Profile information
Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
13 Jul 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
20
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
*Looking for volunteers from mid July. :)*
Hello, we are family, Helen, my husband Shun, Wren (10) and Taiga (7),
We live in a house with a reasonable garden and caravan (where you will be staying) We are a jolly bunch (most often). I am an Artist and Teacher, and Shun is a Shearer. We are a Japanese/English family and used to Wwoof so know how it is to be in your situation. We love food and eat everything. but can cater for you given prior notice... (to avoid confusion please make a feature of your dietary requirements when initially contacting us inc specific likes/dislikes - we live frugally and need to shop carefully and would like you to have a pleasant time, food for us is so important!)
On a side note: if you have Japanese language I would love it if you could talk to the children to help them by surrounding them with Japanese. However, being a Japanese speaker isn't a condition of you coming to stay with us.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Politics / Social justice
Sustainability
Van life
Farming
Culture
Charity work
Music
Performing arts
History
Photography
Carpentry
Books
Astronomy
Gardening
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Architecture
Art & design
Outdoor activities
Nature
Winter sports
Mountain
Dancing
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are a multicultural family and if you would like to improve your language in English or Japanese, looking to learn about Art or food, improve your skills artistically or learn more about cooking, gardening then this is the place for you. :) x
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We are looking for helpers with day to day householding, gardening, a little child care too please. We are pretty flexible as to hours vs time off and would be expecting 25 hours of work a week in exchange for full board.
The vital times for us are on the week days. I would like help to get the children and myself out of the house on the school run and in the evening your help will be appreciated preparing 5 evening meals for the family and to wash up / clean the kitchen after dinner every night you are in! (We do have a dishwasher so it’s not that onerous.)
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: 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
We have a little house and a roomy caravan. 'Minty' our 4 berth caravan is where you will be staying. We expect about 25 hours of work over the course of a week for full board and lodging including all food.
You will be expected to eat with us for dinner, but breakfast during the week and lunch is more low key, help yourself...! Dietary requirements can be catered for with prior notice but I find catering for vegans tricky but not impossible (are you are willing to cook the bulk of the main meals??) cause I’m reluctant to use highly processed foods too often.
All you need to bring are your clothes and shampoo. (showers are brief as there is a small water tank).
In the caravan you have use of a little heater that can be switched on in the night/ morning (not overnight, sorry, for fire safety reasons and it trips out the washing machine and freezers). There is a choice between a single bed which will give you the use of a sofa or you can turn the sofa into a double.
We have lots of duvets and blankets and hot water bottles so you will be cosy in bed overnight.
What else ...
We live in Geraldine, it is a village with a great vibe, street art and lots of events. There are wild penguins that you will be able to watch during the season(for free) 40 min drive in nearby Timaru from Caroline Bay and the have the occasional seal. It is a great place, come and visit.
As mentioned before we both used to be in work exchange programs as wwoofers so we are pretty relaxed folks. We appreciate openness and honesty and a good work ethic. If in doubt, just ask, we will all get along I'm sure.
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!! :)
Space for parking camper vans
There is lots of room to park here. :)
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
My animals / pets
Feedback (14)
Our English was not smooth and we apologize for the inconvenience.
But we were really happy that you tried to communicate with us!
Your stories were informative and fun!
And thank you for teaching us English!
The after dinner time spent with Wren and Taiga was most enjoyable!
We hope to see… read more
This was the first time I spent time with a family with young children, and I could experience how to raise children and what a family is like.
My main work was preparing lunches and dinner on weekdays. If I can cook delicious food, that will be a plus.
The… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.9)
Our English was not smooth and we apologize for the inconvenience.
But we were really happy that you tried to communicate with us!
Your stories were informative and fun!
And thank you for teaching us English!
The after dinner time spent with Wren and Taiga was most enjoyable!
We hope to see… read more
This was the first time I spent time with a family with young children, and I could experience how to raise children and what a family is like.
My main work was preparing lunches and dinner on weekdays. If I can cook delicious food, that will be a plus.
The… read more
Thanks for this last minute welcome ! Helen is very reactive. Thanks 😊😊
We cooked many dishes during the three… read more
Helen and children are very kind.
Helen took the time to communicate with me even though I wasn't good at English.
Timaru was a very beautiful place.
I also saw penguins in the brightly color sea.
Thank you for a fun time.
What a special person is Janosch. He is helpful, kind, patient, intelligent, he has an old soul and a sharp young mind. What a privilege it was to host such a man as this.
He would play with the children, get them up and help them go to bed and sometimes get them to sleep too because I had a massive deadline looming.
He was… read more
They often offered to prepare lunch for us and it was made a social occasion. 👍
George put a lot of effort into lining our wash house and and Courtney was constantly… read more
My English was not good. When I couldn't understand Helen wrote and made gestures and explained in simple English.I… read more
We had lots of great time together: celebrating Helen’s birthday, making fresh pasta, enjoying homemade sourdough bread,… read more
oh i had some of my loveliest memories with this family, whether it was singing about the ducks with Wren and Taiga, watering the plants, sitting in the pots and pans or chilling (not in pots and pans) with Helen in the kitchen in the evening over a strong cuppa tea and some biscuits. I had the most lovely time, i met their… read more
We had good conversations while… read more
They have left us with plenty of jobs under our belt. Together, they dug new flower beds and laid a stone path. Turned the compost and weeded the veg patch. But by far the best thing about having them come to stay was Ambers… read more
Helen and Shun are very friendly and always positive and fun! Lots of fun! Hilarious! ;)
The children are both so sweet, we miss them.
We learned a lot about cooking (Helens cooking is amazing!) and we helped them with the kids and the garden.
Time was rushing by when we… read more
