Join our family in Puna, on the Big Island of Hawaii

Details

• 

  Description

  Aloha, we are a family of three living on a lovely homestead in the Puna district of Hawai'i island.
  
  After living for 10 years closer to the ocean we chose quiet, space, the sound of birds and the wind through the Ohia trees as the place to call home. We both work mostly from home (often at our computers doing admissions and media work or on the land) and share the responsibility of caring for and nurturing our child and property. Our property has a variety of fruit trees and small garden spaces that we maintain and wish to increase to provide more food for ourselves over time.
  
  When messaging us, please include:
  
  1. The dates you want to be hosted at our homestead
  2. Acknowledge that you have read our complete profile and are comfortable with what we are offering.
  3. Detail your abilities and what you are most interested in offering. We have a variety of projects and can often accommodate what you like to do.... though there is always a heavy focus on land maintenance.
  4. Do you have a drivers license? and a phone so we can contact you during your stay?
  5. Are you 21+ years old? We know there are amazing people doing great work who are under 21 but we feel more comfortable hosting those over 21 years of age.
  
  We are looking for two friends or a couple (we are a bit remote and its nice to have someone to travel with on your off time, also we are currently asking that guests keep social circles small to prevent illnesses). You will need to feel comfortable in a rural environment and will need to rent a car (we can discuss the possibility of a loaner based on availability).
  
  We love our animal friends, two dogs, two cats and 15+ chickens.
  
  Our current project and ongoing tasks we would like help with are;
  - Construction projects / painting / house maintenance
  - Housekeeping
  - Weed whacking, weeding, mowing, general yard maintenance, harvesting
  - Daily animal care
  - House sitting (occasional weekends when we go camping)
  
  We have a 2 week minimum and a two-month maximum. We will pick up and drop you off at the HILO airport as long as we can coordinate it with our schedules.
  
  We are conscious omnivores, and are able to accommodate most dietary needs. We eat mostly locally sourced whole foods, plus some bulk grains from off-island. You are invited to join us for dinners when we are eating at home (mostly always these days :) and there will be some dry goods available to you.
  
  IMPORTANT NOTE - Hawai'i still has COVID-19 related restrictions in place. Please do your research and be willing to be COVID safe while with us. At this time we are asking all guests to be vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to arrival. This is to protect the kupuna we care for, our daughters school community, and the greater ohana o ka moku 'o keawe. Mahalo

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  When we asked our daughter the one thing she wanted from the workaway experience, she said “ they should speak Hawaiian” :-) While we know that you probably donʻt we invite you to learn with us as we focus on learning the Hawaiian language and engaging with the island in a meaningful way. We invite you to learn with us and participate in giving back to the island through caring for the land.

• 

  Projects involving children

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

• 

  Help

  If you volunteer at our home, we ask for 20 hours over 4-5 days helping with general household support and tasks best suited to your skills. This could include weeding, home maintenance, housekeeping, cooking, gardening, yard maintenance, fruit picking or helping with a larger project if we have one under way. Workdays would typically be Monday to Friday, but we are flexible with those who prefer to help 4 longer days and have three full days off each week.
  
  We have found a good flow to be starting in the mornings and having afternoons and weekends to yourselves to explore island. We invite you join us for dinner (please do the dishes if you join us :)

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are studying Hawaiian as a family with our 5 year old daughter who attends a Hawaiian medium school. We look forward to sharing with you as we learn and we encourage you to teach us all your native language as we believe this will increase our families capacity for learning.
• 

  Accommodation

  Accommodation is in our home. You will have the guest room on the ground floor to yourself (full bed, linens, towels and separate garden entrance if desired). You will have access to a full bath (we will use it rarely but do have some storage in the closet), plus there is a fantastic outdoor shower (all we ever use) which you are welcome to use. The ground floor also has an office we work from. Upstairs are our bedrooms, a large lanai (porch), and open floor plan kitchen and living area. You would have full access to the upstairs kitchen and living areas.
  
  If you are two friends traveling together you will share the room but we do have an extra fold-out mattress if desired.
  
  You are welcome to join us for dinner whenever we are eating at home (please plan to do the dishes if you join us :), and you will provide your own breakfast and lunch foods, minus what you are gather from the land and some dry goods you can access. Our night time routine starts right after dinner and our daughter is in bed at 7pm, please plan on quiet evenings unless we all make plans together (for a game or such) which we do enjoy from time to time, or a semi-regular weekly dart night.

• 

  What else ...

  We live rurally: about 10 minutes from the ocean (cliffs and tide pools), 30 minutes to swimmable beaches, 30 minutes from Volcano National Park, 30 minutes from Hilo and 15 minutes from Pahoa and Keaʻau towns.
  
  We are very friendly and enjoy company and visitors. We love to have friends visit to play cards, games, make music and share stories, though since we both work from home and have a young child we would ask that you do not have many visitors during the week. (COVID means that we keep our bubble tight currently and will discuss this more in detail during interview - you will need to be comfortable with a small circle). We love to share dinner together and with others; you would be welcome to join us whenever you are here.
  
  The Puna district is stunningly beautiful and often frequented by artists, musicians, yogis, adventurers, and those looking to get off the beaten path. The volcano offers breathtaking hikes, while the ocean is fiercely beautiful and full of raw energy (but don't come to Puna expecting white sand beaches and Mai Tais); please do your research to ensure this is the Hawai'i you want to experience.
  
  We love where we live and hope you will enjoy it as well.
  
  We may be able to show you around from time to time, but are quite busy and need guests who are highly independent. Renting a car is necessary as public transportation is not a practical option and you will want to explore the island. We can talk about affordable option when we speak before confirming your trip.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  We have fiber optic internet and experience few downtimes or issues with upload or download speeds. Gig works from home most days on his computer. There are multiple spaces available besides your room where you can use the internet. Please let us know if you will be balancing work with trade, as we will want to make sure everyone's expectations align.

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  A passenger size van would be the largest we could accomidate as the turn around space can get muddy.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

• 

  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 4 - 5 days a week

Feedback (10)