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Description
Our picturesque family farm is in the Derwent Valley only 35 minutes from Hobart. Here is where we produce an exciting range of hand crafted, small batch drinks and concentrates plus our award winning gourmet condiments.
Myself (Anne) and my husband (Robert) live on the farm and manage things together. We would love help with:
a) our large garden - picking, planting, weeding, pruning, mowing, bottling fruit and preserving in a variety of ways and
b) small 'building' jobs. And
c) online tasks for those with the pre-requisite experience.
We are keen to meet new people and share our knowledge, accumulated over 40 yrs of mixed farming, gardening and running a family business; as well as ideas and tips on travel within Tasmania.
We are on the beautiful Derwent River, so in spring and summer you can enjoy swimming, canoeing or lying on the banks of the river, or wandering through our 380ha of bush, along creek beds and ridges across a wide range of landscapes. On these walks you can see kangaroos, possums, perhaps echidnas, quolls and the beautifully coloured rosella parrots, souring eagles, kookaburras, fairy wrens and robins (to name a few).
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals, groups or couples who are open to new challenges. Those who have experience building, landscaping and gardening would be a huge bonus - but it is not a necessity. We plan to build a fire-pit or two for sharing food around, build a little verandah onto our beautiful 'chicken coop' accommodation unit, build a frame to support more wisteria as an arched walk and other electrical, carpentry and stonemasonry tasks, including re-building our courtyard into a 'zen' feel. And if you are up for it, turning our barn loft into another accommodation facility with its expansive views across our beautiful valley - would be amazing. It would be a wonderful if you had the skills to help accelerate our projects. If not, there is always plenty to do and there is so much variety here, I am sure we can find something that will interest you.
Having your own transport will give you more freedom, but we are always happy to run you into the local town 5 minutes away and a bicycle is provided as well. New Norfolk is a cute little town with lots to see, fabulously interesting coffee shops, all with a different 'flavour' in their presentation, other gourmet food outlets, a market and lots and lots of unique antique options where you can get lost for hours (NN is the 'antique capital of Tasmania').
Minimum stays of one to two weeks are ideal (in order to get to know you and also so you have a full and real experience). There are a number of choices of accommodation - with separate new shower and toilet. Our latest creation is "the Coop" - our cute little converted chook shed, cosy and warm (double glazed and insulated) and set within the garden. There is a caravan next to the house, or down by the river. Or, if you prefer, you might enjoy privacy further away from the house in a converted insulated high cube shipping container, complete with own kitchenette and separate new shower and toilet facilities. You can still choose to join us to share an evening meal after the day to day activities around the home.
Most of all, we are flexible. If you would like to use us as a base to explore southern Tasmania from, I am sure we can arrange something that works for all. Many stayers have come back for a second visit and some even a third visit!
If you like to learn, if you help with enthusiasm to the best of your ability, we will always welcome you here. Hopefully, you will leave us with memories of great homegrown food and interesting experiences. And an insight into what it is to run a diverse farm and value added food production; having set your mark on some little project that will remain an ongoing memory of you for us, and for you of our little piece of paradise.
ADVICE - Tasmania's climate especially outside of summer is variable, so come prepared. Bring sunblock, long sleeved shirts and sunglasses to keep out our intense sun; bring layers of clothing (lots of op shops in New Norfolk if need be), good (waterproof) boots and a jacket for the off seasons.
Arriving mornings works best for us. I would suggest getting to Hobart one day, having a bit of a look around and then the following day catching the 9am bus to New Norfolk - we will collect you from bus stop in Pioneer Ave. We ask that you remind us the day before you arrive and give us a call when you are about to catch the bus. We are 5+/- mins away from New Norfolk.
It takes about half an hour from airport to hobart via bus. Buses to New Norfolk are hourly till 9am - then after that - you have to go to Glenorchy to catch a bus, which is a bit more awkward for you. So arriving in am is easiest.
Good idea to come equipped with snacks and some things to nibble on if we are busy. We provide a hearty evening meal - which you can help prepare, picking fruit and veg from the garden to create our nightly healthy meal and once a week we bake - so you can learn to make cakes and bread if you enjoy this.
