Help us around our nature sanctuary in Kingston, Australia

Details

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  Description

  Ann and Brian have lived here for 35 years, and made it their little garden of Eden. Brian is a retired painter and decorator living with Parkinson's, and Ann is a music teacher and reiki healer. Their son Liam, a therapist and bartender, visits weekly to help around the place too. We have named our place after a prior business of Brian and Ann's. Now that we have closed the herb farm and sold all the animals, we would love help rewilding the paddocks, steadily covering the property in mini Oak woods, Birch groves, Pine forests, vineyards, food forests, veggie gardens, orchards, rivers, lakes, and eventually a Nature Chapel as well. We're hoping to have chooks and bees as well.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will get to learn how to plant, fertilize, and nurture a wide variety of food and non food trees, you will learn about worm farming, composting, weeding, veggie and herb gardening, and tree care with Ann, Liam can teach you how to use a whipper snipper and basic construction, Brian will tell you jokes. Perhaps moreso than the practical gardening, tree care, and construction skills however, in the evenings, we can share some wine by the firepit and learn from eachother. We love to hear people's stories and learn from their experiences and knowledge, Ann is a student of esoteric philosophy, Buddhism and other religions, Liam has studied, Psychology, Philosophy, History, Religious studies, Buddhist studies, Ufology, Science, Climate Science and all that jazz. So if you're into that kinda stuff, we're gonna have some wild, deep chats.

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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 main help in the beginning will be creating patches for a food forest, planting trees, and plants or various kinds, planting an orchard, planting grape vines, watering the trees, fertilising, learning to compost and feed and supercharge trees with worm poo and wee! There's gardening to do, basic weeding, clearing of branches, helping around the house and garden, and when Liam is around, if you feel like it, helping him with small scale construction projects, like building a tropical arboreum (a hot house for tropical trees.) a celtic style roof and deck for the future workawayers caravan, many twisted willow, elven style ballistraits for structures and bridges, sanding them back and varnishing them. But mostly the work will consist of planting trees around the place and general gardening.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  We speak fluent English and would love to learn German, Spanish, French, Greek and little pieces of all languages!
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  Accommodation

  When it isn't booked as a short term rental, you'll get to stay in our retreat. When it is booked, you can crash in a Liam's tiny house, (or if that's booked too) you can stay in Liam's old bedroom in the house. They're all very cosy and lovely. A combination of simplicity, beauty and comfort while the natural beauty of the garden offers inspiration, reflection and enjoyment. A vast array of books at your disposal to read either in your four poster bed, by the warm fireplace, or in any one of the cosy sitting spaces inside and out. The Writer's Room has been created using reclaimed and natural materials. A space intended for comfort, relaxation and de-stressing; a wholesome, rustic and cosy atmosphere.
  
  • Fully self-contained and stocked with all necessary kitchen utensils and equipment.
  • Breakfast provisions of locally produced, principally organic foods and teas supplied.
  • A queen-sized four-poster bed with memory foam pillows, bamboo/cotton linen and woollen doona.
  
  It's pretty nice.

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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 have 10 acres and can accomodate any size van.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 4 days a week