Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
6 May 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 18 days
Feedback
44
Email verified
Badges (4)
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Details
Description
Seeking epic WorkAwayers to join me in Fairlie this winter from mid-June to the end of September.
I work part-time as a ski instructor at Mount Dobson and am seeking some cool people to help out around the house--dog sitting my two sweet sausage dogs, stoking the home fires, a bit of cooking and some odd jobs. I value good company, delicious food, learning, love making music, listening to good tunes, and a good house party once in a while.
We can provide accommodation & meals in exchange for 3-4 hours of work every day.
Languages: English, Maori, Spanish, Italian & basic French
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Culture
Charity work
Farming
Sustainability
Vegetarian or vegan
Carpentry
Gardening
Languages
Music
DIY & crafts
Books
Art & design
Animals
Nature
Beach
Yoga / Wellness
Winter sports
Mountain
Dancing
Cycling
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We can share skills in gardening, permaculture knowledge, Māori language, and good conversations!
Help
If you enjoy cooking vegetarian food, sausage dogs and fun you can stay as long as you want!
Creative people and artists are always welcome too-- we can find a project to suit your skill set!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Maori: Intermediate
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I'm learning French and keen to practice my conversational skills. Happy to share my working knowledge of English, Spanish, Māori, and Italian.
Accommodation
The house is well insulated and comfy. You will have your own room. You can come and go as you please. We have animals, so if you are allergic BEWARE!
What else ...
Fairlie is famous for its pies. It also has a great community library and two ski fields nearby-- Mt Dobson and Roundhill. Opportunities to ski or snowboard on your days off! And of course, the hot tubs and lake views in Tekapo!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large driveway with plenty of room for off-street parking
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Polly & Mbada
Figo & Fia
two miniature long-haired dachshunds (sausage dogs)
Host ref number: 412681169946
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
+12
Feedback (18)
26 Mar 2026
Left by Workawayer (Jenny) for host
I had a great time staying with Sophie and the crew at this wee ecovillage. It's a beautiful spot, and not far from town. I was often able to jump in the car to get to town and explore while they ran errands or had things to do, and was also invited along to events and to destinations for nice walks and to the beach. Super nice people, and lots of… read more
25 Mar 2026
Left by host for Workawayer (Jenny)
Jenny is a one of a kind permaculture gem! We thoroughly enjoyed her time at our ecovillage and benefitted immensely from her expertise, experience and ideas. She is easy-going, motivated, hard-working and fantastic company. We highly recommend hosting her!
(Excellent
)
20 Sep 2025
Left by Workawayer (Erin) for host
I had the absolute best time staying with Sophia! She is extremely kind and most welcoming. There was a great mix of tasks and downtime. I enjoyed spending time with her both during working hours and in my free time. I was staying mostly at her winter house in Fairlie and had gardening and house maintenance tasks as well as a bit of house/dog… read more
16 Sep 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Erin)
It was such a pleasure to host Bear in Fairlie and Ōamaru for 2 weeks on her NZ tour--she is a top-notch WorkAwayer. She is a hard-worker and very competent to manage her own time working independently as well as collaborate on team work. She is efficient, thinks ahead, well organised and will whip your place into shape. During her stay, she did… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Apr 2025
Left by Workawayer (Lydia) for host
For one week, I was part of the lovely eco village! Who would have thought that one day I would be cutting grass with a brushcutter, tackling huge flax plants or enjoying the work we had done around a big campfire every evening? It's wonderful you had faith in my little-known talents. It was a pleasure!
21 Feb 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Lydia)
Lydia is a top notch WorkAwayer. She stayed with us at the ecovillage for a week and in that time we did many tasks-- weeding, cooking, cleaning, clearing debris from flax bushes, mulching, weedeating, and odd jobs. Lydia tackled every task with enthusiasm and a can-do atitutude. She worked well on her own and as a team. We really enjoyed her good… read more
(Excellent
)
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
+12
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
26 Mar 2026
Left by Workawayer (Jenny) for host
I had a great time staying with Sophie and the crew at this wee ecovillage. It's a beautiful spot, and not far from town. I was often able to jump in the car to get to town and explore while they ran errands or had things to do, and was also invited along to events and to destinations for nice walks and to the beach. Super nice people, and lots of… read more
25 Mar 2026
Left by host for Workawayer (Jenny)
Jenny is a one of a kind permaculture gem! We thoroughly enjoyed her time at our ecovillage and benefitted immensely from her expertise, experience and ideas. She is easy-going, motivated, hard-working and fantastic company. We highly recommend hosting her!
