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9 Dec 2024
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This is a lighthouse on a small island in the Arctic part of Norway. The lighthouse premises are the only buildings on the island. Elena and Frode are your hosts at the lighthouse. Frode is a carpenter and Elena takes care of the admin and leads the activities in the kitchen. They welcome strong and experienced volunteers who are ready to spend a 2 - 3 months at this unique place in the Arctic north.
This is a non-profit organization in the process of turning the lighthouse into a special guest place. We are off grid and self sufficient with water, energy & boat transport.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Volunteers staying here will first of all learn how it is to be living off grid; as we are producing our own energy and collecting rainwater. We have some water flush toilets and some dry toilets. We need to go to the mainland to do our shopping and get rid of our garbage, even if we compost & recycle as much as possible. We have our own boat, handled by Elena or Frode, who go out at sea in most weather, but prefer to avoid the real storm.
We are the only persons living on the island, so we have quite a lot of space, but we are sharing a limited house space so you'll learn to be considerate and to keep the spaces clean.
Elena & Frode are the only the only Norwegians and fellow volunteers normally come from all around the world.
Some keywords; the sea, the changing weather, the constant change of light through long summer nights and short winter days, various fish types, always fresh sea weed, wood collection, wood burning all winter through, Northern lights, midnight sun - and all the shades of light in between. Coastal history & culture going hundreds of years back. And even today; weather, season and tides needs to be coordinated with many activities at the lighthouse island.
Life here takes more time to live than in an ordinary society; particularly because many things have to be done the old fashion manual way. The boat transport of goods, wood and food adds to this. Also, be prepared that it demands a certain amount of energy to get used to life and routines here. We recommend that you don't bring important projects with deadlines on the top of the volunteer work.Help
We are looking for responsible persons. Currently we need various help with gardening, landscaping and painting. We need someone to help making food for the big lighthouse family. Chef or cook experience is also warmly welcome if you want to develop your knowledge in seaweed, fresh fish and local produce from the island and the Arctic Ocean. . Life here is physically quite demanding, so we do need persons who are fit and enjoy an active life. Volunteers coming here need to be interested in a self sustainable life at the edge of the ordinary comfort zone. It is also necessary that you respect the physical facilities made available to you and do your daily and weekly share of cleaning - for respect of yourself, the house and the others.
Please write to us and describe any experience you may have relating to one of the tasks mentioned above. Also inform about the period you are available. Please DO NOT APPLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE MENTIONED SKILLS that we are looking for.
Depending on how long you are staying, we do apply a TRIAL PERIOD of 2 weeks, for every volunteer coming to the island. This will allow both parties to end the cooperation if things do not work out as desired.
Please check the availability on our calendar, we keep it up to date.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Norwegian: FluentAccommodation
Our volunteers share a small house by the sea which used to be a boathouse. Now it is pretty much as an old "Rorbu" or fisherman's cottage. It has a nice living room, a small bathroom and a kitchenette on the ground floor; the first floor is sectioned into 4 separate sleeping spaces.
We normally share lunch together in the lighthouse keepers' house; breakfast and dinner is often made in the boathouse. Our food is home-made and sound. We do use local and fresh fish quite often, sometimes also meat. We make our own bread & jam and are experimenting with seaweed.
Due to our off grid location in the Arctic and our daily routines WE CANNOT ACCEPT VOLUNTEERS WITH SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS (i.e. vegans, different allergies & intolerance, etc).What else ...
When applying please consider the travel expenses before contacting us! The cheapest way to come here is normally with plane from Oslo (Gardermoen) to Harstad/Narvik (Evenes). Check out the website for Norwegian or SAS. On an ordinary week day the airport shuttle bus to Sortland town is coordinating with flights if you're not arriving too late. Then bus from Sortland to Steine in Bø where you're picked up by boat. The absolute best is to start early from Oslo, otherwise you'll arrive too late to reach the poor bus connections!
ALSO: REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR A TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN!A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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We stayed in a lovely converted boathouse equipped with everything needed. We had more… read more
it was an amazing experience and I an so glad to have meet Elena and Frode. They really share their life, their projects and their difficulties, I felt part of this crazy adventure.
I was afraid to be… read more
I cannot say a bad word about hosts, they were really clear about the tasks, helpful and hospitable.