Looking forward to an enjoyable interaction.
Warmest Regards
Anne and Robert
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Lots to learn - and you can specialise in what takes your fancy and the season - from tending the veggie garden, the orchard, learning to propagate plants, harvesting berries, apples, pears, peaches for winter storage etc. Building and landscaping skills will be cherished and we will certainly provide a healthy home cooked meal at nights - including Annie's famous desserts. Goats, cattle and sandstone make up this mixed farm. So lots to see and enjoy and always plenty to do.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The help is varied depending on the time of year and your skill set. The help will be mostly around the home vegetable patch and our spot by the river.
Helping with landscaping, planting hedgerows & windbreaks, mulching, pruning, stone walling will always be appreciated.
Builders or handy men will be cherished(!), as we wish to enhance every vista and create photo opportunities wherever you look. Our projects are many and varied - we would love to build a shelter by the river with BBQ facilites and a deck - so, to improve the amenity of our 'sanctuary' - a place where we swim, canoe or just sit under our willow tree to read a book when the days chores are done.
There are also tasks to do around the farmhouse such as gardening, mowing lawns, house maintenance and renovation, helping cook healthy meals at night, feeding garden refuse to our livestock - wherever you feel you can most be of help. At the moment we have two orphan kids who need feeding twice a day.
We are currently planting a few more mixed fruit trees, setting up winter protection for our lemon trees, adding watering systems and raising our vegetable patches so we can fit more compost in.
There is always the daily vegetables and fruit to be picked and/or preserved.
Or you may like to help out at Salamanca Market on a Saturday or at our mid-winter Festival.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
German: 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
Accommodation unit - there are 3 to choose from - the main one is in a simple but cosy warm cabin with very clean separate toilet and shower. Then there is a cute little caravan - a blast from the past - but the bed here is mostly suited to smaller people, so if there are two of you and you are both tall, this won't work.
We also have a newly refurbed chook shed, called "The Coop" - we are really proud of this as it has been completed with mostly recycled materials plus cosy warm cladding and insulation. Set in the middle of the fruit and veggie garden.
Camping - You can also camp or bring your own caravan if you prefer and sit by a camp fire (except in fire danger periods).
What else ...
Nearby is Mt Field National Park (lots of walks and snow in the winter), or visit Mona Museum, Agrarian Kitchen, the many op shops and antique shops only minutes away are just full of hidden treasures. Swim in the river, paddle, walk thru the bush, see native animals, cockatoos, kookaburras, owls, platypus, (sometimes) and plenty of bird species, kangaroo and possums.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have one cabin that is suitable with wifi access, or you can connect via own phone wifi closer to the house and garden. We could even set you up down on the river if you were going to stay a length of time - adjacent to the rapids - where the light play of sun on the water and the tinkling sound of the rapids will unfortunately be such a distraction that you may never want to stop and work! You can swim in the river and then walk up the hill to the home to share a meal with us or to gather produce from our huge herb, fruit and veggie garden.
Space for parking camper vans
We would love to have you come and visit and have plenty of site opportunities - some with power - others more remote. All beautiful - we will do all we can to help make your stay as memorable as possible.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (27)
I greatly enjoyed sharing tea by the river, lots of conversation and our evenings together – preparing the evening meal. And, especially the card games they taught us. Although, I warn you, don’t play Monopoly cards… read more
Wade cut through the work… read more
We enjoyed our very short stay of less than a week as Anne was very thoughtful to arrange for us to stay with her friend Karen in the initial couple of days when she couldn't accommodate us.
The 5 days we spent at Anne and Robert's were varied where we… read more
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.8)
I greatly enjoyed sharing tea by the river, lots of conversation and our evenings together – preparing the evening meal. And, especially the card games they taught us. Although, I warn you, don’t play Monopoly cards… read more
Wade cut through the work… read more
We enjoyed our very short stay of less than a week as Anne was very thoughtful to arrange for us to stay with her friend Karen in the initial couple of days when she couldn't accommodate us.
