Help out on a small property and experience New Zealand life.

New Zealand

Favourited 172 times

Host rating
Feedback
42
Last activity
28/10/2020
Reply rate
100.0 %
Average reply time:
within 6 days
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Availability

2020

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What's this?

Details

Description
We are on a small property midway between Invercargill and Riverton, Southland. We are beginning our second season developing a garden based on the principles outlined in JM Fortier's 'Market Gardener' book blending in methods used by Richard Perkins. We are interested in restoring healthy soil using only local, organic inputs where possible with a holistic approach. We have learnt a lot in the last year and are happy to share that knowledge with others.

We are a family of 7 with five homeschooled children aged from 1-12 years of age. We run a small home based business as well as running a few sheep and chickens on our homestead. My Parents have 3 horses next door that we look after regularly also.

Our property adjoins Big Lagoon, a QEII covenanted wetland with a diverse ecology and approx. 40 minute return walk.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Babysitting and creative play
Farmstay help
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Animal Care
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We aim to provide a natural NZ family experience. Living adjacent a restored wetland gives a unique experience around pest control, native planting and see some native birdlife. We currently have a trial market garden plot where we are experimenting with the tools and techniques outlined in the book 'The Market Gardener' by JM Fortier. We aim to have our guests experience and try first hand as many of these techniques as possible.
Help
We have a range of options depending on the time of year. We have general garden maintenance, poultry care, some horse feeding and a market garden size vegetable plot with varying crops throughout the year.
We also cut and split our own firewood and there could be some native planting/maintenance around the lagoon at times.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We have a separate sleepout with double bunk bed for up to 3 guests. Bathroom is inside the house but there are breakfast and tea and coffee facilities in the sleepout. Lunch and evening meals would be shared in the house.
What else ...
We are near to Riverton, Invercargill and Stewart Island. Oreti beach is an approx 5km drive. We can transport to town (Invercargill) most days.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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Feedback left by and about host (42)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(4.5)

Cultural exchange:
(4.9)

Communication:
(5.0)

11/05/2020

Left by Workawayer (Jo Vie) for host

I still remember it so clearly how welcoming the family are when i just arrived their lovely place. Addie is so cheerful and sociable as she welcome me into the house. I’m surprise that there is no need of warming up period as everyone is really friendly and sociable.
They will make sure I’m comfortable with everything and make myself at… read more

(Excellent )

07/05/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Jo Vie)

Jo vie stayed with us for about two weeks. She was such a huge help around the house and a great cleaner. She was a hit with the kids too.
Jo vie has a lovely bubbly personality and was a joy to have around.
We would recommend her to anyone who has a chance to host her and would happily welcome her back anytime.

(Excellent )

04/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Jesana) for host

I had such a great time with Peter, Jonathan, Patrick, Addie, James, Kylie and Nathan. They are lovely persons and always made sure that I feel fine. They showed us around and always helped us.
I will really miss the family, the work in their garden, playing games, having movie nights and I will just miss the amazing time I had.
Thank you!

(Excellent )

03/03/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Jesana)

Jesana stayed with us for two weeks in January. She is very quiet, polite and tidy and it was a pleasure to have her stay. She took charge of the daily watering of the garden, the hens and collecting eggs as well as helping in the garden with planting and weeding. She was a big help around the house too and got on well with our children.
We would… read more

(Excellent )

03/03/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Jan)

Jan stayed with us for a couple of weeks in February 2020. It was an absolute pleasure to have him spend time with us on his travels and we are so grateful he came to stay. His knowledge and experience in small scale market gardening is impressive and was able to complete a lot of tasks we've struggled with during a cold, wet summer season.
Jan… read more

(Excellent )

03/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Camille) for host

I keep great memories of my stay with Kylie, Nathan, James, Addie, Patrick, Jonathan and Peter. I am very grateful for how naturally they've all done their best to make me feel as part of their family, and for how generously they've treated me and the other helpers who stayed alongside.

