Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
24 Apr 2025
Reply rate
81.8 %
Usually responds within 8 days
Feedback
34
Email verified
Badges (3)
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Details
Description
We have a comfy, light-filled home, with a spare room for a single woman or a couple who want to chill out and enjoy a safe and beautiful surf beach just 15mins walk (or borrow our bicycle), loads of gorgeous coastal hikes, wineries and endless small townships with cafes, markets, food and wine trails etc. It is a 1hr train ride from melbourne to Geelong and then a bus to our place. (see more transport info below). We have a vege patch, 3 chooks and a cat. We are a healthy-eating, enviro-friendly, vego family.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We embrace enviro values and ethics in our daily living and believe that our planet's future depends on global harmony. We would be delighted to introduce you to our region and it's natural highlights. We are well educated and have travelled ourselves and enjoy conversing on a wide range of topics (only in English sorry). My profession is family therapy.
Help
Looking for folk who are into gardening, bits of landscaping, and reasonably capable to do small carpentry jobs, other renno tasks like sanding and painting, and or cleaning and ok to do about 4hrs x 5 days in return for meals and accom. No smokers thanks. I welcome you into my home and help you feel comfortable so I ask that in return you will check in with me so I feel comfortable also. Please read all the information I've provided here before you email me, so you can make sure it matches your needs.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
spare room with double bed, shelving and desk. Breakfast and lunch are usually self-serve from fresh ingredients which i provide, and we will pitch in to cook evening meal - maybe you can cook up your vego speciality for us.
What else ...
PLEASE NOTE that I will ask you for at least one recent feedback from host or email contact for a host. I also ask that i can chat to you via phone/messenger/skype/whatsapp beforehand. I've found this really helps to ensure that we can all be clear about what how it will work best for you and also for us.
Please note that our little town is about a 25min car drive to Geelong where there are train and bus options to various locations including Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. On occasions i can assist with transport but as I may not always be available, I'd need you to be up for independantly availing yourself of the local bus or uber/taxi if you want to explore further afield.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Host ref number: 222758365829
Feedback (16)
24 Apr 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Andrea)
I can recommend Andrea as a respectful and considerate and courteous person. She worked well independantly and was a huge help with various garden tasks, cleaning, sanding and painting, cooking and pet sitting. Andrea is intelligent and creative and it was great getting to know her. I was impressed by her motivation and efforts o get out and… read more
(Excellent
)
13 Mar 2025
Left by Workawayer (Larissa) for host
I had a fantastic time at Melinda's! She's the type of person you feel immediately comfortable with and does a great job at making sure you're settled. She knows a lot about the surrounding area and the best places to hike, swim, and visit. At her recommendation I enjoyed sunsets over the river, and walks in the nature reserve where there are… read more
10 Mar 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Larissa)
Larissa has been a super delightful workaway. She was a fantastic help in the garden, including jobs that required a lot of muscle and I was wrapt as she achieved more than I had expected. She was also really lovely company, and I loved hearing more about her travels and life when we cooked together at the end of the day which was very enjoyable.… read more
(Excellent
)
21 Feb 2025
Left by Workawayer (Merle) for host
Melinda ist a beautiful women who lives in a beautiful house that reflects her personality! I stayed for 1,5 weeks and then came back for a Petsit and both times I felt so at home. The garden is simply a fairy garden!! I feel like I still haven’t seen everything that grows there. I got to try the tomatoes, cucumbers, indigenous spinach and… read more
16 Feb 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Merle)
It is my good fortune to have Merle come to stay. Merle was an amazing worker with lots of experience who shone at for all task from gardening to cleaning, putting together flatpack furniture, styling rooms for airbnb photos and pet sitting. Merle was very considerate and mindful of sharing our home space, and i really appreciated her initiative… read more
