Help with our veg garden and more Central Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand

Favourited 272 times

Host rating
Feedback
55
Last activity
08/10/2020
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Availability

2021

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Description
We are a family of 4 that includes our two sons and my husband Philip. Philip aged 61 has dementia and enjoys walking a lot. We have reached the stage where he requires having someone accompany him on the walks to make sure he does not go in to malls and shops to take chocolate. He is easily directable and very passive. He previously owned a software company.
One son is 20 and doing workaway/travel in Europe, the other is 22 and at university in another city. We live in Sandringham, Auckland which is 10 minutes from beach and city by car. I work as a social worker in a large hospital.

I prefer to have workaways who can cook vegetarian meals as this will be one of the tasks. You will also be doing some house and garden work and walking with Philip. There are many nice walks to do around Auckland. On 9 September, 2019 Philip started Dementia Daycare on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when I work. I take him on the way to work and a workaway guest walks there to pick him up about 1.15pm. He is walked home and later the workaway may go with him on another walk.

We have had many workaways in the past and enjoy having guests from other countries to stay. In summer we go to the beach often to swim.

I often have 2 workaways to spread the total of 40 hours across the week. Normally, they have a room each.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Elderly Companionship
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Help with Computers/ Internet
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Organic gardening, making fermented foods and drinks, sourdough breadmaking
Help
Walking companion for husband with dementia, cooking healthy vegetarian meals, watering garden and picking vegetables, housework, occasionally some painting.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Bed in a room in the house.
What else ...
Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. There are many beaches, museams, art galleries and a zoo to visit. There is a nearby island that is worth a day trip or overnight stay.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
4 hours per day for 5 days or the equivalent .

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Feedback left by and about host (55)

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)

20/02/2020

Left by Workawayer (Benjamin) for host

Hi there, thanks again for this wonderful experience i had with you.
Superman can go back to his cartoon as for me you are a real super hero Cindy for the whole work you do and extra homework you do as well ! Just wow !
Can only wish you the best and who knows, maybe see you again when i'll ride back to Auckland.
Cheers.
Ben

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Benjamin)

Ben was an exceptional workaway to have in our home, always willing and helpful.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Brenda Larissa)

Brenda was very helpful to have in our home and did a variety of tasks. She is bright and bubbly, got on well with everyone.

(Excellent )

21/10/2019

Left by Workawayer (Brenda Larissa) for host

Spending a month at Cindy's house was a wonderful experience, Cindy was always willing to teach me and had a lot of patience with me since my English is not the best. The service is smooth and Cindy is very flexible about the time. Thanks so much Cindy I hope to see you soon.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Karina)

Karina was with us for 2 plus months and very easy to have in our home. She observed all rules and went about her work in a quiet and efficient manner. She is a good communicator, fun and enjoyable to be around.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Celia)

Celia is a wonderful workaway. She has beautiful homemaking skills, also very efficient and tidy. She makes an amazing Spanish omelette.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Rebekka & Alvar)

Very nice couple to have in our home. Willing and helpful.

(Excellent )

26/11/2019

Left by Workawayer (Rebekka & Alvar) for host

I had a great experience at Cindy's home. The tasks were nice - housework, gardening, walking with her husband. You will get a chance to cook and eat healthy vegetarian food. The location is good - the bus to the city center takes about 25-30 minutes. I really enjoyed my time and spending time with Cindy and other nice workaways. Thank you for a… read more

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Karen & Franco)

Helpful, nice young couple to have in our place.

(Excellent )

07/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Floor)

Very nice young woman. Has good knowledge of caregiving and dementia. Enjoyable to have around.

(Excellent )

20/08/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (ANA RAQUEL)

Ana was amazing. We would welcome her back any time. Despite having limited knowledge of English she caught on very quickly about what was required. She used her initiative. She was exceptionally clean and tidy in looking after our house. Her personality is bright and bubbly, a joy to have around. She cooked and cleaned and kept on eye on the… read more

(Excellent )

19/08/2019

Left by Workawayer (ANA RAQUEL) for host

Cindy is a wonderful, lovely and kind person, made me feel at home.
I stayed with her and her family for 2 weeks. I helped with the cleaning and cooked a little.
The work is very easy, and we never work harder than agreed.
I learned about growing a sustainable living in a home with a vegetable garden for your own consumption.
Cindy also taught me… read more

(Excellent )

07/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Aenne Elisabeth)

Aenne was a delight to have in our house. She was very capable and a willing helper at all times. I would not hesitate to recommend her.