Kylie and Nathan are very attentive hosts who will go above… read more

(Very good )

04/01/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Camille)

It was a real pleasure to have Camille stay with us for around two weeks in December. While we've had a wet and windy season in the garden this year, Camille was happy to adapt to helping out with everything from harvesting vegetables to helping the kids put together a full 3 course French dinner with menu!
Camille was fantastic working with our… read more

(Excellent )

24/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Belle)

We really enjoyed having Belle stay with us. She seemed to have knowledge about so many things. We had great conversations.
Belle was lovely to have around. She helped in the garden, cleaned the fridge and sorted the pantry among other things. She was a great organiser.
We would welcome Belle back anytime and would recommend her to anyone who has… read more

(Excellent )

24/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Anna)

Anna stayed with us for 3 weeks. During that time Anna became part of the family. She went above and beyond, helping out wherever she could. Anna helped in the garden (watering and planting), looking after our children, cooking meals, cleaning the fridge and more.
Her work was always to a high standard. She was so cheerful and always had a smile… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2020

Left by Workawayer (Anna) for host

This Workaway was the best experience I could have asked for! Kylie and Nathan are unbelievable people who made me feel welcome and at home from the moment I arrived. I am so so glad I decided to stay with them for three weeks because I really settled into the experience and developed a routine with the family. All of the kids are filled with… read more

(Excellent )

10/02/2020

Left by Workawayer (Nathan) for host

I spent the most amazing two weeks with Nathan, Kylie and the kids! They were so welcoming and made me feel at home so quickly! The work we did was varied each day and they always catered the work to our personal intrests as well! The kids themselves are amazing! Lots of energy but sooo much fun! Would totally recommend staying with them and wish… read more

(Excellent )

03/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Nathan)

Nathan stayed with us for two weeks. He was always bright and cheerful. He was happy to try his hand at everything from spreading compost, planting seeds, weeding, looking after our children, helping with meal prep and discovering new recipes. He worked well with the other workawayers we had here at the time.
We really enjoyed having him stay. We… read more

(Excellent )

03/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Nafisa)

Nafisa stayed with us for a week. During this time she helped in the garden, with the horses, our children and with some meal prep. She was happy to help with whatever needed doing each day. We really enjoyed having Nafisa stay and she is welcome back anytime.

(Excellent )

29/01/2020

Left by Workawayer (Nafisa) for host

I felt home so quickly and I appreciate how you welcomed me. I got my own room and Kylie made always sure that we got a lot of yummy food and Neithen provided us with some beer in the evening. We worked a few hours in the morning and spend a lot of time with the children. They always offered me help with everything. I couldn’t be more grateful.… read more

(Excellent )

27/01/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Rolland)

It was lovely to have Bérénice stay with us for a week in January 2020. We have a noisy, boisterous household at the moment and Bérénice adapted really well to life here with the children and other volunteers staying!
Bérénice was happy to help out in any way - anywhere between the kitchen and garden depending on what was happening and she was a… read more

(Excellent )

07/01/2020

Left by Workawayer (Tyler) for host

I spent three weeks at their homebase, helping in the market garden, built a garden bed, helped with chores, played with the kids, and made lasting memories with the family and two workawayers. I liked the work a lot, my room was perfect, Kylie and Nathan are incredible hosts, as well as their children. It's a go with the flow day as they are… read more

(Excellent )

04/01/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Tyler)

We've just finished a fantastic 3 weeks hosting 3 travelers who worked so well together and became part of the family. We've been fortunate to have had so many amazing helpers come to help, learn and share their experiences with us and we really enjoyed Tyler's help and company.
We've had a challenging time with the weather this season with so… read more

(Excellent )

04/01/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Pauline)

We've just finished a fantastic 3 weeks hosting 3 travellers who worked so well together and became part of the family. We've been fortunate to have had so many amazing helpers come to help, learn and share their experiences with us and we really enjoyed Pauline's company.
We've had a challenging time with the weather this season with so much rain… read more

