A well traveled couple looking for help with our woodland oasis and dog Cody on Bowen Island, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Hello! If you are interested in exploring ever popular Vancouver and British Columbia and starting or ending with an idyllic stay on accessible Bowen Island (30-minutes ferry ride from Vancouver), we would love to offer a stay in our home in exchange for help in our garden.
  
  With two grown children who are rarely at home, we are a professional couple working as a psychotherapist (Sally) and physician (Lloyd). We split our time working from home and off the island on the Mainland and are making Workawayers part of our lives this year. We've both traveled extensively, are people oriented, love where we live and would very much enjoy sharing our resources and caring for our land with other like minded people.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  As individuals and as a family we have travelled extensively, and lived for various portions of our life in South Africa, England and Canada. We are accustomed to and interested in different cultures, languages and perspectives. We love how travel broadens one's inner as well as outer horizons and would be open to participate in how this is happening for you when you come to stay with us. Lloyd is learning Spanish and our adult son, Josh, is learning Japanese, our adult daughter, Bronwyn, is learning French and would love to engage in shared language exchange (if that works out) with travellers who speak these languages and want to enhance their English skills. After 5 years on this property we have developed our own gardening knowledge and skills. We use organic growing principles and will be happy to share what we know with those helping us and open to learning from those for whom growing and living a sustainable lifestyle is a passion. We are passionate about the outdoors, enjoy hiking and kayaking and would be happy to direct you to some local secret outdoor gems or share them with you during down time.

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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 have a 1-2 acre garden that we need help maintaining, especially in the growing season of Spring. The gardening tasks generally do not require special skills or past experience with gardening although this would be beneficial if it is an interest of yours. We have a combination of lawns, flowers and shrubbery, vegetable beds, and a small greenhouse. Predominantly our need is for help with weeding and upkeep but would welcome creative input from anyone with skills to enhance our growing and beautifying the property.
  
  Aside from the needs of the garden, we have a sweet medium size dog called Cody. He is a Nova Scotia Duck Toller who enjoys two walks a day in the beautiful local trails on island. We love these walks too, but imagine this can be a pleasant part of the Workaway experience, for those who also like dogs and walking/hiking. He is friendly, calm and good off leash.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner
  Japanese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This is an English speaking household. Lloyd is learning Spanish and happy to engage in conversational practice at any time; If Josh or Bronwyn are home then Japanese and French language exchanges would be welcome
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  Accommodation

  You will be staying in a spacious room with a double bed on the bottom floor of our large 3-storey home and using a shared washroom / shower. Your room has its own private entrance. We are vegetarian (we do eat eggs and diary and occasionally fish if desired). You will have access to our kitchen to prepare your own breakfast and lunches , we mostly take our evening meals together but would respect anyone's need for individual space.
  We have a large raised deck where you can enjoy the surrounding woodland from a deck chair or the hot tub to soak your muscles after time spent in the garden.

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  What else ...

  Bowen Island is a popular destination for visitors to Vancouver and British Columbia. Notoriously friendly, it has a quaint artisan village with all the necessary amenities such as: grocery stores, pharmacy, pub, library, cafes, yoga studio, local distillery and cidery etc. There are many opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty the island offers including hiking and biking trails, electric bike rental, kayaking, sea swimming and local lakes or even a possible whale siting.
  
  Our home is a gentle 15-20min walk from the Bowen Island ferry terminal in the main island town area, Snug Cove. The ferry to Horseshoe Bay has good bus links to downtown Vancouver, with an express bus (257) that will transport you with quickly with minimal stops. Horseshoe Bay also has ferry links to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast for those looking to explore further afield.
  
  Aside from Vancouver itself, Horseshoe Bay provides good access to Vancouver's North Shore or up the coast toward Squamish and Whistler which are all gateways to the surrounding mountains and activities like hiking , biking, skiing or lazing on a multitude of beaches.
  
  Based on the comments of friends who have visited us, our home life is peaceful, warm, welcoming and engaging. Also, like many, we also moved to this island because we like having space to be, reflect and find seclusion. It would be wonderful to find similarly inclined individuals that enjoy this combination of togetherness and independence.
  
  For those looking to supplement their time with paid work there is much demand for casual workers on island. We can connect you with prospective employers.

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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

  We have high speed internet access and there is enough space in your room to set up a desk for a work space

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a large property and can accommodate camper vans or a larger Winnebago at a distance from the main house if you prefer more privacy or a separate living space

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

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

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