bathroom. The bedroom offers a 55" TV, wifi and a king size bed.
We have slowly been renovating our property for the last ten years, and are in the midst of a concerted push to landscape the garden and do up the sheds. There's heaps of little jobs that need doing around the house too! Then there are the animals - 20+ alpacas and 2 dogs. You may be required to feed out the alpacas or other alpaca related jobs, depending on the time of year.
On occasion you may have to cook for yourselves (or defrost if you aren't into cooking!) as the girls have a busy sporting schedule but mainly we sit down as a family for meals.
Must be over the age of 22, have own vehicle, like big bouncy dogs. Suits couples/two friends as we have a few two-person jobs. Strictly no smoking.
Please note - you must have your own car. We are rural. There are no buses and it is a 40k walk from town.Types of help and learning opportunities
GardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareFarmstay helpCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Anything and everything about alpacas, farming generally, English Language, NZ flora and fauna, Bay of Plenty and what life is like with two kids and two dogs.
Help
Animals: feeding alpacas, keeping an eye on our pregnant alpacas/babies (once they've arrived!), entertaining the dogs
Gardening: clearing, weeding, planting, laying mulch
Painting the deck
Shed: water blasting and painting the exterior.
Inside: washing the walls, painting, cleaning out cupboards, odd jobs
Possibly some cooking if we are late back from kids' sports...Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Wing of the house with king size bed, TV, wifi and sole use of the bathroom next door. Access to all amenities in the house.
What else ...
Volunteers will require a vehicle as there is no public transport.
With a vehicle there is access to heaps of outdoor activities - surfing, bush walking, mountain biking. Mount Maunganui is 30 mins away for beach walks, cafes and shops. We are also 1hr 15 from Rotorua, 1hr 30 from Whakatane and 1hr from Hobbiton. One of the national cycle trails is also only an hour away.
We are a non-smoking house.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Huge drive so heaps of space
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (16)
We loved our work experience here as there was a variety of different tasks to do such as;… read more
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We loved our work experience here as there was a variety of different tasks to do such as;… read more
Jenny was always clear with the jobs for the day and was also really flexible by giving me total control… read more
Working there was really great, plenty of things to do and it was truly challenging and satisfying, we were able to manage the work the way we wanted to, and had a lot of freedom about the all the job part.
The accommodation… read more
Work was great everyday and we thoroughly enjoyed helping them complete projects such as the retaining wall and compost heap. Our favourite job was of course going to be… read more
The house is modern, comfortable and the landscape around the house is amazing!
We did either some painting and taking care of alpacas what we really enjoyed!… read more
Jenny was an absolutely wonderful host in all aspects. Kind, funny, appreciative and caring. She helped us… read more
As for the work Katie did on… read more
Their place is perfect for animal lovers as they have… read more
We felt very much at home from the moment we arrived, Jenny is such a lovely lady and Peter has a great sense of humor, they were incredibly welcoming and we loved hearing about their travel experiences and anecdotes.
Their girls are… read more