The 5 days we spent at Anne and Robert's were varied where we… read more
He was a champion broad bean podder - and relished this task each evening they were on the table.… read more
Your feedback is as generous as your spirit. It was lovely to have you share our space and we both enjoyed your delightful bubbly character. Thanks for all your efforts in the garden too - it is now looking almost as neat as a pin at the moment - despite the grass growing before my eyes.
I would recommend Meg to anyone who is… read more
As an avid gardener, I loved the opportunity to work in their veggie patch. The work I did was… read more
After our working hours we could always ask for a ride to New Norfolk, which was really nice and… read more
I would recommend him to anyone who could show him new skills, he is very willing to learn.
All the best Kris. And thank you.
Anne and Robert.
We worked in the veggie garden, helped cooking meals, went to the… read more
We soon began to treasure him and then to dread the day he would leave, but all things must come to an… read more
What a thoroughly lovely couple. So laid back and easy to accommodate. Self-contained and autonomous. Jack and Megan arrived at the onset of a cold spell and the start of our olive harvest. This is a very busy time for us, so we didn't get to share much time together - but they were very happy to just set to work in the garden.… read more
The very first moment we met Anne & Rob we felt very comfortable and at ease with them both. It was very comfortable, relaxed conversation every evening after dinner. And anyone that says Anne can't cook will get an argument from me, every meal was created and presented with fun, conversation and country… read more
Jay helped greatly with some IT issues and went way above what anyone would expect to get the task done. They both helped with getting the fence up around our two pet goats - who join in wherever they can with what we do. There were… read more
His high level hospitality… read more
First of all I would love to say: Thank you! You have been sensational from day 1 and you did understand on what page of my book I was getting into. Now from the distance I can say that stopping on your beautiful farm in the Derwent Valley was a gift that I will be always grateful for 😊.
Anne, thanks for the… read more
In… read more
She bonded so easily with our other guests and we all shared nearly 3 weeks together.
Katja is quick to understand what needs to be done,… read more
The work differed from day to day, which always kept it interesting. We did things such as picking different kinds of fruit,… read more
I adored my time on the farm. I got to partake in a wide variety of work while I was there - from the cherry harvest to the elderberry harvest. I learned how to prune olive trees… read more
He took part in a range of activities which included fruit picking, gardening, factory and farm work - including completely taking apart the mulching mower which… read more
It felt good to hang with them around the river when it's hot or around a warm dinner. I'm really happy, that I had the opportunity to work on a real commercial… read more
What a joy it was to have them. They were both incredibly hard-working, Danny was Oh-so-funny in the most comical way. You never knew if he was being serious, then a wry sort of smile came to his eyes and he cracked everyone up.
We had lots of fun playing Boggle and Yahtze at night, and I always enjoyed meal times at night when… read more
He helped out in a range of tasks, from gardening, (weeding, planting, nurturing), pruning the groves, whippersnipping, painting and… read more
Jumping in to every task with curiosity and integrity, they often worked well over their normal allocated time. They enjoyed being part of our team and our regular workers also… read more
Your farm is very exciting place. There were a lot of olives, plants, animals and beautiful views.We really enjoyed spending.
You told us your knowledge of farming, cooking and lives. We harvested olives lemons and fed cows for the first time. Everyday meal were very tasty!!
We ate many fresh vegetables.
Playing games… read more
Roy took everything in his stride, and is clearly a great organiser. He and his small team demolished the old exterior, meticulously insulated under the new floor and… read more
It was a pleasure to share our place with two such accomplished people. Thank you for your help in the garden and in preparing evening meals.… read more
They… read more
They are adorable, fun, loving people and made me feel right at home from the start. I had the chance to spend Christmas with them and even though I was far from home they welcomed me into theirs as if I was another member of the family.
Work was relaxed, cups of tea were abundant, and swimming in Anne's river... a must!… read more
I miss her so much and miss her cups of nettle tea (a first time for me!) and her marvellous mum's spinach pie and the fact that she had all the berries picked before I emerged in the morning.
A willing working - within a short time… read more