(Excellent )

04/01/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Irma)

We've just finished a fantastic 3 weeks hosting 3 travellers who worked so well together and became part of the family. We've been fortunate to have had so many amazing helpers come to help, learn and share their experiences with us and we really enjoyed Irma's company.
We've had a challenging time with the weather this season with so much rain… read more

(Excellent )

25/11/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Claire)

We enjoyed having Claire stay.
She was a big help out in the garden clearing weeds, harvesting, planting seeds.
Claire is a very quiet young woman, very clean and tidy, she got on well with our children.

(Excellent )

02/11/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Katie & Johannes)

It was a pleasure having Katie and Johannes staying with us. They were willing to give everything a go. Fantastic in the the kitchen! Patient with our children. The kids learnt about Wales and Finland.
They were keen to be out in the garden even when the weather wasn't at its best! We really enjoyed having them here.
They are welcome back anytime.

(Excellent )

02/11/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Chen)

We really enjoyed having Flora stay with us. She got on well with our children.
Flora was very clean and tidy and willing to help with whatever we needed. It was mostly indoor things this time, helping with general cleaning around the home and playing games with the kids.

(Excellent )

10/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (RONJAT & QUANQUIN-LAFFONT)

We had the pleasure of hosting Camille and Manon for the last week. We really enjoyed having them stay. They were fantastic with the kids. Happy to just go with what each day brought, from feeding horses to trimming the strawberry plants, sowing seed and planting out seedlings.
We would welcome them back anytime and wish them well in their travels.

(Excellent )

07/05/2019

Left by Workawayer (Theresa) for host

I had the most wonderful time with Kylie, Nathan, James, Addie, Patrick, Jonathan, and Peter!! The two weeks went by way too fast and left me wishing that I could have spent longer with this lovely family.

Most of the work I did was indoors- helping with chores around the house, helping the kids with various tasks, cooking, etc. With no… read more

(Excellent )

09/04/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Theresa)

We feel really fortunate to have had Tess stay with us for around two weeks. Our house can be busy and noisy and fairly chaotic and Tess got to experience it all! She was super helpful with the children while we were busier than normal with work and they really benefited from the time she spent with them. From board games to music to cooking and… read more

(Excellent )

14/04/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Clara)

Clara and Nora stayed with us for almost a week. They were great with the kids, clean, tidy and respectful. It was a wet week, so not so much outside work but they were happy to adapt and help with the kids and other inside tasks.
We really enjoyed having them stay. They were bright and bubbly and fitted in well here.
They are welcome back anytime.

(Excellent )

02/04/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (sandra)

We had the pleasure of hosting Amèlie and Sandra. One week was not long enough! They are very cheerful and fun. Amazing in the kitchen, great with the kids and happy to give everything a go.
They helped us inside with some cleaning and produced a professional result. Amelie and Sandra also helped out in our garden thinning carrots, weeding and… read more

(Excellent )

02/04/2019

Left by Workawayer (Amelie) for host

We had a really nice week at Kylie and Nathan home. All the family made us feel at home. It was great to spend time with them, playing with the kids, helping Kylie in the kitchen, learning about the garden, having a pic nic in Riverton ...
Sometimes the kids can be a bit noisy but they are good kids, fun,always happy to help !
If you are not… read more

(Excellent )

01/04/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Amelie)

(Excellent )

17/03/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Chelsea)

We really enjoyed having Chelsea stay. She got on well with the kids. Very clean and tidy. A great independent worker. Chelsea helped de-tangle our strawberry plants from their many runners which was a big job, clear thistle, and daily watered our tunnel house and gardens and checked on the hens. A highlight was the Swedish pancakes Chelsea made… read more

(Excellent )

10/03/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Elisa & Miquel)

