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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
7 Sep 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
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Description
After 24 years away on international adventures Alistair has returned home to New Zealand, and bought the family with him! Alistair met his American wife, Karin, in Bolivia where they lived together for nearly 20 years. Their two teenaged sons were born in Bolivia and grew up there. Both Alistair and Karin are international travelers who thrive on good conversation, fun, laughter, music and adventure travel.
As your hosts we hope to provide you with a great opportunity to learn about New Zealand, practice your English and get involved in a variety of projects that play to your strengths. Along the way, you can tell us about your country, your travels, and your life. Having been backpackers and travelers throughout the world ourselves we are also keen to "pay it forward" and offer the kind of experience to our helpers that we hope one day our sons can have when they travel the world. We have a 10-acre lifestyle block with plenty of native bush and many incredible native birds. As such, our projects are aimed at improving the property and eventually making it more sustainable. Please note we are a scenic 20-minute drive from the centre of Nelson City, so it's best suited to have your own vehicle to take advantage of your time off. Please let us know in your message to us that you have a vehicle.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are an international family that has traveled and lived around the world. We believe strongly in sharing our cultures with others, and providing the kinds of experiences we hope our sons will have when they travel the world. We have many stories to tell about our own adventures, and we understand the life of international travelers. Karin is very knowledgeable about the English language and can assist with those keen to refine their grammar and verbal skills. Alistair is a serial entrepreneur and mountain biker who can provide many insights into lifestyle businesses, as well as adventure travel in New Zealand. We have an awesome wee mountain bike track that mountain bikers of all levels will enjoy, and we can help you get onto many of the amazing mountain bike tracks around the region with heaps of inside knowledge. We also have our own bike shop so can help sort out any bike problems you have or perhaps arrange a loaner mountain bike and some discounted shuttles up into the hills.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have a private 400m mountain bike track in our backyard! This area requires yearlong maintenance: mowing, weed whacking, weed spraying, securing drainage, etc., plus we are always looking to improve jumps wooden features
Additionally, around the property there is gardening, landscaping, eliminating weeds, some house cleaning, cutting fire wood, planting and maintaining native plantings, plus other non-technical chores.
The majority of tasks suit physically fit individuals who enjoy working in the outdoors.
We require 2 7 . 5 hours of work per week. We can give you good tips of how to plan your time off!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: IntermediateThis 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
We provide space in our modern, separate studio with camp kitchen, splash pool access (summer only!), wifi internet, and parking.
Our location is a 20-minute drive from the town of Nelson, so it’s advantageous that you have your own vehicle to maximise your time off.
We provide ingredients for you to make breakfast and lunch on your own schedule. Most evenings we share dinner meals with the family; other nights (when the student homework load is high!) we will provide ingredients for you to prepare your own dinner.
Please advise us of any dietary restrictions ahead of time and general likes (tea? coffee? dairy milk? etc.) so that we can meal plan appropriately.
What else ...
Nelson is a beautiful town with some of the best weather in all of New Zealand. The Top of the South region is home to many scenic spots to visit. We are very flexible about work hours so you can take advantage of good weather to make the most of the region. We can provide plenty of advice about what to do and see in the vicinity. Mountain bikers will find that Nelson is one of the world's best mountain biking destinations and we can provide intimate details on the great trails to ride here. P.S. We are REALLY CLOSE to Cable Bay Adventure park!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Pretty good WiFi, and your own studio space to work in. We have had many digital nomads woof for us, and they've all had good results with the WiFi.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Feedback (29)
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Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
won't find with anyone else! Alistair is the kind of guy you want guiding your tasks, he's very clear on what needs to be done, and gives a very appropriate timeframe to do it, he's also quite the grill master. Going to miss you guys!
They are super friendly and relaxed and we had lots of fun especially during dinner sharing stories.
What was also great, is their love for good music.
Also, the meals were superb and the work was satisfying because we did a lot of different things.
They even let us borrow their… read more
Alistair, Karin, Cale and Connor, have some amazing travelling stories, varied interests and also provided some inspiration for myself.
The work was predominantly landscaping, cutting in steps for access, mowing and weeding. I… read more
A lovely house above the road in natives bushes, just 20min from Nelson ! Really calm and peacefull place with a little kitchen and an independent room. Very nice and welcoming family with great stories about there travel around the world and there hobies. You will feel at home as soon as you arrive.… read more
really good accommodation, excellent and plenty good.
hopefully I can come back
It was a few days, but I felt an incredible human warmth. The guys are great and super cool.
I miss you and I want to be able to return soon to greet you, I hope to see you in Colombia one day or on the road of life.
Thanks for your love, my best memory in New Zealand.
Hugs. Gus.
We were part of a project of planting about 2000 total native plants and although it was perhaps physical it was delightful to do and being entertained meanwhile… read more
They are also helpful to discover the area, have good advices and are flexible with the work time.
I had the guest host for me being… read more
I felt really welcome, the accomadtion is very comfortable, the dinners are great, enough work to do and they explain everything very well. I also did some mountainbiking, fun to do!
