Help to develop and maintain our little plot of paradise in the beautiful Ferguson Valley, Australia

Details

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  Description

  We have a pretty five acre property in the beautiful Ferguson Valley located in the south west of Australia. It is only two hours drive south of Perth and twenty minutes from the small city of Bunbury but you feel like the city is for ever away. The property has orange, nashi pear and persimmon orchards. One boundary is the Ferguson River which flows only in winter, but we seem to keep water in pools all year. It's banks are lined with magnificent old peppermint trees. We love to take a coffee or wine down to the river to relax. Birds are a real feature of this area with lots of beautiful blue wrens enjoying their daily bath in the bird bath. There are also kookaburras, colourful parrots and lots of others.
  The south west of Australia, where we live, offers travellers huge potential for enjoying nature, bush walking, wineries, artist studios and galleries, surfing and much much more.
  We are a couple taking early retirement and fulfilling our long held dream to live simply with some land around us. We have strong feelings for living sustainably and look forward to developing our place into a haven that provides for us physically and emotionally. We have travelled and lived overseas extensively and love meeting people from different parts of the world and cultures.
  We love to share our place and need some help to develop and maintain our little plot of paradise.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance

  Help around the house

  Animal Care

  Language practice
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are both ex teachers and Rob was an English teacher so we are more than happy to help with language skills.
  Ferguson Valley has a strong sense of community and people are very friendly and welcoming so we would like to include our guests in any social gatherings, markets and events as they occur. It is a hub of artists and artisans with quite a few galleries, studios , wineries and boutique breweries within only a small area.

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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

  We need help with pruning, mulching and picking fruit in our small orchards.
  Repairing fencing.
  Chopping and chain sawing wood.
  Gardening
  Cleaning gutters
  Clearing and restoring the river banks
  Caring for our ducks, chickens and Guinea Fowl

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Our house , which is situated 7kms from the cute little town of Dardanup, has many solar passive features including north facing windows to allow in the beautiful winter sun and large eaves to shade the house in summer. It overlooks the orange orchard and the line of the river. We collect our own rainwater and are have a photo voltaic system to provide solar power. Heating and cooling is via a cosy wood burning stove and reverse cycle air conditioning.
  The house is simple with three bedrooms and one bathroom, plus a large living area and a cosy lounge room . The guest room is well equipped with two comfortable new king single beds , fresh new bedding and ample storage.
  Rob and I share the cooking and domestic chores and if our guests like to cook that's great too. We'll provide the ingredients.

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  What else ...

  Local sights include the Collie River, Wellington Dam, Honeymoon Pool, Wellington Discovery Forest Centre, Crooked Brook Forest and not forgetting the quirky Gnomesville. There is the Munda Biddi cycle trail and mountain bike trails. There are also two micro breweries and about a dozen wineries in the area.
  Transport would have to be by car to and from the farm, but there is a good train and bus service to the local city of Bunbury, which is twenty minutes away. Most people find us friendly and easy going. We've employed many workers over the years and we have always developed a good rapport with them. We live a fairly quiet life but also enjoy sharing a beer or glass of wine with friends. We're loving our life on the little farm with lots of interesting projects and challenges.

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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're on five acres and have ample space for a motorhome or caravan.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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