Miki and Elisa were amazing! They were so great with all our children. Great workers, nothing was a problem for them. They helped us in the garden, with the kids, staked and tied a lot of trees, stacked firewood, cleared weeds and helped build a compost bin.
Miki cooked some delicious food, it was like eating at a restaurant in our own home! We… read more

(Excellent )

09/03/2019

Left by Workawayer (Elisa & Miquel) for host

We had an amazing time at Kylie and Nathan’s place ! Their house and garden are wonderful and they have 5 beautiful kids! We directly felt part of the family ! They are all very involved in their house life. Kylie is an amazing cook and the kids knows a lot thanks to her ! They have achieved an amazing work with their garden and we were eating… read more

(Excellent )

07/03/2019

Left by Workawayer (Elli) for host

I stayed with Nathan, Kylie, and the kids for a week and it was definitely not long enough! They all make you feel like a part of their family right away. I learned so much about organic gardening and got to see some new gardening methods I've never seen before. You can tell just how passionate Kylie and Nathan both are about their garden and it… read more

(Excellent )

06/03/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Elli)

We really enjoyed having Elli stay with us and miss having her here already! She is very polite and has a great way with children plus is a fantastic worker. Elli helped out with a lot of different projects around our place and took everything in her stride.
It was our pleasure having her stay and we wish Elli all the best in her travels through… read more

(Excellent )

19/02/2019

Left by Workawayer (atena) for host

Such a lovely family! They always make you fell welcom and part of the family. The Kids are very funny and Smart, you Will enjoy playing with them. The food was always pleintfull and healthy and The dessert was always a nice surprise! Thank you for the nice days I spent with you. Enjoy Your healthy country life! Ciao ciao

(Excellent )

17/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (atena)

We really enjoyed having Atena stay with us for around a week. Atena is lovely and polite and great with the children. She cooked some amazing food from her region during her stay. While here she helped in the gardens and around the house and nothing was a problem for her. We'd really recommend you have Atena stay if the opportunity arises and we… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Lily)

Lily is such a lovely, vibrant person who was such a lot of fun to have around. Whether it was epic Trivial Pursuit battles with the kids or introducing us to new cultural and literary experiences, we learnt a lot from Lily in her short time here.
Always happy to help with anything that was needed, from watering plants to mowing through piles of… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Marie)

It was a real pleasure to have Marie stay with us for around a week of her travels. She helped out with everything from looking after the baby to helping with the horses and gardens. Marie is such a friendly person and instantly became a part of the family, adding to the kids French language and cooking some amazing food!
Always up for a game of… read more

(Excellent )

04/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Anais)

We've just had Anaïs stay for the past 2 weeks and it was a pleasure to have her. We highly recommend her and would happily have her back anytime. Anaïs was a great help here around the garden with watering and weeding, harvesting veges and collecting eggs from the henhouses. She also assisted feeding the horses every day. Inside she cooked some… read more

(Excellent )

04/02/2019

Left by Workawayer (Anais) for host

I have spent a good time with Nathan and Kylie. They live in a beautiful area surrounded by nature. They have been really welcoming with me. I had my own room, clean and cosy. Each morning I had to feed the horses, to water the garden, to pick some fresh vegies, to weed a bit, to thank the chikens for the eggs. I also helped Kylie in the house… read more

(Excellent )

17/01/2019

Left by Workawayer (Sophie) for host

My stay at Kylie and Nathan's place was a great experience, and they are nice people!

The tasks were quite diverse, and were well explained to me. They are just starting their small scale farming buisnes, and it's nice to see the beginning of such a project! They have an embroidering and vinyl printing buisnes as well, and I gave them a hand with… read more

(Excellent )

12/01/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Sophie)

We're just about to say goodbye to Sophie who has been here for nearly two weeks. It has been a pleasure having her stay and help out and hopefully she has managed to learn a few things while here. She has been super helpful both in the house and around the property.
Sophie is great with children - patient and co-operative and the highlight for… read more

(Excellent )

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Host ref number: 858544978392

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