Help out our little family with gardening on the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    **Main jobs include planting and weeding and general garden maintenance. Maybe some fence painting**

    We are a busy family living in the peaceful village of Portobello on the Otago Peninsula. It’s about a 25 minute drive from central Dunedin, just a few minutes from sea lions basking on one of the most beautiful wild beaches, and there’s an albatross colony up the road. Penguins live around here too. This is also one of the better places in NZ for seeing the Aurora.

    We are American and Kiwi with two children (8 and 10) and a small excited poodle. We have a large garden that we're slowly trying to get under control, and that's where we need your help. Our jobs are outside, so garden experience and generally working with your hands is a bonus but not essential. If you have any basic building/maintenance or forestry skills, we have plenty of jobs for you too.

    We are interested in the good life, friends, family, food, music, crafts - there are guitars and a piano here that you are welcome to play. A mandolin too. We would love to meet anyone with mandolin skills. We love knitting and woodworking and lots of other creative pursuits that we never have enough time for, but we'd love to chat about them!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We have a wealth of local knowledge about all the best spots to explore, and can point you in the right direction to see the unique things Otago Peninsula has to offer. We love chatting about New Zealand culture and hearing about your journeys. We will invite you into our home to share our family life. Our lives revolve around food, family, music, making, friends and community.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

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

  • Help

    Help

    Our home life with kids and dog is always barely contained chaos, so you must be comfortable sharing space with children and small excited dog, who will all be very interested in you.

    In exchange for 4 hours in the garden we can provide your own private (newly built!) warm and cosy cottage and food during your stay.

    Garden jobs include things like weeding, mulching, planting, wood chopping/stacking, more weeding, path building, clearing of larger shrubs/trees etc.

    Vegetarian/vegan, diversity in all forms, LGBTQI+ couples, all welcome in our home. We’re open to negotiating hours, such as working more in the weekends to have weekdays off or whatever arrangement suits you and your plans.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    You will have your own private self-contained studio cottage which is on our property, with its own bathroom and fridge/sink (no cooking facilities). Food provided, we will cook for you. Unless you want to cook, which we would be totally fine with!

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    There is limited bus service between Portobello and Dunedin City, but you really need your own vehicle to explore everything the Otago Peninsula has to offer, which is wild beaches, sea lions, penguins, albatross, amazing walks. Check out the Portobello Inc website for more info about local activities.

  • 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

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

Host ref number: 454178885133

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Photos

The image depicts two children sitting in chairs outside a house with a pink exterior and white trim, enjoying the sunny day.
The image depicts a serene forest scene with a stone wall, featuring lush greenery, trees, and plants, evoking a sense of natural beauty and tranquility.
The image depicts two children playing in a garden, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant flowers, with a serene atmosphere and warm sunlight casting a gentle glow.
The image depicts two children in a hammock, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant flowers, with a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
The image depicts a serene landscape with a man and child walking through a rocky, shallow stream, set against a backdrop of mountains and a blue sky.
Two children run down a dirt road, one with their arm raised, surrounded by a fence and a hill in the distance on a sunny day.

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