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Visit our beautiful Island and help us with our homestead on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

  • Favourited 848 times
  • Last activity: 26 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Love to host people from all over the world! Come and enjoy our beautiful part of Canada
    in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

    Since my husband (Zsolt) and I are up in our mid 60's, a good fit for us is to take older more mature work-a-ways to come and help us.
    We take volunteers who are 25 years old and older!

    It is recommended that you have your own transportation we are in the country and it is easier for you to get here and for you to explore the area on your own. If you do not have your own car you will have to figure out a way to get to us, we are NOT able to pick you up.

    We take volunteers for SHORT STAYS ONLY, "UP TO TWO WEEKS" (Sunday to Sunday)
    thus giving volunteers a chance to visit and travel to many places as they can experience,
    to learn and explore as many hosts as possible while they are here in Canada,
    giving a true taste of our land and our people.

    We schedule arrivals of work-a-ways on Sunday night,
    thus starting your helping week on a Monday till Friday,
    in order for you to have the weekend off and then leaving on a Sunday.

    We are breeders of the Hovawart dog breed.
    Right now we have 4 female Hovawarts in our breeding program.
    Also have a grooming business in our home.

    Our house gets neglected because we are on the go all the time
    and therefore always needs organizing and cleaning.
    There are many projects on the go that we need help with and are willing to teach you how.

    We are foodies and love to cook, we mostly have our own meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs,
    and produce our own Kefir and Kefir Cheese.
    We love to learn cooking from our guests from around the world.

    If you love dogs, then our dogs love to play and go for walks.

    We live in the country surrounded by trees on a 6-acre Organic homestead, we have 2 houses on our property
    with our son, Julian (45), his wife, and 18-year-old son live in the other house.
    We have 4 dogs and 2 cats that live in our house.
    We have egg laying chickens, in the summer we raise meat chickens.
    Our younger son (37) and his Japanese wife live in a separate apartment in our house, with their Hovawart dog, they both speak Japanese. My husband is Hungarian and I am Slovenian.


    PLEASE NOTE: If you are allergic to dogs, cats, and chickens this is NOT a good placement for you!

    Located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island between Victoria and Duncan, B.C., we are 2 km from the historic Kinsol Trestle, great walking, biking, and hiking trails,
    near many provincial parks & beaches.
    Shawnigan Lake is great for swimming, canoeing, fishing, and water skiing.


    Close to the ocean, great hiking trails, pubs, crabbing & shrimping, biking.
    There are many festivals going on in the area all year long.
    In the fall watch the Salmon run and bear watching.

    Since we are in the country you will need to have your own transportation,
    Please Note: If you do not have your own transportation we cannot pick up volunteers,
    please do not ask.

    We are 50 minutes north of Victoria, 20 minutes east of Mill Bay, 20 minutes south of Duncan,
    50 minutes south of Nanaimo, there are buses that come to Shawnigan Lake from Duncan & Mill Bay, however, not all routes operate on Sunday's.
    There are ferries that come from Vancouver to both Nanaimo & Victoria, and there is a ferry from Victoria to Mill Bay,
    We cannot pick up volunteers in the nearby cities,
    therefore you may have to figure out how to come to us closer, there is bus transportation coming to Shawnigan Lake, from the larger centres, but not always on a Sunday.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    *Teach you how to make their own organic Mayonnaise,
    *Teach you how kefir is produced and made into cheese,
    *My husband is a handyman and can teach you about building skills.

    *We have helped many work-a-ways who have needed to retro-fit their mini-van into a camper,
    we love helping in this and we are starting to become quite good at it!
    *You can learn how to make a fire.
    *Learn how to garden
    * Improve your English skills

  • Help

    Help

    We are constantly upgrading our homestead.

    From helping around the house to computer tasks to cooking.
    When we have a litter of puppies, we will need help with them and walking the dogs.

    We especially need help in our house to be more organized.
    At the moment our house is really upside down and in need of help getting everything in order!
    A good cleaning inside and out is always needed, for help with the outside, this includes gardening,landscaping, tree removal, wood-cutting, and stacking.

    Please note, we are NOT a big farm that needs a lot of weeding.

    We are renovating our RV (motorhome) and boat.

    For 7 days of room = 5 days of help, 5 hours a day with meals. 12.00 - 5.00
    On your 2 days off you provide your own food and prepare your own meals so that we get 2 days off cooking as well.

    We like to schedule arrivals of work-a-ways on a Sunday, thus starting your helping-week on a Monday till Friday, leaving on a Sunday morning, again for only for up to 2 weeks.

    *️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️Please note that if you have any special dietary requirements,
    We will expect you to bring your own supplies, we do however always have lots of vegetables at our meals.
    I am just not good at preparing for special diets.

    ****** We accept volunteers over the age of 25

    **** if you are allergic to dogs, cats or chickens, this is not a good placement for you.

    Internet access available, however, you cannot use our computers sorry, you must bring your own device!
    Moderate drinking is fine, however, we do not tolerate drugs! Smoking outside only (my husband is a smoker and smokes outside).
    Please do not use your phones while working, there is plenty of time before and after.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Japanese: Fluent
    Slovenian: Intermediate
    French: Beginner
    Hungarian: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    The bedroom has comfortable beds ( either 2 singles or the singles can be pushed together for couples and a topper installed.

    or you can experience the outdoors you can always pitch a tent or stay in our caravan.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are on Vancouver Island near Shawnigan Lake, the lake is wonderful for swimming, canoeing, boating, water skiing, windsurfing and fishing.
    On the other side of our road runs a river wonderful for a swim and getting your feet wet or do some gold mining!

    There are many hiking trails in the area and we are close to the Trans. Canada Trail near the Kinsol Trestle.
    We are close to the ocean, great whale watching tours in the area or go crabbing or shrimping!

    We are 45 minutes from Victoria, the Capital city of British Columbia, a must to visit with all of its museums, Art galleries, shopping and sightseeing.
    Within a 2 hour drive is Tofino the surfing capital of Canada and
    Mt Washington is the closest skiing mountain.
    Many hiking trails on the island including the famous West Coast Trail.
    Go further up island and explore Desolation Sound with all of its amazing wildlife.
    Come and explore this amazing island!

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We highly recommend having your own vehicle, we cannot pick up volunteers

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours a day for 5 days a week, 12.00 - 5.00, please do not use your internet devices eg. Phone while working, plenty of time before and after!

Host ref number: 428485134638

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