(Excellent )

07/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Orsolya)

Orsi was with us for 2 months. During this time she was doing a range of tasks including housework, cooking and gardening. She was extremely accomplished and achieved a lot in a short time. Every day I would arrive home from work to a wonderful dinner ready to eat. I would highly recommend her.

(Excellent )

07/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Jonathan & Melanie)

Mel came to us for 2 weeks and was absolutely amazing. More than willing to help in all sorts of ways. She was especially great with my husband who has dementia and looked at many photo albums with him. I could tell her liked her too. Mel is returning to us with her partner John, so we are looking forward to this soon.

(Excellent )

03/06/2019

Left by Workawayer (Jonathan & Melanie) for host

I stayed for two weeks with Cindy and her family, what a lovely experience! Welcoming and friendly and full experience with workaways. I learnt a lot in a couple of weeks, how to make pesto, sour dough and the skill of fermentation. Some good satisfying tasks set, loved doing the garden. A great opportunity to explore Auckland and Cindy took me… read more

(Excellent )

20/04/2019

Left by Workawayer (Natalia) for host

Cindy is a very great host! It was my first experience in workaway and it was amazing. She is a very great cook, so you will enjoy delicious vegan food! She also bought for me some ham! :-D
She is very good explaining the job and she will help you in your travel giving some advices as she has hosted a lot of people!
I did some cleaning in the… read more

(Excellent )

03/01/2019

Left by Workawayer (Laurence Yugo) for host

Sorry for the late feedback!
Cindy and her family were a super great host. I loved staying there. I stayed for about a month and a half, and they helped me with anything I needed. The work was pretty nice to do, I did gardening and some home stuff.
Cindy is such a big hearted person, she takes care of you and is always making sure you are okay… read more

(Excellent )

21/09/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Sharon)

Info notice: Workawayer cancelled stay or there was a no show at the last minute

(No show)

24/07/2018

Left by Workawayer (Dinh Lam) for host

It was quite a last-minute request of mine as I was not too sure about staying in Auckland to Cindy but she was kind enough to accept mine.
And it was a satisfied experience.

Work was simple, hopping around the house with flexible time/work hour. I love it when she allowed me to cook, showing a bit of Vietnam from my cooking. Later it was super… read more

(Excellent )

26/06/2018

Left by Workawayer (Simon) for host

Cindy welcomed me for 2 weeks for my first workaway experience. The work was not complicated and it was very nice to share moments to learn various things. Thanks to Cindy, Philip, Ruben (and Cola) for this first experience.

(Excellent )

08/04/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Jason)

Jason stayed about 2 weeks and was able to do a range of tasks including putting a window back in, scanning photographs and other things. He was very quiet, but pleasant and happy to do whatever was asked of him.

(Very good )

11/03/2018

Left by Workawayer (Jason) for host

I had a nice time staying with Cindy and family at the end of my working holiday. The jobs were straightforward and the food was great. They are also in a great spot in the city which worked out well for selling my car and getting to the airport to catch my flight out.

(Excellent )

11/02/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Luisa)

Luisa was amazing in our house and garden. She worked so quickly and jyst knew what needed to be done. She had very good ideas about how to do things and was a great help for preparing for a celebration for example. She is very friendly and fun to have around. I think she, would be great with young and older people too. Many thanks Luisa.

(Excellent )

09/10/2017

Left by Workawayer (Luisa) for host

Actually I didn’t plan to stay almost two months in Auckland at all but Cindy’s family just made it so easy for me to feel home after just a few days. Cindy was so generous and let me stay at her’s even though I wasn’t mean to be a workawayer from the beginning - so I definitely couldn’t have asked for a better first family.
The work was never too… read more

(Excellent )

02/02/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Thomas )

Thomas stayed 2 weeks with us and was absolutely amazing. A real great handyman with multiple skills. He actually found things to repair, painted a ceiling, stained a large deck and was great to discuss options for my current induction hob issue with. A really fun pleasant guy to have around. Would have him back any time.

