Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
10 Jun 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
54
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Details
Description
No experience needed.
Hi and Welcome! We are a couple who have done heaps of travelling and love meeting people with an adventurous spirit who are keen to share and learn about a very special part of Australia. We breed a small number of dogs for therapy and assistance work, in a really top quality, small sized facility, and have once of the nicest boarding and training facilities in Australia. Our dogs are very spoilt and well cared for, and you will be helping with that daily care, and especially early socialising program of pups. We are situated in 250 acres of forest, with lots of kangaroos, goannas, and bird life.
What we are looking for: Independent, mature minded, self starter, friendly. We usually have two people, but people who are travelling on their own, so days off can be offset.
ENVIRONMENT
We live in a area of endangered Brigalow Belt vine thicket - forest teaming with birds (34 species on the farm), reptiles and lots of kangaroos and wallabies. The climate is good - not as humid as coastal Queensland but still the sunshine. We are in town a couple of times a week too. Toowoomba, the garden city, is the largest inland city in Australia, with everything you would expect in a beautiful city.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
It is a very busy place, suitable for reasonably fit, active people. This is important to us, as a big reason we do workaway is to meet interesting people and enjoy conversation. Some English and reasonable comprehension is preferred.
If you are happy to work efficiently on your own sometimes that is important. If you are the sort of person who pitches in to help without being asked, you will fit right in and really enjoy yourself.
We try to match jobs to your experience and what you enjoy. We enjoy good conversation, laughter and sharing information about countries and culture over meals. We prefer longer term stays, but flexible. I have travelled overseas to see people who have stayed with us, and enjoy making new friends. We are easy to find - I can pick you up from the city of Toowoomba, about half an hour from us. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sleeping accommodation is in a comfortable new two bedroom little house, next to our home. Some meals on your own, and some shared with us. Good fast wireless broadband (unlimited). No Smokers.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We love the cultural exchange with workaway, and have met some really awesome people who will remain good friends. If you enjoy sustainable living and farming, we are happy to share with that. We provide delicious, healthy meals, a comfortable bed, and good company. We can help with English if you like. You will learn lots about life in australia and on farms, and about the wilderness areas in the precious Brigalow Belt area of Queensland. You will see awesome sunsets, the best stars at night ever, and learn lots about native Australian animals. When it is hot, we have some huge monitor lizards which enjoy their meal of meat just beside the house - not something you see each day, even in Australia. If you like swimming, we have a large natural swimming pool.
Help
We have a variety of things that we would love a help with, especially helping us with the dogs at the moment. There are puppies to train and feed, cleaning, shampooing and caring for boarding dogs. We enjoy working with cheerful, outgoing people. Language is secondary and we are happy to help with English too.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED:
Covered shoes for working in, such as running shoes
Comfortable loose fitting work clothes suitable for our climate. Nice in winter, not too cold and beautiful days.
Water bottle
Languages
Languages spoken
English: 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
We have a lovely new two bedroom little house next to ours. It has its own bathroom and kitchen, comfortable beds, TV etc. Some meals are on your own, and others you are welcome to share with us.
We are off- grid and have a really good solar power system, and high speed internet.
I love cooking and aim to have really tasty, healthy meals. We have high speed broadband internet - WIFI.
Non smokers please, or if you are giving up, this is the place to do it.
What else ...
Explore Toowoomba and the surrounding areas, or go to Brisbane if you wish. In the local area we are reasonably close to the Bunya Mountains. They are really beautiful forest areas, with lots of walks and wild life. Our farm has protected tropical vine thicket and some beautiful forest areas. There are a lot of bird (34 species) and really cool reptiles. Good running tracks, biking if you want etc.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Hi, we have excellent wifi connectivity and good connection.
Space for parking camper vans
Could find space and power for camper vans
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Feedback (26)
I stayed in Sonia and Max house with my sister in early September.The place to go if you love nature and animals! And it is recommended for people who are proactive. I enjoyed working with the dogs, and I liked that they took me into town and shooting on my days off. Also, the rice they cooked was good and healthy.
The… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
I stayed in Sonia and Max house with my sister in early September.The place to go if you love nature and animals! And it is recommended for people who are proactive. I enjoyed working with the dogs, and I liked that they took me into town and shooting on my days off. Also, the rice they cooked was good and healthy.
The… read more
If you are looking for gaining experience working with a variety of dogs, I definitely recommend this workaway! The work mainly consists of feeding and cleaning, but also washing puppies and playing with the dogs when they’re out exercising in the grass fields. I met so many sweet dogs it was… read more
The actual place is amazing to. You will see some iconic Australian wildlife,… read more
While I was at Sonias I mainly took care of the various dogs. I cleaned their kennels, fed them, put various dogs out for play dates with their friends.
While I was there I also got the chance to do some puppy training with very small pups. I was also lucky enough to… read more
The weather got pretty hot during my stay but the caravan I stayed in was a great temperature, and so was the main house! The mornings and the evenings were some of the best climate I've ever experienced, accompanied by great view of the sky and the… read more
we really enjoyed your company and help, and trust you have a great time in Melbourne and find an awesome job too. Thank you very much for helping with the puppy training, feeding etc, and keeping the weeds from taking over around the little trees. Let us know when you are back up this way, and how your adventures go!
Everything was great and I truly recommend workawayers to go… read more
If you like dogs, remoteness in nature and are ready to work hard for the dogs this is the place for you. Sonia and… read more
I thought early starts would be difficult for me but actually found the days went by very quickly and there was always something to do to… read more
They shared her vast professional canine knowledge with me, for which I will be forever grateful.
They are about to create a paradise there, for humans, wild and domestic animals.
Due to other projects going on during my stay there wasn't any horseriding going on, so if this… read more
Farmwork is never easy work and neither was this, but it is totally… read more
However I did leave… read more
I could watch how Sonia works with young horses and with a mule, also she explained me step by step the work with "problem" horses.
One day I was sick, so I couldn't work, she aided me in every… read more
I'd only ever been on a horse once so it was really interesting to learn about the breeding and training that they do on the farm - and they did manage to get me on a donkey!
The help required was varied and enjoyable and there was always lots of yummy food (… read more
kindest regards
Sonia
Sonia was really friendly and thoughtful, she will explain and teach every single thing regarding the farm, horse and dogs and many other things with… read more
you will always have a family here in Australia. I really enjoyed your company and Beth's and look forward to visiting the Faroe Islands! I appreciate all your help with the various tasks, and excellent company and conversation. Exactly the type of experience we hope for with workaway exchanges.
