Life by the water in a peaceful coastal village in Whangateau, New Zealand

Details

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  Description

  We’re Alicia and Chris, and we live in a peaceful coastal village surrounded by native bush, farmland and the beautiful Whangateau Harbour, an hour from Auckland. We share our lives with our cat Tui and kitten, Kita. We love nature and we plant trees every winter, and remove weeds all year round! The stunning harbour is our happy place, we paddle board & swim whenever we can. We absolutely love our local area & community, there’s so much to do, from beaches to bush walks to markets to delicious restaurants & vineyards. We also spend time in the city and at Alicia’s childhood home near the West Coast, where we are busy restoring the gardens and the native forest.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Performing arts

  

  Music

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Animals

  

  Water sports

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Camping

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We love to share good conversation, we can show you our favourite bush walks, explore the natural harbour with you, and you can join in community events such as the local tennis club, planting days & workshops. We’re happy to share our knowledge about Aotearoa’s natural environment & wildlife, ecological restoration, and environmental advocacy. In return we look forward to learning from your stories, experiences, culture, skills and how you see the world.

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  Help

  We offer a chance to connect with nature and be part of a genuine grassroots community. Our life is varied, so the kind of help we’d like will be too - depending on the time of year, you might help us with weeding and planting of trees, care for the land & wildlife, do some kitten-sitting while we’re away in the city, help around the house & garden, or assist with our non-profit community project to protect & restore the harbour. We have plenty to do and are mindful of aligning to your skills & interests. It will be a mix of doing things together, and independently.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Beginner

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  Our house is perched above the harbour, a very short walk down through native bush will take you to the water, where we keep our paddle boards & kayaks on a teeny jetty! Our house is two stories - the ground floor will be yours - it is contained with a large bedroom, lounge, dining table, kitchen, toilet, shower & laundry. We will use the washing machine & dryer occasionally. We live upstairs, you’ll be welcome to join us up there for those times we share a meal or have a catch up. There’s a hot tub and a fire pit area with awesome star gazing!
  
  Food arrangements can be discussed depending on preference. In Whangateau your space is self contained with own kitchen, so buying & making your own meals is a good option (with adjustment of hours to reflect that). If we’re providing food, sometimes this will be self-prepared ie we will provide the ingredients for the meals.

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  What else ...

  Having a drivers licence would be beneficial for exploring the beautiful local area (and beyond). There are bus services but we are in a rural area so they’re limited. We have a car you can borrow, subject to insurance considerations.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  Unlimited WiFi available

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Tuī

  Tuī is a gentle girl who loves going on walks & doing tricks for treats. ❤️🐈‍⬛

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