(Excellent )

01/02/2018

Left by Workawayer (Thomas ) for host

I was by Cindy for almost 3 weeks. I had a great time there and helped with some things in the house, outside and gardening. All work was very simple. Cindy is very friendly and helps you like with mobiles, shows a beautiful place and has always tips for trips. Thanks for the nice experience in your home.

(Excellent )

12/11/2017

Left by Workawayer (Marie) for host

I stayed about one month at Cindy's beautiful house. She made me feel welcome and comfortable after only a few days. She is a caring, patient host and chef and also helped me with my start in NZ like finding the right bank for me or getting the cheapest and best sim card etc. I could work off the 20 hours whenever I liked to. That was amazing! The… read more

(Excellent )

01/09/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Simon)

Simon stayed with us for 3 weeks. He was very helpful around the house and garden and able to do to a high standard whatever I asked. I would highly recommend him as a workaway guest.

(Excellent )

27/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Simon) for host

I spent three wonderful weeks in Cindy's beautiful home. It was a great way to start my travel in NZ and the perfect first workaway experience. The family was very kind, as well as the homestay students. They made me immediately feel welcome. Works were never difficult (cleaning, painting, a bit of gardening...). The atmosphere was always… read more

(Excellent )

16/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Gabriel & Brunna) for host

Cindy is a good person and cook very Well. She received me with care when I arrived in Auckland.Thank you Cindy.

(Very good )

17/07/2017

Left by Workawayer (Guillermo & anabel ) for host

We recently realized that we had never written a feed back for you Cindy.
It's hard to explain in words how grateful we are to Cindy and her whole family. They always helped us a lot, when we were at home and then. It was a wonderful experience to live and help in your home. It is a really warm atmosphere, the garden is wonderful, we love to help… read more

(Excellent )

24/06/2017

Left by Workawayer (Kevin & Annika) for host

Sorry for the late feedback, but here it comes:
Cindy is an impressive woman! There is absolutely nothing she can't handle. She has been our first Workaway host and we had a fantastic time in her home. She made us feel very welcomed and the work wasn't too hard. We especially enjoyed building the grapevine.
We tasted golden kiwis and feijoas for… read more

(Excellent )

21/05/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Anna Brøchner)

Anna stayed a month with us and we really enjoyed her company. She is, also a great worker and could do anything I asked her to. Shw fitted in well with our family.

(Excellent )

19/04/2017

Left by Workawayer (Anna Brøchner) for host

Hi! I stayed a month in Cindys House, it has been amazing! Cindy and her famliy is really nice and very open minded famliy. Cindy she is a superwoman, having a full time job, taking care of the House and her wonderfull garden and then she is also baking some really good bread and cooking some delicious dishes. The work was very mixed, I was… read more

(Excellent )

01/02/2017

Left by Workawayer (Courtney) for host

I was lucky enough to spend a month and a half with Cindy, Philip, Jericho and Reuben. I was originally going to stay with them right after Christmas but Cindy invited me to spend the holidays with them, which I was so grateful for! They welcomed me so warmly in to their home , I immediately felt like a member of the family :) i mostly did work… read more

(Excellent )

07/12/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (James)

James stayed with us for 3 weeks and was always a friendly, very polite and willing worker. He did weeding, lawns and edges, compost, painting and cleaning.

(Excellent )

01/11/2016

Left by Workawayer (Frederike) for host

Cindy is the superwomen of this family: She works full time, bakes wonderful bread, cooks delicious food, runs the beautiful garden, organizes all the workaway visitors... and trains for dragon boat races. This house is visited by many international guests, I met a nice Hungarian workaway couple there and an exchange social worker from Finland.… read more

(Excellent )

07/07/2016

Left by Workawayer (Hanna & Marlies) for host

We've been at Cindy's house for ten days and enjoyed the time there very much!
The work we did (peeling apples, doing the washing-up, mending a garden path, pulling up weeds and other tasks in the house and in the garden) was easy and we especially liked doing things outside in Cindy's beautiful garden.
Cindy is really friendly, funny and… read more

(Excellent )

17/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Holly & Jordan)

Holly and Jordan are a very nice couple and we enjoyed their stay with us. They work well together, with minimal supervision needed from me. They are also nice and interesting to talk with about lots of things.