(Excellent)
20 Sep 2025
Left by Workawayer (Erin) for host
I had the absolute best time staying with Sophia! She is extremely kind and most welcoming. There was a great mix of tasks and downtime. I enjoyed spending time with her both during working hours and in my free time. I was staying mostly at her winter house in Fairlie and had gardening and house maintenance tasks as well as a bit of house/dog… read more
16 Sep 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Erin)
It was such a pleasure to host Bear in Fairlie and Ōamaru for 2 weeks on her NZ tour--she is a top-notch WorkAwayer. She is a hard-worker and very competent to manage her own time working independently as well as collaborate on team work. She is efficient, thinks ahead, well organised and will whip your place into shape. During her stay, she did… read more
(Excellent)
7 Apr 2025
Left by Workawayer (Lydia) for host
For one week, I was part of the lovely eco village! Who would have thought that one day I would be cutting grass with a brushcutter, tackling huge flax plants or enjoying the work we had done around a big campfire every evening? It's wonderful you had faith in my little-known talents. It was a pleasure!
21 Feb 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Lydia)
Lydia is a top notch WorkAwayer. She stayed with us at the ecovillage for a week and in that time we did many tasks-- weeding, cooking, cleaning, clearing debris from flax bushes, mulching, weedeating, and odd jobs. Lydia tackled every task with enthusiasm and a can-do atitutude. She worked well on her own and as a team. We really enjoyed her good… read more
(Excellent)
27 Dec 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Justine)
Justine and Felix were a pleasure to host in Oamaru NZ for three weeks. During this time, we did many kinds of tasks--weeding, mulching, sanding, painting, staining, earth plastering, roofing, cleaning and cooking. Felix and Justine are very capable and skilled--they worked well independently and as part of a team. They have a keen interest and… read more
(Excellent)
15 Sep 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Meredith)
Meredith is the best WorkAwayer in New Zealand. She is an excellent companion and very capable of taking on any task. We did lots of weeding, moving, gardening, dog walking, cleaning and organising together. Meredith also did two weeks of dogsitting and housesitting while we went on holiday. She is easy-going, fun, and an amazing addition to any… read more
(Excellent)
28 Aug 2024
Left by Workawayer (Meredith) for host
I stayed at the eco village for 2 weeks and dog sat for the sausages for another 2 weeks. some of my favorite memories from my whole trip so far have been spent at the eco village. Sophia is hard working, kind, funny, and always has something going on. I loved being her sidekick for 2 weeks, and she did an great job making me feel at home within… read more
7 Aug 2024
Left by Workawayer (Alessio) for host
We stayed here for the month of July - Ale arrived at the start while Kate stayed for the last week.
We didn't get to meet all the shareholders of this beautiful project, but struck gold staying with Sophia and her cutie little monsters (noice saussie dogs). Along with the work this is really a space for learning and cultural exchange, plus… read more
We didn't get to meet all the shareholders of this beautiful project, but struck gold staying with Sophia and her cutie little monsters (noice saussie dogs). Along with the work this is really a space for learning and cultural exchange, plus… read more
22 Jul 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Alessio)
I highly recommend hosting Ale and Kate! They are epic WorkAwayers and I enjoyed hosting them at our ecovillage outside Oamaru. Ale came to stay for one month and Kate came to stay for one week. They are skilled, hard-working, good communicators, passionate about permaculture and self-sufficiency. During their stay, they completed a wide range of… read more
(Excellent)
13 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Naila)
Naila did a great job as a dogsitter and housesitter for us on WorkAway while we were on a family holiday in Tahiti. We really appreciated her being such a good companion to our furbabies, who are capable of being very naughty but she was patient with them and very diligent. She is trust-worthy, a good communicator and reliable. We highly… read more
(Excellent)
13 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)
Emily was an outstanding WorkAwayer--she came to stay at our ecovillage for a whole week to help support a community art project carving pou for our local marae. Thanks to her delicious cooking, she kept us well nourished and we all thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humour, curiosity, and good nature. She is organised, efficient and able work well… read more
(Excellent)
25 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Nauzet & Aleksandra) for host
Our experience at the EcoVillage was great, they are creating a very nice place almost from scratch so they need very active people with energy and motivation. If you are a lazy person, better not to go.
