Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
29 Apr 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 9 days
Feedback
26
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
____________________
Currently looking for
May/June
A single traveler to help Mahessha out for a few weeks with cooking, cleaning and house work while Garrick is away on a work trip. Must include the dates 23 May to 2 June.
June/July
A single travel to help us out looking after our 3 year old girl Minara while her usual child care is closed for holidays . Usually will be mornings or afternoons a few days a week while Garrick sleeps after / before night shifts. Must include 25th June to 9th July.
--------------------------------
Location: House is on a large 10 acre rural hilltop 40mins from Auckland Airport by car. By train, we can pick you up from Swanson train station.
What you will be doing: Home or garden jobs depending on the weather.
Possible indoor jobs maybe meal preparation, loading and unloading dishwasher and washing machine, hanging out clothes to dry; or outdoor jobs gardening, weed spraying, gorse cutting, weed-whacking.
Schedule of work: Flexible. Most jobs can be done ahead so that the work can fit in around your activities. For example, you might want to make dinner in the morning and get the laundry out, or garden work so that you can have the rest of the day to explore the city or do the work the night before so that you can spend the next day hiking.
About us:
Guten tag, salut, ni hao, namaste, hello,
We look forward to hosting you in our lovely location on top of a hill overlooking the stunning woodland of the Waitakere Ranges. We have both backpacked ourselves. Now we have kids, it's a bit trickier to backpack, so our job is hosting you and travelling through you. We will enjoy hearing about your country and culture and teaching our children about them to give them a passion for travelling too.
We are a family of four: mum, dad, seven-year-old boy and toddler girl (2 ).
Mum, Maheesha works in software development and loves chocolate, travel and the theatre.
Garrick is an airline pilot and is usually home during the day. He loves aeroplanes, machines, hiking and travel.
Rohan, aged 7, is energetic, loves swimming, especially diving to the bottom of the pool and is completely obsessed with Star Wars, Lego and Star Wars Lego, and now minecraft.
Toddler Minara enjoys food. The first word she learned was "cheese" and the second word was "more". She also loves being outside, whatever the weather end being chased by pretend dinosaurs.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Local highlights: Scenic Bethells (Te Henga) surf beach and lake, giant sand dunes for dune sliding, Mokoroa Falls & many hiking tracks through the Waitakere rangers (car required - sometimes we can drop you if we are going the same direction).
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Garrick is a born and raised Kiwi, Maheesha is originally from Sri Lanka and London. We live on a 10 acres of native bush with several small fields which we are preparing for sheep and alpacas.
Being high in the hills we offer amazing views and a huge variety of native bird life which can be seen throughout the day from the house and deck.
We have a 6+ year work/stay history various hosting platforms.
You will particularly enjoy being near:
- iconic New Zealand beaches
- hundreds of hiking tracks through the Waitakere Ranges
- Five minute drive to Swanson train station
- Auckland city (35 mins drive or 1 hour by train)
- Auckland Airport (40 mins drive).
- Rural Location, but 15 min drive to WestGate shopping centre (or 20 min train to WestCity shopping centre)
Help
Possible outdoor tasks: General garden work, plus weed-eating/weed-whacking, weed spraying, water blasting, clearing drains, painting fences.
Possible indoor tasks: Preparing bulk family meals from set menus, which could could be done anytime to be and heated up at dinner times.
Tasks are flexible as I don't want anyone doing jobs they do not like.
Tasks can be managed in your own time. For example to maximise your leisure times and exploring you may want to consolidate your tasks, and work one day on, one day off, or two days on two days off etc.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Accommodation is a double bed in a nice large and clean room in the private cabin with aircon and heating.
The house is open and free for you to use at your leisure for TV, cooking, hanging out etc.
Free wifi
Basket ball hoop, trampoline
What else ...
If you do not have a car we can arrange pick up our local train station.
We can also drop you off an pick you up from the local train station for your daily activities.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Internet speed is fine for streaming etc.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a shed with tools that you are free to use to build your camper as many of our guests have in the past.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (13)
Lou was a pleasure to have around the house, helping you with cooking , laundry, general house work and outdoor in the garden, and even a evening of baby sitting.
Lou is sensible, mature and a great cook… read more
They are all so welcoming and we felt very comfortable in their lovely home.
We were treated with care, respect, and fairness!
Jobs included simple house jobs: food prep, dishwasher, laundry, cleaning, as well as outdoor work: weed wacking… read more
Both Freddie and Olivia are very friendly, proactive and did a great job of the various tasks we asked them to do.
Our kids especially liked having them around as they made friends with them and generally added happiness… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
Lou was a pleasure to have around the house, helping you with cooking , laundry, general house work and outdoor in the garden, and even a evening of baby sitting.
Lou is sensible, mature and a great cook… read more
They are all so welcoming and we felt very comfortable in their lovely home.
We were treated with care, respect, and fairness!
Jobs included simple house jobs: food prep, dishwasher, laundry, cleaning, as well as outdoor work: weed wacking… read more
Both Freddie and Olivia are very friendly, proactive and did a great job of the various tasks we asked them to do.
Our kids especially liked having them around as they made friends with them and generally added happiness… read more
While she stayed with us Pauline was constantly going the extra mile and completed all her tasks with a smile and with precision.
Pauline has some life expence and has a mature sensibility and is very independent. This made our life easy and… read more
After I finished the work, I was also able to explore the… read more
Initially she was going to stay for only two weeks, but we extended it after she really proved herself as a hard worker and a pleasure to be around.
It was… read more
While staying with us she helped us with both indoor jobs in the kitchen and laundry and outside in the garden and some DIY jobs such as painting.
The kids had fun with Clara and she was a joy to have staying with us.
We would definitely… read more
We would have her back in a heartbeat and have no hesitation recommending her to others.
I helped with the house work, and I spent some time playing with the kids and talking… read more
The place where they are living is really nice, clean and confortable.
The job is really rewarding. Garrick and Maheesha are really flexible about the planning. Don't be worry they will leave you the time to visit the country side around.
I… read more
I really enjoyed my time nearby Auckland thanks to them.
While I, was staying at Garrick and Maheesha's I used to work one full day and have the following day off but they were really flexible with that. It was nice to help them with the work they needed to do in the garden. I learnt a lot about… read more
Not only a great guy to have around, but also an independent worker, showing initiative, and works hard to get the job finished, going above and beyond.
Jobs included general garden work, weed… read more
I could not have wished for a better place to stay for my first weeks in New Zealand.
Garrick showed me so many great walks and had always advice what to do on my off-days. It was always a pleasure to talk to Maheesha about series, society and sports while drinking a cup of tea. She… read more
Jobs she has helped us with include digging and building steps down a steep bank, weed spraying, window washing, gorse cutting and general help around… read more
We helped them with tasks around the house and garden. Mainly involving weed-eating, pruning (oh, how we love flax plant!), planting, landscaping, digging and other DIY chores. Even when some chores get tiring, with lots of smiles and biscuits and beer in the end, you… read more
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them both, and they proved to be excellent guests, being not only great company but all so hard working.
Peter and Veronika helped us with many tasks around the property, including weed-wacking, pruning, laying… read more
