New Zealand
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Hi,
We have a 2 ha avocado orchard on the outskirts of Whangarei.
Sorry about the photo, it's the only one I could find with us all together! We are a family of four but the eldest daughter is away living in Auckland. The younger is studying in Whangarei.
We currently have some carpentry, some tree management, and always some weeding and mowing. A serious clean wouldn't do the house any harm either
We prefer workawayers to cook for themselves in the flat . It also solves any problems with food allergies and preferences :-))
But sometimes it's also nice to share a meal and a game of cards or whatever.
We are happy for people to work 3 hours a day if you are providing your own food and have your own transport. Or I can provide the food and you cook it yourselves for working 4-5 hours a day. There are unlimited avocados in season, and produce from the garden is seasonal.
The accommodation is a self contained two bedroom flat separated from our house.
We are pretty easygoing about when you do the working hours, some times the jobs are enjoyable and you don't notice time flying by, other jobs a few hours is enough and that's fine too. Within reason we leave you to work out when you feel like working to make up the hours.
Some times there are jobs to work together, some times I will let you know what needs doing and leave you to it.
If you have any particular skills I tend to try to find the job most likely to be the most productive .
Perfectly happy for you to work longer hours some days and then have more days off to explore the area. Don't mind whether it's week days or weekends or what time of day you want to start. You are, after all, on holiday!
There are easy walks to do around bush and coast within easy reach of town or the Bay of Islands is just over an hours drive north. Waipu cave system is half to one hour south.
Whatever works is all good.
It's handy to have a car as we are 5km from kamo village.
However I do go back and forth regularly, and can easily give you a ride in my car.
If bus-sing catch the bus to Kamo, not The Hub.
we have wifi available, it isn't great, it's a rural line, not fibre but it does work
we are not smokers and are not happy to have any smoking around the accommodation or the orchard.
Happy to have individuals, couples or families with children.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
we try to be as gentle on the earth as we can be so use organic growing methods wherever possible.
It would be wonderful to be self sustaining but that is unrealistic at this point. We have been on the property for two years now, it was virtually abandoned when we took over so it has been a lot of hard work to get it back to a manageable state and planting many trees besides the existing avocados. It is now almost there and so there is maintenance work and we are now able to develop new areas and ideas.
There is a variety of work including renovations in addition to the orchard work of picking and packing avocados, weeding, mowing, spreading compost, digging and planting out vege gardens etc. There is always cleaning to do if that's your preference. We have a LOT of windows. There is always plenty to do!
Always happy to have qualified arborists, often carpentry work available, and then there is all the ongoing horticultural work of planting, weeding, mulching etc.
English: Fluent
French: Beginner
self contained two bedroom flat with most of the mod cons :-)
we have the tutukaka coast nearby with the wonderful poor knight islands for diving and snorkelling trips.
we have a lot of coast line on the east coast, with absolute stunning beaches and lovely short and long walks.
the bay of islands is accessible for a long day trip or overnight easy trip.
same time to the waipoua forest with the kauri trees and bush walks.
whangarei township has everything you could need altho it is not a big city.
there is a strong international sailing community which sits out the cyclone season from nov to may so there is the chance to get crewing work up to the islands if that is of interest. most international boats leave between april and june.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. 3 hrs a day if harder physical work is involved. k
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