We loved how Sophia made us part of the local life in Oamaru, which is a very nice and quite town, but active at the same time.
During our two… read more
We loved how Sophia made us part of the local life in Oamaru, which is a very nice and quite town, but active at the same time.
During our two… read more
13 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Nauzet & Aleksandra)
Alex and Nau are absolute legends--they are hard working, fun loving, creative, practical and some of the best WorkAwayers we have ever met. While we hosted them for 2 weeks, they helped us with construction of a roof, gardening, mowing, cooking, make a light straw clay wall, house painting, rock moving, maintenance, facilitating activities at the… read more
(Excellent)
23 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Bailey) for host
This ecovillage is full of love & good people! Between the various house painting, gardening, & other projects, there were many moments of music, laughter, home cooked meals from the garden, and exploring oamaru. Sophia, Ra, & Daniel are wonderful hosts with so much wisdom to share around eco villages, permaculture, gardening, carpentry, & more.… read more
26 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Bailey)
We hosted Bailey for 10 days at our ecovillage near Ōamaru and she was a great help. She helped with house painting prep & painting, gardening, cooking, cleaning, and our educational programme for kids at the community gardens. She is on a journey of personal discovery and growth as she travels Aotearoa New Zealand; she is easy to talk to and… read more
(Excellent)
22 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Nadine) for host
Staying at the farm with Sophie, Ra, Daniel and Hugh was like being with family. Warm and friendly welcoming since the beginning!! Each of them so different and unique, it was a pleasure to have met and spend time with them.
I also had the pleasure of meeting 2 other volunteers, Alex and Nau, with whom I created a lovely bond with.
Together we… read more
I also had the pleasure of meeting 2 other volunteers, Alex and Nau, with whom I created a lovely bond with.
Together we… read more
13 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Nadine)
Nadine is a super hero of Work Away. She can do anything she puts her mind to. During the two weeks we hosted her, we accomplished so much with her help-- painting two house exteriors, sanding T & G floor boards, creating a light straw clay wall, lawn mowing, dog walking, cooking, cleaning, facilitating activities for the Waitaki Community… read more
(Excellent)
26 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Aude)
Aude is a top-knotch WorkAwayer--she is hard-working, happy to get her hands dirty, easy-going and has lots of practical skills. We hosted her at our ecovillage near Ōamaru for two weeks and she helped us with house painting prep & painting, gardening, hard labour, cooking, cleaning, and organising. She is learning English and has good… read more
(Excellent)
20 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Marjorie) for host
This farm is a very safe and friendly place.
The residents, Sophia, Ra and Daniel, are more than welcoming. They welcomed me with happiness, fun and love. As they travelled in the past, they listen and understand travellers needs. They helped me for my administration, for meeting interesting people and finding a job as well ! They are also… read more
The residents, Sophia, Ra and Daniel, are more than welcoming. They welcomed me with happiness, fun and love. As they travelled in the past, they listen and understand travellers needs. They helped me for my administration, for meeting interesting people and finding a job as well ! They are also… read more
20 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Marjorie)
Marjorie is an outstanding helper and we highly recommend hosting her. She is hard-working, tidy, helpful, keen to learn, and passionate about permaculture, healthy food, people and community living. While she stayed with us as a HelpXer, she completed all kinds of tasks including gardening, sanding, painting, making plum wine, cooking, cleaning,… read more
(Excellent)
7 Aug 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Phoebe)
Phoebe is an outstanding WorkAwayer. She did two weeks of housesitting for us and took excellent care of our 3 pets--2 sausage dogs and 1 cat--and home. She is a great communicator, clean, tidy and well organised. She is responsible and trust-worthy. She is also an animal lover and a lovely human to meet. I highly recommend hosting Phoebe on… read more
(Excellent)
19 Jul 2023
Left by Workawayer (Pierre-Luc & Laurine) for host
Truly an amazing Workaway experience !
