Profile information
Host rating
65 %
Last replied
11 Dec 2023
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Details
Description
I am a retired English professor with an old house and garden in a small town in the Adelaide Hills, 31 km from Adelaide.
My property is in a residential area, in fact, on the main road through town (so expect to hear traffic noise). A supermarket, fresh food market, medical centre, pharmacy, post office, pub, and 24-hour petrol station are a few minutes walk away. Open countryside is an easy walk away.
I acquired my property 4 years ago. There are lots of roses and fruit trees.
Right now, I am working on:
1. Soil regeneration (see below);
2. Replacing mortar in old stone crazy paving;
3. General garden maintenance (weeding, pruning roses, etc);
4. Building maintenance and renovation.
Since I have an old property, feel free to ask me if you think your building skills would be welcome here. A stonemason would not go astray!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I am a reader, so you will find plenty of books in my home, which you are more than welcome to read during your stay. Please ask me if you want to take a novel with you when you leave. I might be fine with that!
I write nearly every day, mostly in the morning on the verandah, so if you are a writer or have online work to do, you will have time. You will also have almost exclusive access to my study/library, which is a nice room that gets afternoon sun.
If you are an artist, you can draw or paint with your water-colours in the sun-room. There is also a large easel in the old laundry in the bungalow outside.
If you are a musician, there is a piano. Bring a guitar if you have one, but you might find one around the place. No guarantee anything is in tune!
I am happy to introduce you to my (older) community and the wonderful beauty of the Adelaide Hills once any required quarantine is completed. If you have find or already have friends or a community in the Hills or in Adelaide, I am happy to support you to spend time with them!
Please note, I smoke, but not inside my house.
Help
I signed up as a host because I want to offer a safe space for people stranded in South Australia due to Covid. I have two adult children who are great travelers, and I hosted several couch-surfers when they still lived with me.
Naturally, I will be very grateful for your help on my property, even more so now that I have injured my arm.
I recently completed a 25 metre natural stone path running across my back yard. The land either side of the path was formerly covered by stone and concrete. The exposed earth needs a lot of tender loving care, so your help with the regeneration of the soil will be most welcome. My approach is informed by some perma-culture principles. If you have skills in this department, all the better!
Some of this can be quite heavy work and hopefully you have clothes and shoes you won't mind getting a bit dirty. I am happy to provide gloves!
In addition to agreed Work-Away work, I'd appreciate your willing contribution to keeping our shared spaces clean, tidy, and pleasant to occupy. This might even involve cleaning out the fireplace in the dining room and starting a fire to enjoy during our evening meal!
I can be quite flexible in regard to work hours. If you like to sleep in and start the day in a relaxed way, with time for phone calls, emails, yoga, meditation, morning pages, a run or a slow breakfast, that will likely suit me.
Let's talk when we meet, but I'd envisage a start to the workday between 9.00 and 10.00am. If you are visiting the city or other places around SA during your stay, we can certainly talk about how to me this work for you and me.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: BeginnerThis 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.
Accommodation
I have two very comfortable bedrooms available in my house, one with a queen bed, the other a double bed. There is also a bedroom in a separate building with a queen bed. It includes a sofa, and is large enough to provide space for private relaxation. WIFI works in both buildings.
There is limited storage for your belongings available in the bedrooms in the house, but an empty wardrobe in the separate bungalow. The bungalow has a toilet and cold water handbasin, but you need to go outside to access it. Everyone shares the main bathroom in the house, BYO toiletries and .
None of the bedrooms are heated, but there are electric blankets on all beds. Bed linen and towels are supplied. You will naturally have access to the washing machine, but be aware that I do not keep a clothes dryer anymore.
I love to cook and I'm very happy to cook for you. I am equally happy to share meals you would like to prepare and would love your to teach me your favorite recipes.
I have no dietary requirements, but I am very happy to minimise, but not completely exclude, dairy, eggs or meat during your stay if that is your preference. Naturally, you are free to prepare your own food, but if so, let's have a conversation about the ingredients I can provide. Likewise if you are gluten free.
What else ...
The Adelaide Hills are filled with little towns and villages, farms, pastures, orchards, market gardens and, of course, vineyards and wineries. The winding, gum tree-lined roads through the Hills are really very lovely! There are also good hiking trails.
If you have a car, then the CBD is just 30 minutes away on the freeway. Suburban and coastal beaches are less than an hour's drive. Unfortunately, I cannot offer the use of my car.
As previously mentioned, the bus service to the city is somewhat limited, but is more frequent from Mt Barker. Unless you are on an express service, the bus takes about an hour to wind through various towns and villages to the CBD. Once in the city, however, you can enjoy galleries, museums, the botanical gardens and the parklands; restaurants, bars, live music, and shopping; and hopefully Adelaide's world famous festivals and events when Covid-19 permits.
At the moment, I do not have off-street parking for your vehicle, although one of my neighbours may be able to offer a parking space, likely in exchange for a friendly chat now and then, and perhaps a small donation to his preferred charity, depending on the length of your stay. Otherwise there is unlimited parking in my street. It is a safe neighbourhood.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have unlimited broadband. I can't guarantee NBN speed, however. I have a study you might like to use for work from time to time.
Space for parking camper vans
Possibly soon.
Can possibly accept pets
Not if you think your pet will disagree with Pan! He's a long de-sexed Tom with little hunting instinct. He is not keen on animal visitors of the canine variety. Please be thoughtful about bringing your pet here.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
