Join our family in stunning Te Anau, Fiordland, New Zealand

Details

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  Description

  We’re a family of four living just outside Te Anau on a small lifestyle block with lovely views of the mountains and Lake Te Anau. We are right on the doorstep of Fiordland National Park, on the road to Milford Sound. Our family includes Ness and Brett, our two kids Ari and Thea and four friendly chickens who roam the property.
  
  We host Workawayers who are keen to lend a hand in exchange for comfortable accommodation and good food. This is a stunning part of New Zealand with plenty of scope for adventuring and exploring.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Animals

  

  Winter sports

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Cycling

  

  Camping

  

  Beach

  

  Adventure sports
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We’re a well-travelled family who enjoy meeting people from different cultures and sharing how we live here in Te Anau. We’re happy to chat about life in New Zealand, local history and conservation, and give tips on exploring Fiordland. We can share our knowledge of native flora and fauna, and about our Māori heritage and culture.
  
  We speak a bit of Spanish (very much beginners), Ness knows some Mandarin, and Ari is learning Swahili — so we’re always up for a language exchange or learning something new. Cultural exchange here is relaxed, real, and part of everyday life.

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  Projects involving children

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

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  Help

  The help is varied and mostly outdoors. Tasks include gardening, planting native trees, cutting back vines, mulching, and general property maintenance on our lifestyle block. Inside, we sometimes need help with sorting, cleaning, and small organising projects. Depending on your skills and interest, there may also be some light building work.
  
  Vanessa also manages a restoration project through the charitable trust at a nearby 445ha property called Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu. Tasks there may be helping with planting, weeding around young natives, mulching, painting, and general upkeep and maintenance of the lodge and grounds.
  
  We’re looking for friendly, reliable helpers who are:
  
  Comfortable doing physical, outdoor tasks in all kinds of weather
  Equipped with sturdy footwear (gumboots are ideal) and outdoor clothing
  Good with children and happy to be part of family life
  
  We love hosting people from around the world, sharing stories and skills, and learning from others. We have travelled extensively ourselves and lived in several different countries around the world. If you’re practical, down to earth, and enjoy contributing to hands-on projects that support nature and community, we’d love to hear from you.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner
  Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We can speak beginner Spanish and Ness can speak a bit of Mandarin. Ari is learning Swahili (also beginner).
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  Accommodation

  You’ll stay in our fully self-contained caravan, which includes a queen sized island bed, its own bathroom, kitchenette, and heating. You’re also welcome to use the bathroom and facilities in the house. We live in a passive house low energy house that we built in 2020, so it is super warm and comfortable.
  We will provide food, and would welcome our workers cooking the occasional meal from their country or something that they like to eat.

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  What else ...

  We live a few kilometres out of town so workers need their own transport. There are heaps of great tramps (hikes) in the area.
  We expect workers to clean up after themselves, and they will need to clean the caravan after their stay.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We can accommodate campers or motor homes if you’d prefer to stay in your own vehicle/caravan.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Four chickens

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