Exactly what you would look for when it comes to have the perfect combination between work, amazing people, awesome projects full of sense, and culture sharing !
3 weeks that passed too fast, learning a bunch of stuff from all fields, sharing precious moments with Sophia, Ra, and Daniel who were always so… read more
Exactly what you would look for when it comes to have the perfect combination between work, amazing people, awesome projects full of sense, and culture sharing !
3 weeks that passed too fast, learning a bunch of stuff from all fields, sharing precious moments with Sophia, Ra, and Daniel who were always so… read more
19 Apr 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Maya & Rachel)
Maya and Rachel came and helped at our ecovillage for almost 2 weeks--they were helpful, polite, clean and tidy. They helped us with a variety of odd jobs and they are amazing chefs! We enjoyed talks, basket making and surfing together. We highly recommend hosting them.
(Excellent)
19 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (GERMAIN) for host
You are looking for a nice place to stay with awesome
😎 and friendly people !?
this Is THE PLACE TO BE !!
Sophia, Ra and Daniel are Amazing people ! Very friendly, interesting ! We shared some good talk around a fire 🔥, Always smiling ☺️ very easy going people. Besides they have a lot of skills to share !
I will miss this place A LOT !!
I… read more
😎 and friendly people !?
this Is THE PLACE TO BE !!
Sophia, Ra and Daniel are Amazing people ! Very friendly, interesting ! We shared some good talk around a fire 🔥, Always smiling ☺️ very easy going people. Besides they have a lot of skills to share !
I will miss this place A LOT !!
I… read more
16 Mar 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (GERMAIN)
Germain a.k.a. Jimmy is the best WorkAwayer in the world! He came for 2 weeks, but it looks like he will stay for 2 months because everyone is enjoying themselves so much. Jimmy is a handy man with a great repertoire of practical skills-- he is an excellent builder with an eye for detail and precision, a fantastic work ethic, remarkable strength… read more
(Excellent)
22 Jan 2023
Left by Workawayer (Indiane) for host
It has been 3 really nice weeks with Sofia and her friends at the ecovillage :) We worked on a lot of different projects, such as gardening, planting, painting some houses, building a fire pit, cooking mystery meals... it was great work and great time together, Sofia being really friendly, helpfull and interesting :) we could express our… read more
21 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Indiane)
Ruud and Indiane came to stay with us for 3 weeks and were an absolute pleasure to host--they are hard-working, tidy, amazing cooks, innovative and find a practical solution for everything. They are also lovely to converse with and able to relate well to others. While they were here, we gardened, weeded, painted a marae, painted house windows,… read more
(Excellent)
20 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Ruud)
Ruud and Indiane came to stay with us for 3 weeks and were an absolute pleasure to host--they are hard-working, tidy, amazing cooks, innovative and find a practical solution for everything. They are also lovely to converse with and able to relate well to others. While they were here, we gardened, weeded, painted a marae, painted house windows,… read more
(Excellent)
20 Jan 2023
Left by Workawayer (Ruud) for host
Sophia and all her friends are amazing, Indiane and me had a great time doing the most diverse missions, building, painting, gardening, harvesting, landscaping, planting. She is very clear with communication and is the best guide for the area. Thank you so much sophia for everything, one of the best workaways ever!
15 Nov 2022
Left by Workawayer (Laura_French) for host
I spend a week at the eco-village and had a really good time learning and meeting a lot of passionate and knowledgeable people about permaculture, who are making things happening. None of my days were similar, I was involved in different projects with Ra and Sophia; gardening at the eco-village and the community garden and some renovation at the… read more
13 Nov 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Laura_French)
Laura is the best Work Awayer in Aotearoa--she is hard-working, easy-going, willing to give anything a go, and lots of fun to work alongside. We hosted Laura at the ecovillage in Reidston near Ōamaru for one week and she helped us to build new edible raised garden beds, mulch & plant, and many garden tasks helping at the local Waitaki Community… read more
(Excellent)
25 Jun 2022
Left by Workawayer (Maya) for host
Truly the funkiest bunch around!!! I couldn't have asked for a better work away experience - all sorts of creative/ grand/ inspiring projects and jobs, loads of fun and many dear new friends
Thank you for everything, all the best and I'll see you again when I'm next down south!
