Off grid magic in an animal haven in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Details

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  Description

  Kia ora ✨️💚🐔🐃🐄🐂🐑🐷🐗🦤🦆🪽🦋🌿🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
  
  Welcome to our page. Myself (Andy) and my partner Dalina (we're a queer couple), are kaitiaki (guardians) of this animal sanctuary
  
  We are a vegan animal haven, rescue and permanent home to 21 moo kids - one is technically a sheep but he is very much part of the moo kid family. 4 sheep, 3pigs, 9 chickens, 4 ducks and some occasional wildlife friends.
  
  We are also a place of refuge for humans needing a healing space. This means that we may be aiding individuals in a vulnerable state or position. For this reason, we are seeking people who possess strong emotional intelligence and effective communication skills. This sanctuary is also a safe place for queer humans and those recovering from male- specific trauma. If you are a male, you are still very welcome to apply!! We only ask mindfulness of this.
  
  We are committed to sustainable practices including minimizing consumerism, reforesting areas with native trees and not consuming animal products.
  
  Our daily lives include juggling my full time online work, Dalina's full time study (primary teaching), looking after all the kiddos plus the mammoth mammoth task of setting up an entirely new sanctuary site so we can keep these precious rescue kiddos safe.
  
  Most of the work is very physical so we are looking for helpers who love to get things done. We are often out working in the rain so gumboots and rain gear are highly reccomended. We have some spare gear you would be most welcome to but not in all sizes!
  
  We live off grid and are slowly setting things up. This means that facilities are still minimal including compost toilet setup but if you are keen to experience off grid animal loving living surrounded by nature, we would so so so love to hear from you!!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We can teach many things like:
  
  - living sustainably,
  - low-carbon lifestyles,
  - vegan cooking and food,
  - English,
  -fluent german
  - basic Maori,
  - intermediate NZSL (sign language)
  - building skills,
  - fencing
  - gardening,
  - propagation of plants,
  - how to look after and work with animals
  -refuge
  - advanced animal care skills
  
  We love playing card and board games and always learn lots from the people who come stay.

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  Help

  Most of the work is very physical so we are looking for helpers who love to get things done in the name of helping animals and setting up sanctuary. We are often out working in the rain so gumboots and rain gear are highly reccomended. We have some spare gear you would be most welcome to but not in all sizes! Other tasks range from propogating and planting trees, to piggy cuddle time, bringing hay and meds to the big moo kids, daily feeding and cleaning/special needs care routines, lots of fencing, lots of building, digging drains and lots more!

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Sign Language (BSL): Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner
  Italian: Beginner
  Maori: 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

  We have two cabins and a caravan. They very basic and minimal but also toasty warm and cosy. The first cabin has a kitchen our bedroom. The second cabin is for storage and a spare bedroom and the caravan is the final bedroom. In summer, it is actually much nicer in the caravan than the cabin as it has big windows that can open!
  
  We have power in the cabin and wifi whenever the power is on! However, we are on solar, so in winter or on grey days power/ wifi might not always be available. (We do have a back up generator though which we can run whenever needed). There is no signal by the cabins, but we have unlimited Wifi that works well.
  
  We have running water to the kitchen. The shower is outdoors, but thanks to our califont cold showers are in the past 😅. The toilet has its own little room and is a basic compost toilet set up.
  
  We are still setting up the property and our living area. So, if you are keen to come and are happy to live a bit minimally, we would LOVE your help and could totally have an awesome time together getting stuff done.
  
  Our sanctuary is vegan with our kids being almost exclusively rescued from the animal agriculture industries. We are also on a super tight budget. You absolutely do not have to be vegan to come here but you would need to be okay with eating vegan while you are here and keeping animal products off property.

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  What else ...

  We are super flexible and can pick you up from the bus stop in Whangārei if you dont have your own transport :)
  
  We live about an hours drive from Whangārei and there is no public transport. You are totally welcome to join us when we go into town but it would definitely help to have your own vehicle if you are wanting to leave the sanctuary for your own adventures/day trips during your stay.

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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

  absolutely :)

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Case by case

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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