Australia
Favourited 73 times
I am a professional permaculture designer, living off-grid with my wife and young sons (10 and 1 years old) in my owner-built straw bale home. We live in an open woodland with edible gardens on 10 acres walking distance to Castlemaine - a great town on the train from Melbourne. I am in the 6th year of developing the property for semi-self-reliance with wood stove and water tanks etc. I have experimented with building and landscaping here using timber and stone from our land and would love to have help with the many fun projects underway. Oh and I also write beats driven electronic songs and play a few instruments too.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Help with Computers/ Internet
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
I have been learning and practicing permaculture for nearly 30 years and have run businesses in that area. I am networked with many people locally who share or expand my skill set and there are a great many skills and teachings I could offer that relate to my knowledge of drier climate/temperate strategies. I have successes and failures here on our land all worth learning from. We have over 70 fruit and nut plants here and I have good knowledge about such things. Without sounding foolish I also think I have good advice about how to make this sort of life work including the relationship aspects as the proof is our happy life here.
Dry stone walling, fence construction, building and setting up veg gardens, finishing off my composting toilet, orchard development, paving, gardening, firewood stacking, tree guard work and mulching. Also I am keen to finish a little landscaping around the place too. Some light building help. I could use some child-minding if that suits for a few hours here and there (usually 2 afternoons a week).
English: Fluent
I have built a little self contained building at the edge of our dam a few metres from the main house. It has lighting and a lockable door for travellers' privacy. In the colder months there is a pot belly wood stove to keep you warm in there. All our eating and relaxing is in the house including the shower and bathroom. We have only internet access through my phone so can not provide this except for basic email. There is cafe email in town if you need more.
The town has quite a lot of restaurants and cafes as well as some good pubs and cinema. We have a pushbike available to use if you wanna ride around the town. There is swimming at the Chewton Reservoir and we are in the bush so just walk outside and you'll see all the kangaroos and wildlife looking cute and waiting to eat my fruit! It is a very cultural and creative community here just far enough away from the city to keep property developers out but big enough for a certain level of anonymity - essential to a low key life. Summer can be hot at times winter cold all the rest is perfect and hey you can grow cherries and pistachios.
We like to zone out at night and watch t.v. or read with a glass of wine. My wife or myself will read stories to my boys. I made a deck in a tree in front of the house which is where I will usually have my coffee in the morning - always coffee. I love playing the drum kit and making beats on my sampler.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
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