(Excellent )

13/01/2016

Left by Workawayer (Holly & Jordan) for host

Cindy and her family were great hosts! We had lots to do in the garden (painting fences, sanding, clearing compost areas, weeding, turning the flower beds, mowing lawns) and when it was rainy there were plenty of inside jobs too (cleaning, organising, tidying, inside painting). During our two weeks in Auckland with Cindy and family we were able to… read more

(Excellent )

17/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Joe)

Joe was great..and we enjoyed having him for the week. A hard worker.

(Excellent )

01/10/2015

Left by Workawayer (Joe) for host

I enjoyed my stay with Cindy, Phillip and the family. The work is varied and can be tough but Cindy is fair and makes sure you work only the hours agreed. There is plenty of food and I was made to feel welcome, they also took me along on family outings so you get to see more of the area.

Thanks guys.

(Very good )

17/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Eila & Joel)

Eila and Joel were amazing. A great team! We achieved so much in the garden, mainly due to them. They are very hard workers with great ideas. Very lovely people as well.

(Excellent )

20/01/2016

Left by Workawayer (Eila & Joel) for host

We have spent 2 and 1/2 weeks in Cindy's house. It has been our first experience like workawayers and it has been a really good way to start. Amazing cooker and always taking care of us. We have felt like at home because they have taken us to different places with them (bbq, have a walk,see christmas lights...).The work was to reorganise the… read more

(Very good )

17/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Guilherme)

Guilherme stayed with us twice and we would happily have him back again. He is very friendly and easy to get on with. He has a good range of skills and did housework, put up shelves and large mirror, fixed several IT issues we had on computer, iPad and phone, plus work in garden. He was always pleasant and a very willing worker. I highly… read more

(Excellent )

03/06/2016

Left by Workawayer (Guilherme) for host

I couldn't expect a better first workaway experience! Cindy, Phil, Jericho and Reuben welcome you home and make you feel part of the family. I stayed one month with this family doing all kind of small projects. Work is very easy (it really feels like you're part of the family and you're helping home) and Cindy was always open for suggestions,… read more

(Excellent )

11/01/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Anja & Eileen)

Anja and Eileen were a pleasure to have in our house. They were fun and full of ideas for the garden. They got in well with everyone in the house. I would highly recommend them.

(Excellent )

15/11/2015

Left by Workawayer (Anja & Eileen) for host

We spent our first 3,5 weeks from our trip with Cindy and her family in Auckland.
They made us feel welcome and helped us in the beginning to settle in New Zealand.
We helped Cindy in the garden (weeding, building vegetable-gardens, making compost :) ) and in the house (cleaning, cooking).
In our freetime we had a chance to explore the city and… read more

(Excellent )

16/11/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Florencia & Mila)

Florencia was a fast learner, very efficient and nice to have around our house.

(Excellent )

24/07/2015

Left by Workawayer (Florencia & Mila) for host

I (Florencia) stayed two and a half weeks with Cindy and her family in Auckland. They are a nice and friendly family, living in a beautiful house. I did some cleaning, cooking and painting work, that was not hard at all and I also enjoyed the time spent with them, especially the lovely cultural evening in Zoey´s school.
Thank you very much for… read more

(Excellent )

16/11/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Yiwei)

Yiwei was a lovely girl to have in our house, always smiling and willing to help.

(Excellent )

03/11/2015

Left by Workawayer (Yiwei) for host

Many thanks to dear Cindy and her family and Zoey! It had been a fantastic time in Auckland, I had been encouraged to go out and see as much as possible in this stunning city, it was so nice of you to take me out and give me so much free time to explore the city.
In addition, the work was not very hard and it was fairly easy to complete, I just… read more

(Excellent )

20/07/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Elisabeth)

Hi Eli
Thanks for great feedback. We also enjoyed having you and all the others stay and help us.
Cindy

(Excellent )

16/07/2015

Left by Workawayer (Elisabeth) for host

I spend one week in Cindy house. They have a beautiful house and cooking very good. The job is very mixed, clean inside the house, painting, help in a garden, clean the leaves of garden,... You can negotiate what options have for work.
They can explain you a lot of thing you can do and visit in New Zealand
I felt very good that week . Thanks!!

(Excellent )

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