Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 Apr 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
36
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Description
Hello and welcome to the beautiful Daylesford/Ballarat region! We are Jill and Phil. We relocated to the picturesque Ballan township 8 years ago from South Australia. In SA we were active hosts with volunteer exchange websites including Workaway for many many years.
Our 5 acre property has a lot of garden areas that constantly need clearing and tidying and we have many small projects in mind so your experiences can be matched with what we need. There is a menagerie of precious animals to look after and there's always plenty to do. Often we just need a house and pet sit as we do go back to Adelaide a lot. We have chickens, sheep, goats, 1 alpaca, 2 ducks, 3 guinea fowl, and Daisy (A rescued Kelpie x) .. who likes lots of walks!
Ballan is well situated and close to transport in Western Victoria and there is a train directly to/from Melbourne. Close by (20 minutes) you have the vibrant and historic Victorian town of Ballarat and Daylesford, a much sought after destination town, is also a mere 20 min away.
You would enjoy your own space with a separate bedroom, and bathroom for your private use. We are a very sociable couple and would make you feel at home. I prepare all meals and I've been told I'm not a bad cook so you simply won't go hungry!
We are very happy to get you out and about on days off to see some locals spots and meet other people. We ask for just a few hours a day in return for full board. You don't need to work everyday. Doing a full day here and there and then some days off for sightseeing is always a better way to plan things and see more. All we ask is you show some willing and initiative and love our animals as much as we do. My daughter also lives in Ballan so there's the opportunity to mix with some younger folk as well and perhaps do a bit of babysitting of my two active granddaughters (5 and 7).
We can assist with some local transport like running you to the stations or nearest bus stops if you don't have a car. In some cases we are happy to loan one of our cars to you.
We look forward to hosting you soon.
Cheers
Jill and PhilTypes of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Ballan is a super friendly country town and we are regular 'go outers' and very happy to take you along with us to meet yet more local aussies, visit local spots of interest, sample some wines and simply experience our relaxed lifestyle.
Help
Gardens, Vege patch maintenance, Animal care, Kitchen work, Odd jobs and some minor building projects
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
You will enjoy your own space with a separate bedroom, and bathroom for your private use.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have star link so the internet is super reliable and fast...there's plenty of options for workspace in the home
Space for parking camper vans
For sure...Plenty of space!
Can possibly accept pets
Happy to discuss
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (21)
We really enjoyed having them, as did our dog Daisy!
They were super helpful, very polite and completed any tasks we asked of them very well.
We most certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any future prospective hosts.
Jill and Phil went above and beyond to make our time in Victoria memorable, offering countless helpful tips about the area and about… read more
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We really enjoyed having them, as did our dog Daisy!
They were super helpful, very polite and completed any tasks we asked of them very well.
We most certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any future prospective hosts.
Jill and Phil went above and beyond to make our time in Victoria memorable, offering countless helpful tips about the area and about… read more
They made a great impression on everyone we introduced them to and were a delight to have around
Sometimes I worked in the garden and sometimes I helped for catering and everyday I took care of the animals.… read more
They were also great company socially. I personally was a bit of unwell during their visit and their assistance was invaluable. Thankfully I came good just toward the end of their stay so was able to enjoy their company for a… read more
We can arrange our horaire for work to practise activities.
Internet everywhere is useful.
Jill cook very well.
What did I do?..... I helped in the garden clearing old garden borders and preparing ground space for a sprawling lawn that will be used for entertaining. Cut back and tidied up old growth from the summer… read more
There were plenty of landscaping jobs for me to tackle during my stay.
The weather was quite stable so it was nice to be working out in the sun.
Phil was very kind to fix up his bike for me so I managed to do quite a bit of biking in the surrounding areas.
Ballan feels remote but once I got… read more
Work load was pretty cruisy, we worked on avg about 4 hrs per day. We enjoyed our week there.
He was clean respectful and good company to boot! I would highly recommend him to future hosts.