Much love,
Maya
Thank you for everything, all the best and I'll see you again when I'm next down south!
Much love,
Maya
10 Jun 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Maya)
Maya is the best Work Awayer in the world! We really enjoyed hosting her in Oamaru and there was no task she wouldn't tackle. She did all sorts of missions here including cooking, painting, gardening, tree planting, organising, feng-shui-zeling, renovating, building, animal care and more. She has a fantastic sense of humour, she is well read and… read more
(Excellent)
17 May 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Henry)
Henry is a world-class Workawayer--he is a man of many talents and is able to help with a wide variety of projects. While he was at our place he helped with carpentry, animal care, cleaning, gardening, logistical planning, a tiny house relocation, shed renovation, custom shelving, and more. He is easy-going, friendly and a true pleasure to be… read more
(Excellent)
23 May 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Theodore)
Theo is the best! He helped us with every kind of project imaginable and we enjoyed his brilliant, thoughtful company. He is extremely knowledgeable about plants as a botanist, and also a skilled gardener. He has great research skills and helped me to plan a tiny forest project in the front yard. And his cooking is out of this world delicious! We… read more
(Excellent)
20 Feb 2021
Left by Workawayer (Romy) for host
I feel so thankful to have met Sophia, Marky and the other furry members of the family! My stay involved delicious dinners with fresh vege from the garden, singing with Sophia and her students and living in a tiny home! The work involved a morning walk with the famous sausage dogs, followed by a gardening mission! It was enjoyable thanks to… read more
18 Feb 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Romy)
Romy is an absolute legend--it was such a pleasure to meet her and host her in our home. She is an epic helper and we got so much accomplished in just 5 days, totally smashing the weeding that had turned my garden into a wilderness this summer! She is fantastic with animals and was responsible for walking the dogs every day. She is enthusiastic to… read more
(Excellent)
4 Feb 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)
Millie is amazing! She will make you laugh from her jokes, and smile once you see the amazing job she has done. While she stayed with us, she helped cook, clean, walk dogs, paint an entire house (pro painter btw), weed an entire overgrown garden, MCed our one and only "home circus", and performed many other odd jobs. She is a totally epic Work… read more
(Excellent)
31 Jan 2021
Left by Workawayer (Emily) for host
Sophia and Marky are awesome people, hosts and have a big impact in their community. I unfortunately only stayed here for a week but each day was great. There was never a moment of boredom or uncertainty of the tasks to be completed. We worked in the mornings for around 4 hours and helped out with dinner and around the house. We helped clearing… read more
21 Jan 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Mélissa)
Melou is a world-class helper and she helped in every way imaginable during her one week stay--feeding the troops, weeding the garden, walking the dogs, making me laugh and painting an entire house... there is nothing she can't do well! We enjoyed her company so much, we wish she had stayed forever. At any rate, we highly recommend hosting… read more
(Excellent)
12 Jan 2021
Left by Workawayer (Mélissa) for host
Sophia and Marky are incredible hosts !
The place is beautiful, close to the funky town and live in a tiny house was a great experience.
We felt like we were at home and belong to the family.
Sophia gave us her confidence and was so keen to share with us not just work (special mention for Catan evening and Penny Farthing)
Thank you so much, was… read more
The place is beautiful, close to the funky town and live in a tiny house was a great experience.
We felt like we were at home and belong to the family.
Sophia gave us her confidence and was so keen to share with us not just work (special mention for Catan evening and Penny Farthing)
Thank you so much, was… read more
9 Dec 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Judith)
Judith is the most outstanding helper and friend you could ever hope for--she is sincere, hard-working, great with people of all ages, and able to do anything! While she stayed with us, she helped me with child care, cooking, gardening, watering plants, preserving, painting, cleaning and dog walking. She is a very resourceful chef--able to whip up… read more
(Excellent)
