Spend time with horses in a beautiful country environment near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Details

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  Description

  We need help with mowing (zero turn, whipper snipper, outdoor work, fencing, tractor operation, spraying and some house duties) plus sorting out our farm sheds. Obviously not all at once :). Fluent conversational English essential for safety purposes. We are a family of 5, however only two our daughters still live at home. All are young adults working and studying at university. We have 8 horses, three dogs and a cat. We a large house and farm to take care of which keeps us mostly outdoors and very busy. Both of us work full time at home and away so there is often free time during the day. Our local area is beautiful and our previous travelers have loved the area. The pool is heated. It is suited to people who enjoy a quiet country lifestyle (with a noisy, busy family :) We are experienced hosts and can host one female or couple/two friends travelling together and we have some flexibility for longer term stays to stay two weeks on/travel for two weeks/return. Helpers must be independent thinkers as I work from home and off site. There is possibility of a vehicle to use for local outings and this can be discussed with us.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are experienced hosts and travelers can learn to grow veggies, care for horses and some riding may be possible only under supervision when an adult is home to supervise). We live in a beautiful, friendly country area for Travellers to experience the real life in Australia, as opposed to a resort or holiday home. Our property suits people that want to be out of the city in nature. We do lots of groundwork and training with horses, including barefoot hoof trimming and can teach these skills. It is great if people have basic horse handling skills, like leading, cleaning feet or a sensible approach and common-sense attitude. We also sometimes make home brew beer and enjoy having a social drink with our helpers.

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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

  Important: As anyone who has been around horses will know that they are lots of work and the ratio of work to fun is about 3:1. We work with our horses on the ground and under saddle which you are able to learn and help us with. Assistance is needed to feed and care for horses and other pets. We have veggie gardens. General household duties, assist with preparing meals, washing, ironing and cleaning. Our travelers need to know how to do basic household tasks and have normal skills adults possess. We have limited time to instruct and watch over every task, However, we will happily show you tasks that are new to you.
  
  Travellers need to be independent and able to be on their own during the day at times. Independent life skills are important - helpers must have lived out of home before. Must hold a driver's license to drive in Australia. English language skills must be sufficient to stay safe and follow instructions on a farm with animals and other safety hazards. It is important to us that our Helpers respect the goodwill of Workaway as a host program to learn other cultures. As experienced hosts we think it is important to set out clear expectations - helpers who are solely using Workaway to save money, or a room-dwellers and anti-social would be better contacting paid accommodation providers. You will be living in a home with young people and must behave respectfully.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent

  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

  Beautiful, modern home with views and large swimming pool. Guest room has queen size bed. We eat healthy, home cooked meals, multicultural meals, mostly vegetarian with some chicken and meat. Guests would be expected to make their own meals for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner. Vegetarian and Gluten free can be accommodated. However, you'd be missing out on home-made sourdough and pizza.

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  What else ...

  There is no transport nearby so travelers must have a driver's license. A vehicle can possibly be supplied for stays of 2 weeks plus - but some conditions apply from our insurance company and other than short drives in the local area we do not supply fuel. There are beautiful lakes and bushwalks nearby and there are often kangaroos and other wildlife on our property. The local town, Boonah, is a lovely country town only five minutes away. It has a large supermarket and most other services people need. On days off it is possible to come with me to work in the city, to catch a train elsewhere for short trips or day trips. We also have stand up paddleboards to use on the nearby lake. Past travelers have done 3 day trips to Fraser Island etc. using our home as a base. We expect respectful guests to be included as part of the family and cannot host smokers. We have travelled widely as a family, most recently in 2024 to Switzerland, Austria and Northern Italy reconnecting with our beautiful past helpers. We have Italian, Irish and German heritage.

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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

  Plenty of space - running water and electricity available if helpers have independent camping set up.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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