(Excellent
)
Photos
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)
24 Apr 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Andrea)
I can recommend Andrea as a respectful and considerate and courteous person. She worked well independantly and was a huge help with various garden tasks, cleaning, sanding and painting, cooking and pet sitting. Andrea is intelligent and creative and it was great getting to know her. I was impressed by her motivation and efforts o get out and… read more
(Excellent)
13 Mar 2025
Left by Workawayer (Larissa) for host
I had a fantastic time at Melinda's! She's the type of person you feel immediately comfortable with and does a great job at making sure you're settled. She knows a lot about the surrounding area and the best places to hike, swim, and visit. At her recommendation I enjoyed sunsets over the river, and walks in the nature reserve where there are… read more
10 Mar 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Larissa)
Larissa has been a super delightful workaway. She was a fantastic help in the garden, including jobs that required a lot of muscle and I was wrapt as she achieved more than I had expected. She was also really lovely company, and I loved hearing more about her travels and life when we cooked together at the end of the day which was very enjoyable.… read more
(Excellent)
21 Feb 2025
Left by Workawayer (Merle) for host
Melinda ist a beautiful women who lives in a beautiful house that reflects her personality! I stayed for 1,5 weeks and then came back for a Petsit and both times I felt so at home. The garden is simply a fairy garden!! I feel like I still haven’t seen everything that grows there. I got to try the tomatoes, cucumbers, indigenous spinach and… read more
16 Feb 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Merle)
It is my good fortune to have Merle come to stay. Merle was an amazing worker with lots of experience who shone at for all task from gardening to cleaning, putting together flatpack furniture, styling rooms for airbnb photos and pet sitting. Merle was very considerate and mindful of sharing our home space, and i really appreciated her initiative… read more
(Excellent)
18 Jan 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Karl)
Karl is a lovely young person, polite and considerate and a pleasure to have as a workaway. Karl helped me with lots of cleaning inside and outside areas, and reorganising the garage and moving furniture. He was also enthusiastic to tackle tasks that were new to him such as weeding, pruning and mulching. And found time to bake delicious treats. I… read more
(Excellent)
16 Jan 2025
Left by Workawayer (Karl) for host
My experience with Mel was my best Workaway experience so far. I really enjoyed our meals together and the interesting conversations. Her way of life is very inspiring and I learned a lot in my two weeks. Mel is also very helpful, if you want to explore the surrounding areas and sometimes can provide you with a car ride. I really miss the cuddles… read more
6 Apr 2024
Left by Workawayer (Maxime & Camille) for host
We have spent around 2 weeks with Melinda. She is a great host,very kind, flexible and open minded. We had our own room and the location of the house is great, 15 min walk from the beach. As she is working remotly, she is available if you have any question regarding the job or just have a chat around a cup of tea all together and it was a pleasure… read more
6 Apr 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Maxime & Camille)
Camille and Max are delightful workawayers and were such a huge help. They are both highly competent with home DIY jobs. They fixed and repainted my deck and outdoor furniture, sanded and painted inside architraves, provided valuable extra hands and heavy lifting in the garden as there was a lot of end of summer jobs. They are lovely company and… read more
(Excellent)
6 Apr 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Morgan)
Despite arriving at my place after being in transit for a day and a half,from other side of the world Morgan dived straight in to her workaway with an enthusiasm and generosity to help that I came to see is her MO. Morgan competently achieved a wide variety of jobs - built a desk from flat pack with ease, gardening projects including weeding,… read more
(Excellent)
27 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Gabrielle)
Gabrielle gets a triple A rating from me . It was a short stay but very very pleasant and Gabrielle was lovely company. She was great at tackling quite a range of workaway tasks, one day gardening, the next washing windows, cleaning the house, running errands, cooking lovely vego meals and helping organising FB marketplace posts and pickups which… read more
