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Description
Your own BR, bathroom & lounge. Flexible hours
Riddells Creek is a semi-rural town in Victoria, only 1 hr by train or car toMelbourne city centre . Melbourne airport is 40 mins away. We are a semi-retired couple in our 50's (Wayne and Michelle) who work part time, some days from home. See @5acresandabarn ofr photos of our everyday life here.
We built our "farmhouse" style home with verandahs all around, 20 yeras ago, on 5.5 acres with beautiful views over our dam to the hills. The walls are strawbales, plastered in lime render.
Our 2 daughters (29yo and 21yo) have moved out, so one end of the house is now available for workaway guests (1-2 bedrooms, main lounge with view, main bathroom with view, own entrance).
We have a great lifestyle, enjoying relaxed meals on the deck in good weather. In MARCH, we'll be picking our own tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchinis. We really enjoy cooking (making pasta, bread, Asian, BBQ's, roast dinners, salads, our own jams, quince paste to go with cheese ...) as well as travelling and having friends over to enjoy good food and wine.
There are many native animals and birds to see (kangaroos and parrots often visit.) and many outdoor activities you can do (bike rides, hikes). There are also incredible natural attractions to see in the area (waterfalls,mineral springs). The nearby towns are wonderful to visit and have great shops, galleries, bars, restaurants and local farmers markers. The Macedon Ranges is famous for nature, food, wine. We love showing people our area and if we have time, we will take you to our favourite places or help you plan daytrips to Melboune or places near us.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Self development
Events & social
Sustainability
Culture
Movies & TV
DIY & crafts
Drawing & painting
Gardening
Blogging
Cooking & food
Photography
Carpentry
Books
Architecture
Nature
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
If you are interested in how we designed and owner-built our strawbale house, we would be happy to share our knowledge. We are very interested in passive house and sustainable building design.
Wayne built our house, barn, pergola, chicken house, wood-fired pizza oven, garden structures, dining table etc so can share skills depending on projects happening.
Michelle loves cooking, gardening and growing flowers (she ran a kitchen-garden program at the local primary school for 7 years) and you are welcome to help / cook with us sometimes.
We only speak English but are happy to help you practice your English if you wish to.
We are going to Italy in April-May, so would love to learn some Italian in March (or June-August 2027).
Happy for you to join us for dinner / we may have friends over.
You may meet our daughters and thir partners if they come by. We sometimes cook in a woodfired pizza oven in the garden (that Wayne built) or enjoy a BBQ outside, in good weather. In winter, the house is warm inside (the strawbale walls provide great insulation and we have double glazed windows) - and we love making comforting meals to enjoy by the wood fire.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We don't expect you to work 5hrs p/day, 5 days p/w - it will much more relaxed with plenty of time for you to sightsee.
Any MONTH: Help before / after meals (load / unload dishwasher), do some dishes, wipe benches etc. Some basic help around the house (we don't need our house to be perfect - we prefer to be cooking or in the garden than vacuuming or dusting).
MARCH: Gardening tasks (weeding, watering, mulching vegetable garden and other garden areas.
We are getting our property ready to sell in Oct-Nov 2027, so we may need help cleaning out our shed.
One or both of us would probably do / start tasks with you, if we are not at work.
Some painting.
JUNE / JULY/ AUG: Wayne will be limewashing the outside strawbale walls which he may need help with.
We may have chickens (check they have water, give feed every few days, collect eggs)
Languages
Languages spoken
Italian: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We would like to learn some Italian. Currently speak a few words only
Accommodation
1-2 bedrooms (QS beds), large lounge with TV (great view), large bathroom with shower, own entrance. Good for a couple (1 bdrm) or 2 friends travelling together (a bedroom each).
If you have a caravan / campervan, there is space to set up and power available.
Not suitable for camping.
We will provide food for you to make your breakfast, lunches.
We will provide dinner each night and probably eat together most of the time. We're open to you making a meal for us if you'd like to, or feel free to go out some nights if you want to. We eat mostly mediterranean type meals (not much processed food), vegetables, chicken, red meat, fish, eggs, dairy. If you are vegan or vegetarian, our meals may not suit you.
What else ...
NON-SMOKERS only.
Riddells Creek Train station is a 20 min walk / 5 min drive.
We could pick you up / drop you to the station if we are free.
See website visitmacedonranges.com.au for inforamtion. We also have lots of info / brochures here
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We can talk when you arrive about what needs to be done and be flexible with when you do tasks, as long as you do you fair share of helping us (eg: if you stay for 4 days, do some jobs 3-4 hrs p/day for 2 days and have 2 full days to yourselves).
Space for parking camper vans
Power available. Flat gravel area to set up
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
4 chickens