The island has stunning view on the ocean and Lofoten archipelago and it's one of the… read more
We early found out that Ulli is a practical person and Frode was amazed to see how she could… read more
where should I start describing my time with them and where should I start saying thank you, for all this beautiful and eventful time.
There are almost no skills are not needed in this project, so if you think about how you could help, then let me tell you that there is always plenty of work to do, in many areas like… read more
You have the opportunity to realize Elena’s dreams… read more
I… read more
It was an amazing experience to live and work on this little island.
We worked outside with a stunning view. Eagles were flying almost every day to see how our work was going :)
You will work more than on other workaways, but it was fine for us.
We shared Launch and Dinner together and Elena… read more
I was there for about 6 weeks during a busy period from the middle of June till the beginning of August (2019).
At that time 2 other volunteers and I were working on the "woodshed extention" and many side projects (e.g. cutting weeds,… read more
She was an excellent host, always making sure the other volunteer and I had enough food, lending us her boots/rain gear if we wanted to go exploring, and interested in sharing… read more
Elena is very aware of the needs that the Island demand and makes sure that things run as comfortable as possible. If you enjoy working alongside nature this will be a beautfiul place to spend your days. My duties involved working on various smaller… read more
This was my first destination.
I planned to stay there for 6 weeks and eventually I extended my stay to 9. This experience was just beyond all my expectations.
The work is physically hard sometimes, but always satisfying.
The maintenance of the lighthouse and the… read more
Come to this island ready to work and learn about a self-sustained way of living. The views here… read more
Always learning something new about food, the island, living, and myself.
It was a new challenge for me that I gained interesting knowledge, great friends, and a direction towards my future.
If you decide to come here, be prepared to have your life changed as you’ll find yourself doing things you… read more
The island is a unique place that has constantly nurtured and inspired me to keep on cooking, experimenting, learning and discovering the… read more
What to say about the people (especially Elena) who were my family for a year...
What to say if everything has already been put in words so beautifully by my fellow volunteers?
I'm simply out of words, not to say that there is no such a word that could encompass it all :… read more
I shan't repeat what 50 people already wrote, just put your head together, type a concise application and apply! It is going to be worth it.
Elena is a lovely and very intelligent lady, and I always looked forward to listening to her interesting stories at mealtimes :)
I recommend a stay if you… read more
I stayed on the Island for 2 wonderful months, assisting with web editing and managing our crowdfunding campaign. I feel so happy to have been involved in such a wonderful project.
Eleana is an exceptional woman. Knowledgeable wise, clever, fine cook and clean! I… read more
It was truly interesting to meet Heidi… read more
They helped out with a range of things; made wonderful food for us, spring cleaning in the kitchen, oiling and painting walls and ceiling beautifully as part of the renovation of the boathouse and digging in the garden when… read more
Its been the most amazing time - the island and its beauty have touched us on a very deep level. When we applied to work at Litløy, we knew we would be applying for a ‘life experience’ and we were not disappointed. This is a very special place.… read more
If you are looking for an original experience with very nice people and a… read more
Emmet, a man I will never forget; full of good mood, hard work and interesting thoughts. A true inspiration to have met. His creative breakfasts where something we were looking to wake up for. And the… read more
Staying with Elena and the lighthouse family is one of those experiences that stays with you indefinitely. My weeks at the lighthouse were not only rejuvenating and serene, but gave new meaning to my travels and life. The work was demanding and rewarding. The community of individuals,… read more
Last, but not least,… read more
First of all, the nature:
Mountains with snow on top, with green/blue/pink/grey coloration and mist... deep blue sea, sky, clouds, northern lights, midnight sun, orchas, minks, blueberries, currants, beautiful hills to explore and climb.... everything is super perfect! absolutely INSANE! :D
People:
Nicest people… read more
Dear Louise I really wish you but the best. Good luck with your… read more
I volunteered for a month in July this year. It was such a wonderful experience!!! Elena, the host, is an incredibly intelligent, funny, kind person and the island itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The work is varied, fair, and one can learn lots of new things! The accomodation was… read more
The work was incredibly varied and Elena and Gijsbert are conscious of people's talents and preferences when… read more
The scenery is stunning. Orcas and… read more
The place is awesome, Ellen Maria is a great person, and she make you feel part of the project for the lighthouse.
The accomodation was fantastic /with an awesome wiew on Lofoten mountains/ and the food abundant and very good.
She is full of energy, very polite, kind… read more