(Excellent)
12 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Gabrielle) for host
Melinda was so lovely and accommodating. I felt right at home as soon as I arrived. The garden is so beautiful, fresh fruits and veggies to eat. The work given is easy and motivating. Melinda ensure she gives you things to do that you will enjoy. There is access to a bike which is very nice to go around town. I really enjoyed my time here and… read more
7 Nov 2023
Left by Workawayer (Harmonie) for host
Melinda is a fantastic host! She's incredibly kind, even when it comes to work. She takes the time to explain the tasks to be done. She's an open-minded person with whom it's pleasant to chat. Melinda will do everything to make you feel comfortable at her place! The work isn't too hard (gardening, cleaning, renovations), and you can choose your… read more
6 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Harmonie)
I can thoroughly recommend Harmonie as a wonderful workawayer. She was always respectful and considerate of sharing our home. She is a wonderful worker and did so many different tasks - washed windows and floors and cleaned inside and outside , sanded and painted doorframes, worked in the garden, even helped me fix my website. She really listened… read more
(Excellent)
11 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Lucie & Alice) for host
We stay 2 weeks at Melinda's house for our first Workaway in Australia. We loved this journey with Melinda and her daugther Erinna who are really friendly and helpful people ! We felt at home right away. We had a lot of discussions and exchanges during our stay. Melinda taught us many things regarding gardenning, recipes, and the surroundings… read more
11 Mar 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Lucie & Alice)
Lucie and Alice are gold star workaways. They stayed with me for 2 weeks and tackled all the jobs with 100% commitment and care, and that covered gardening, cleaning, mosaicing, repairs to my blinds, putting together a flatpack greenhouse, some painting touch ups, feeding the animals when i wasn't here and running errands. I loved listening to… read more
(Excellent)
17 Jan 2023
Left by Workawayer (Mariska) for host
Thanks Melinda sooo much for this amazing experience! From the start she has been super welcoming, showed me around town. We watched the sunset and she offered to drive me to the beach with the surfboard. The work itself is very fair. She always made list of different tasks where I could pick from. I could also choose my own working hours which… read more
16 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Mariska)
Mariska is bubbly, energetic and great company. She stayed with us for one week and it was a lovely to get to know her and for her to get to know our local coastal town. She was very competent at all the workaway tasks, has loads of common sense and enthusiasm for trying new things (like having her first surfing lesson) . She washed windows,… read more
(Excellent)
16 Jun 2022
Left by Workawayer (ALINE) for host
I stayed 2 weeks with Melinda and Erina The house is very well located near the city, the sea and the pool
Melinda is very attentive to my needs, very welcoming and very often available for discussion. She gave me great confidence in everything I could do in her house. Life there is peaceful and comfortable and I felt very much at home. Melinda… read more
Melinda is very attentive to my needs, very welcoming and very often available for discussion. She gave me great confidence in everything I could do in her house. Life there is peaceful and comfortable and I felt very much at home. Melinda… read more
29 May 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (ALINE)
Aline stayed with us for two weeks and it was an absoloute delight to have her in our home. Aline is a Gold Star cleaner and worker and went way above and beyond what i expected. She was helpful and cooperative and considerate in every way. Aline's English is very good already but I enjoyed chatting with her about her life and family and… read more
(Excellent)
4 Feb 2020
Left by Workawayer (Romina) for host
It was a great joy to have my first workaway experience with Mel and her daughter Erinna.
They are wonderful in every way. Communicative, inclusive, caring, hard working and very happy.
I felt welcomed and at home right away.
Mel’s place is located in a perfect spot.
Thanks to Erinna , who borrowed me her surfing board and at times joined me at… read more
They are wonderful in every way. Communicative, inclusive, caring, hard working and very happy.
I felt welcomed and at home right away.
Mel’s place is located in a perfect spot.
