Help a young welcoming family near Naarm, Melbourne, Australia

Details

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  Description

  We are an Australian/Irish family of 5, living in the Dandynong Ranges Hills, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We would love to welcome you to our home on the edge of a National Park Forest in exchange for a helping hand with our young family, home and garden.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are a loving, welcoming family. My husband is English-born, Aussie-raised and I am Irish. We both love meeting kind, positive people who are generous of spirit and willing to chip in to whatever task is needed. We are both sociable and our kids also love meeting new people. We live on the edge of a national park so if you are in to hiking or mountain biking or birdwatching -- then this is the place for you! We love food and enjoy spending time together as a family.
  
  We are a 20 minute car journey from the closest metro train station and a 15 minute walk to the bus stop. On the weekends, we are happy to drop you to the local train station , so you can do your adventuring. But with small kids & work etc. we will not be able to drop you off/pick you up during the week unless it coincides with a journey we are already doing. Ideally, you would have your own car so you can explore the local hill towns and beautiful Yarra Valley. The bus stop is a 20 minute walk from our house. You will need to purchase a Miki card & top it up before you come to us as you cannot purchase them on the bus.
  
  The spare room is cosy and comfortable & has a double bed. If you are a couple, there is plenty of gardening to be done so we could welcome 2 if one is willing and able to do outdoor labour ! We both love gardening, but having 3 small kids has put a halt to that for now! So we would love someone who can mow lawns/stack wood/weed/tend the veggie patch, etc.
  
  We expect that you take responsibility to keep your bedroom and bathroom clean and tidy — as you find it. We have a small house with small kids — we are definitely not looking for someone else to clean up after. We aim to keep our kitchen and living area very clean and tidy (so it’s a warm, calm, enjoyable, welcoming space for everyone to be in), so we expect that you clean up after yourself and be respectful of our shared, small space. We are not looking to parent any travellers! If you find it hard to be tidy, then please do not email us. You are joining a family and coming it to a communal space — we expect a communal respect. Like anything in life — what you put in, you get back :-)

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  Help

  We are looking for 5 hours help a day, Monday to Friday.
  
  The role will vary from day to day.
  
  Some days it will be an extra pair of hands to help with our 3 small kids (5 years old, 2 years old and 6 months.) This would consist of coming along to activities or shopping etc (to be an extra set of eyes and hands!). It may consist of helping around the house with childminding activities — such as taking the older kids out in the garden while I get the baby to sleep etc.
  If we are going to kinder/school, it will consist of helping us all get out the door in the mornings (breakfast, lunches, clothes etc), then some chores. And then in the afternoon, play with the kids while I prep dinner. We love food — and we would love someone who is good in the kitchen and who can prep delicious meals that we can all share.
  
  The household chores will consist of laundry, cooking, tidying, cleaning, hoovering or mopping. This will definitely be expected at some point in your stay. We all tag team with chores in our home, and we will clean up also. You will not be treated as our full time cleaner! But sometimes it is easier for you to clean if I have the kids out at kindergarten etc.
  
  Some times light gardening may be expected. The gardening help we need could be tending the veggie patch, weeding or moving wood (only if you’re physically able of course).
  
  Our kids are active and love being outdoors. They love company, dressing up, drawing, baking, bike-riding etc.
  
  If you speak another language, we would love to learn some. Adoriamo l'Italia! Nous adorons la France aussi! Agus Éire!
  
  With 3 small kids, we need someone who is: super tidy, energetic, independent, positive, good-humoured, someone with initiative & flexibility.
  
  Because of where we live, you will need to be happy with your own company as, at times, I will be out and about doing school runs and kids activities.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Irish: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Italian: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We looooove Italy and France so we would absolutely love someone who can teach us all some French or Italian. Or Spanish. Nó Gaelainn! Tar anseo chun fanacht linn! But of course we would welcome any nationality with open arms :)
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  Accommodation

  We have a small house, but it is cosy and comfortable, with a small spare bedroom, with a double bed. The bathroom is shared, mostly with the kids.
  
  If you are travelling and have a van, we have space to park that.
  
  We can offer you free wifi, but we ask that your phone use be kept to the bedroom. Of course we use our mobile phones, but we aspire to not using them in front of the kids. We are not on Social Media and would NEVER like anything about our home life or kids posted online, the location etc.
  
  We eat a healthy, organic diet.
  Food is very important to us and we ask that you respect the quality of the food that we buy. We will provide all the basics, but if you want more “niche” food, you will have to buy that yourself.
  You are welcome to cook with/for us and of course share dinner with us! We all enjoy sharing family meals together. So all good cooks are welcome at our home ❤️

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  What else ...

  The area where we live is very beautiful. Ideally, to really enjoy the surrounding environment, a car is needed. We are also just an hour from the stunning city of Melbourne, so that is easily accessible (a 50 minute train ride from Lilydale).
  
  If you are in to mountain biking or hiking, there are trails from our doorstep! If you love nature, there are endless spots to explore by foot. The bird life is incredible and there are lots of beautiful villages in the nearby hills to see by bus.
  
  We have a small home, which needs to be kept clean and tidy. This is very important to us. So please, do not send us an email if being tidy is hard for you.
  
  As we have small kids, we need to be quiet once they go down (usually around 9pm).
  
  We have a beautiful garden which is perfect for reading in the sunshine or sitting and drinking a coffee! The sunrises are beautiful! Our home isn’t in the city of Melbourne, but if you need a quite country spot to have some time away from the hustle and bustle, and spend some time with a nice family, our place could work.
  
  This is a home with 3 small kids in it. Our home is there sanctuary and safe space, so please be respectful of that when you join our family. We have a small house and we will need our time together as a family, so come with an adventurous spirit and be willing to explore the local surrounds to give us some space, particularly at the weekends.
  
  We are a meat-eating family. So if our dinners don’t suit you, you will need to purchase your own extras and look after yourself and your nutritional needs. (I do understand— I was a vegetarian for 14 years! But we cannot cater to individual needs.)

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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

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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