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The image depicts a family of five sitting on the grassy bank of a river, surrounded by backpacks and clothing, with trees and hills visible in the background.
A woman stands in a storage room, holding two large plastic bags of seeds, with a metal roof and walls, and a sign reading \"Kirsty\'s Seeds\" on the wall behind her.
Two boys are standing in a wooden structure, surrounded by hay bales, with one boy reaching up to a white piece of paper on the wall.
The image depicts a man sitting on a wooden deck, gazing out at a serene landscape featuring trees and a cloudy sky, with a red-framed doorway in the foreground.
The image shows a person operating a sawmill, with a large piece of equipment and a pile of logs in the background, surrounded by a fence and a grassy area.
A man is building a wooden frame for a structure on a sunny day, surrounded by trees and a small shed in the background.
The image depicts two individuals wakeboarding behind a boat on a serene body of water, with a picturesque shoreline in the background.
The image depicts two men standing on a beach, each holding a surfboard, with a mountainous landscape and clear blue sky in the background.
The image depicts a charming house with a wooden porch and lush greenery, set against a serene blue sky backdrop, exuding a sense of tranquility and warmth.
The image depicts a serene rural scene featuring a large house with a dark roof, surrounded by a lush green lawn and trees, set against a picturesque mountainous backdrop.
The image depicts a serene backyard scene featuring a pool, deck, and surrounding landscape, with a picturesque view of trees and mountains in the distance under a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a serene landscape featuring rolling hills, lush greenery, and a distant body of water, set against a blue sky with clouds.
The image depicts a serene sunset scene, featuring a vibrant sky with pink and orange hues, set against a backdrop of trees and mountains in the distance.
The image depicts a serene rural landscape with rolling hills, green grass, and a few people in the foreground, set against a cloudy sky.

Stay in our self-built straw bale earth home in Gisborne, New Zealand

Profile information

  • rating

    Host rating

    80 %

  • Last replied

    Last replied

    22 Feb 2026

  • Reply rate

    Reply rate

    57.1 %

    Usually responds within 4 days

  • feedbacks

    Feedback

    4

  • Email verified

    Email verified

Badges (2)

Email verified
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Availability

  2026 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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What's this?

Details

  • Description

    Description

    Hi there workaway(s) We are Kirsty and Andrew and - Welcome to a fun busy family with 4 kids - 1 boy at home 11 and our 2 other boys (17 and 19) and daughter 21 out in the world. We are on the go doing fun activities on our piece of paradise 5 minutes from Gisborne. We live in our self-built straw bale earth plastered, earth floor home and are currently building a strawbale earth plaster cabin, complete with an earth floor. On our organic piece of land we are planting natives, have an orchard, vege gardens, bee's, chooks, cows , dog and cat. You might be doing - building, painting, fencing, planting/ weeding, harvesting gardens, cleaning and looking after animals, and we are currently building a strawbale Cabin.
    When we aren't working on the land we love surfing at Gisborne beautiful beaches, diving, sailing, tramping and traveling.
    We will feed you all the meals you need and love our helpers to cook their national dishes, and we can do vegetarian if required.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We live in a unique setting out on the East Coast. Kirsty and I are Gisborne locals but we spent a fair bit of time overseas so love having overseas travelers to talk about different parts of the world with and expose our children to different ways of life. We work hard to include our visitors in everything we do from surfing at the beach and sailing in the bay through too school sports and cultural events. We pride ourselves in make our traveler's part of the family.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    Always got projects on the go, usually involving building, gardening, tree planting, painting, firewood. We are currently building a strawbale cabin.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Accommodation is a separate cabin with a double bed and own shower and composting toilet. You have your own space 200m from the house.

    We'll feed you all you need in exchange for 4-5 hours work per day. We can do vegetarian option also.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are based next to a large farm owned by kirstys brother so often people who stay will go for hikes to see spectacular views of the bay, or to the shearing shed to watch sheep been shorn. We have bikes and lots of surfboards and wetsuits for you to borrow for time at the beach.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    Plenty of room to park up.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    Can discuss but should be fine.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

Host ref number: 369756688811

Website Safety

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Photos

A woman stands in a storage room, holding two large plastic bags of seeds, with a metal roof and walls, and a sign reading \"Kirsty\'s Seeds\" on the wall behind her.
Two boys are standing in a wooden structure, surrounded by hay bales, with one boy reaching up to a white piece of paper on the wall.
The image depicts a man sitting on a wooden deck, gazing out at a serene landscape featuring trees and a cloudy sky, with a red-framed doorway in the foreground.
The image shows a person operating a sawmill, with a large piece of equipment and a pile of logs in the background, surrounded by a fence and a grassy area.
A man is building a wooden frame for a structure on a sunny day, surrounded by trees and a small shed in the background.
The image depicts two individuals wakeboarding behind a boat on a serene body of water, with a picturesque shoreline in the background.
The image depicts two men standing on a beach, each holding a surfboard, with a mountainous landscape and clear blue sky in the background.
The image depicts a serene rural scene featuring a large house with a dark roof, surrounded by a lush green lawn and trees, set against a picturesque mountainous backdrop.
The image depicts a serene backyard scene featuring a pool, deck, and surrounding landscape, with a picturesque view of trees and mountains in the distance under a clear blue sky.
The image depicts a serene landscape featuring rolling hills, lush greenery, and a distant body of water, set against a blue sky with clouds.
The image depicts a family of five sitting on the grassy bank of a river, surrounded by backpacks and clothing, with trees and hills visible in the background.
The image depicts a serene sunset scene, featuring a vibrant sky with pink and orange hues, set against a backdrop of trees and mountains in the distance.
The image depicts a serene rural landscape with rolling hills, green grass, and a few people in the foreground, set against a cloudy sky.

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Feedback

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Accuracy of profile:
(4.5)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)

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