Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
23 Jan 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
17
Facebook verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
My husband and I manage a 700 cow dairy farm in Mawheraiti based between two small towns called Reefton and Ikamatua on the West Coast of the South Island!
Reefton, situated on the Lewis Pass road near Victoria Conservation Park (NZ largest) was the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to install electric streetlights and famous for it's gold mining!
We would love to show you our little slice of heaven, at the foothills of a mountain bordering beautiful native forests and bushland.
We have a talking Galah Parrot, 4 cats, 2 horses, and 2 friendly, rambunctious working dogs (Australian Cattle Dogs).
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House & pet sitting
Interests
Sustainability
Pets
Movies & TV
Farming
History
Cooking & food
DIY & crafts
Animals
Water sports
Sailing / Boating
Outdoor activities
Nature
Camping
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Experience true Kiwi hospitality, good conversation, with loads of laughs! Meet like strangers and leave as friends!
Help
Tasks shared are quite varied and may include a little housekeeping/cooking/gardening, chopping firewood, cleaning, weed spraying and general DIY around the house only.
These tasks would definitely suit someone looking for a bit of an adventure whist learning something new and being part of a family. Loads of free time to soak in the views and explore the area.
Our biggest expectation from guests would be to respect our homes, and animals as they are part of our family, but we also want you to feel comfortable and enjoy your stay!
Please read our profile carefully before you commit due to the location of our farm being out of town in a rural community with NO public transport! It would be advisable to have your own car if you prefer to have your independence to explore the area in more detail.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Our home is a spacious four bedroom lockwood home with a shared bathroom (with choice of a bath or shower). We have a log fire in winter to keep us all cosy and warm. There is a large sundeck with panoramic views over lush green paddocks and nearby mountains (snow capped in winter). We are surrounded by protected rain forest, which you can access including the beautiful clean rivers with natural swimming holes. It truly is a natural paradise! During the non-busy season, Richard may take you hunting for wild deer or pigs which roam freely over the back of the farm. We process our own meat, sausages and biltong (beef jerky). There are also trout and eels in the rivers.
There is free use of unlimited internet. We do not supply breakfast, alcohol or cold beverages apart from normal tea, coffee, and of course milk. It's a help yourself lunch and a provided/shared dinner.
What else ...
You will need to have your own transport. Applicants must be drug free, clean and tidy.
NB: You must provide us with a copy of your HOLIDAY WORKING VISA prior to your arrival as this is a requirement by New Zealand Immigration Law and there will be no exceptions. You are NOT ALLOWED to work or do any volunteer work on just a holiday visa, so please make sure you have the correct visas before you make accommodation arrangements. There are some countries that are not listed on the NZ Immigration website as been allowed to obtain these visas so please check with immigration NZ.
We look forward to welcoming new visitors to our country!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Any size
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Snow
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (9)
The tasks are different every day, not too difficult and it is clear what is expected.
By the end we didn't want to leave (literally, because we did extend our stay… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
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:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
The tasks are different every day, not too difficult and it is clear what is expected.
By the end we didn't want to leave (literally, because we did extend our stay… read more
Thanks so much that I could… read more
Not only was the accomodation all good for us, but the work was varied and interesting. We got challenged… read more