Thanks to Erinna , who borrowed me her surfing board and at times joined me at… read more
20 Jan 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Romina)
We loved having Romina with us. She is bubbly perky energetic enthusiastic but also very warm and caring and considerate and thoughtful. She is a hard worker and threw herself into several landscaping tasks, as well as helping out with many house hold tasks, in the calm but confident way of a woman who is clearly very competent in her own home and… read more
(Excellent)
1 Feb 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Alexis & Annouk)
Am so glad that these guys found their way to us after not really intending to be in this part of the world! I threw them a challenge - to landscape my front yard based on my vague vision and recycled materials and they achieved wonders,combining creative flair and gardening and handy-guy/gal skills with enthusiasm to work hard to finish the job… read more
(Excellent)
5 Jan 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Geraldine & Aymeric)
Geraldine and Aymeric are gems. With scant instructions from me because i was either busy or uncertain of how to tackle the task, they just ran with a signifcant paving project - in a very thoughtful, responsible, professional manner , and determination to finish what they started, so i now have a delightful paved side garden complete with some… read more
(Excellent)
5 Jan 2020
Left by Workawayer (Geraldine & Aymeric) for host
We stayed 2 weeks with Melinda. It was our first experience as guest on Workaway and it was truely perfect! Melinda and her daughter Erinna are lovely people with caring nature. The work didn't feel like work, hours were very flexible and easygoing. They showed us beautiful coastal areas close by and we had a picnic by the river. Melinda is very… read more
2 Jan 2020
Left by Workawayer (Rionna ) for host
I spent about 2 weeks at Melinda's place and it was a such a great opportunity! As a host Melinda is caring, incredibly generous, great at communicating her expectations, and just generally a really nice person to be around :)
Work included weeding, mulching, watering the plants, feeding the chooks, laying tiles, and general house chores. I… read more
Work included weeding, mulching, watering the plants, feeding the chooks, laying tiles, and general house chores. I… read more
14 Apr 2019
Left by Workawayer (Timothy) for host
We had a great week with Mel. We appreciated her willingness to communicate with us before arrival so that expectations were clear and we were ready to accomplish what she asked of us. Mel lives in a great location and provided us with excellent bicycles to use during our stay. Ocean Grove and the surrounding area provides good bike trails and… read more
7 Apr 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Timothy)
I can only echo the sentiments of other host's feedback, but can add that i was extra fortunate because I had both Tim and Gill stay for a week and while Tim totally lived up to all the attributes other hosts have described, Gill was a treasure in a different way, by attending to a wide variation of household and gardening tasks with the care and… read more
(Excellent)
26 Mar 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Fanny_Gaetan)
Fanny and Gaetan are great workawayers who are super conscientious and considerate. They ask questions and check-in and listen attentively, which is really reassuring for a host. These guys are both career professionals with a great deal of maturity and it shines through. They tackled every task with focus and commitment and were very thorough.… read more
(Excellent)
25 Mar 2019
Left by Workawayer (Fanny_Gaetan) for host
We had a really great time in Ocean Grove. We stayed two weeks with Melinda and her daughter and it was like we arrived yestearday! They are really friendly and trusty. We liked sharing dinners with them. We did some gardening, cooking and building jobs and took care of the cat and the chooks when they were away. Melinda is really flexible and… read more
13 Mar 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Theresa & Alessandro)
Ale and Ese bring loads of positive vibes and energy and were enthusiastic hard workers. They had just arrrived in Oz and had a few days when they needed to sort stuff so it was good that we could all be flexible about the work schedule. Great chats and sharing of aussie bbq and italian food. I'm glad they enjoyed exploring the local area on foot,… read more
(Excellent)
11 Mar 2019
Left by Workawayer (Theresa & Alessandro) for host
hay backpackers :) i hope u are so lucky to be accepted as workawayer by melinda ..she is very friendly and helpfull
i and my girlfriend spent a beautiful week in her house , helping in her garden and with some cooking and staubsaughing
she was caring a lot about us and gived us the best welcome to this beautiful country ...thank u mell hope to… read more
i and my girlfriend spent a beautiful week in her house , helping in her garden and with some cooking and staubsaughing
she was caring a lot about us and gived us the best welcome to this beautiful country ...thank u mell hope to… read more
30 Jan 2019
Left by Workawayer (Tessa) for host
Mel was a lovely host, and I'm grateful for my time spent at her home! She was conscious and accommodating about my needs during my stay; she supplied fresh and beautiful meals; her house is light and welcoming; and she went out of her way to introduce me to the area. Tasks were varied and included housekeeping tasks, basic maintenance, and some… read more
25 Jan 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Tessa)
Really enjoyed having Tessa stay and grateful for her help. I gained some great professional photos for my business, a finally-finished mosaic project and a much cleaner house . Tessa is a lovely sweet person, and a considerate and respectful house guest. She was genuine and honest and easy to chat with and also totally tuned in and mindful of… read more
(Excellent)
