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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
30 Apr 2025
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100.0 %
Usually responds within 7 days
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Description
We live in a beautiful quite and private country setting in central BC on a large ranch, with 3 km of lakefront so it is very quiet and private here. In my house it is only myself, my 19 year old son (when he isn't at university) and my husband (who is often away travelling for work). I have 2 adult children who live on their own, one in Toronto and one in a small log house on our property with his wife and 2 young children. I have just retired from 10 years as the local marriage commissioner, I am a published author with a weekly health column for 14 papers in the Vancouver area, I am a health coach (mental health, relationship health and nutritional health), and I am a manufacturer of a health tonic. I am also a grandmother who likes to spend as much time as possible with the little people in my life. With all that I have going on, I am often too busy to maintain my place the way I would like to. This is where Workawayers have been a Godsend. Every Workawayer is valued and I encourage a stay of at least 2 weeks to really get to know each other and settle into our peaceful environment.
Workawayers would have their own log cabin on the lakeshore. We have a small cabin perfect for 1 person or a couple, and another larger cabin for 2-3 people, over a hill so it feels very secluded. Both have beautiful views. I encourage couples so that they have each others' company but individuals are welcome too as long as they don't mind alone time. As I have a husband with health issues, I have had to limit time that guests spent in our private house. We used to eat together but now I am asking Workawayers to be comfortable with eating on their own at their cabin unless we have a planned group meal. This is also why I encourage couples. I provide groceries for independent food prep or will share meals if I have cooked that day. The big cabin has a wood stove for heat/cooking.
It is very beautiful & serene here. No neighbours, no traffic, no industry sounds at all. One must love birds - they are everywhere in the spring/summer as we are on the migratory route for many species. We have resident ospreys and eagles who live very close (often hanging out in the trees on our beach) and dive for fish right in front of our house. We have a resident hawk and owl. Other wildlife you may see: deer, moose, otters, black bears, coyotes. We regularly see wolves in the winter but they move out of the area by spring. As we live in the country, there are a few resident garden snakes (harmless) and the odd spider, mouse or bat (or all of the above). There is nothing deadly here.
Our sunsets last for hours. We have epic bonfires on our beach and will teach Workawayers how to roast the perfect marshmallow.
We have bikes, a canoe & kayaks that Workawayers are welcome to use to explore the lake or go fishing. We have horses but they are for my horse therapy program rather than for riding. One is a beautiful 19 year old paint and the other is a 2 year-old warm blood who was culled from the wild & sold at auction. I rescued her from there. If Workawayers are interested I can teach them some natural horsemanship ground schooling in our round corral. Not all play with horses needs to involve riding - working on trust and the join up is just as fun.
I need help in the following areas:
Inside the house:
Cleaning & Organizing (I have the continual need to purge stuff),
Cooking and Kitchen Cleanup
Minor repairs and touch up painting
Cleaning my big windows that look over the lake,
Outside:
Sanding, staining and minor repair
Gardening (planting, watering, weeding, pruning... )
Lawn care (we have a push mower, a ride-on mower, & strimmers (weed-wackers)
Clean up poop (dogs and horses)
Fixing fence rails
Organizing and purging outbuildings - ongoing project
Raking the beach
Sweeping the cobwebs off our house & large deck railings weekly
Other:
We are always grateful for any help with our DIY projects.
With Animals:
Brushing & Feeding Dogs & Horses
Ground Work if you are capable & confident (these are not trail horses but real horses who have their own minds), I can teach you natural horsemanship for ground schooling. We work with our horses for fun - not for commercial use
Please let me know in advance if you have fears. As we live in a natural environment we have the odd spider, garden snake, frog, mouse ... And sometimes moose, wolf or bear sightings (from a distance).
We live 15 minutes from the nearest town where there is shopping, a couple pubs, restaurants, movie theatre, parks, trails, museum, hospital... We live 1 hour from Prince George where there is much more shopping, entertainment, restaurants, theatre, clubs... easy bus ride or you can come with me when I go to Prince George (weekly) to sell my health tonics there. You will be responsible for your own accommodation though.
If this placement interests you, and you want to learn more about me please ask for my websites and facebook page.
Please send me a list of your skills and interests when you contact me so this experience can be mutually beneficial. As much as I enjoy getting to know people from other countries, I prefer those who have a good grasp of English.
Happy travels and stay safe.
Claire Nielsen
Types of help and learning opportunities
Elderly Companionship
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Events & social
Culture
Pets
Self development
Movies & TV
Farming
Charity work
Writing
Cooking & food
Gardening
Photography
Plant care
History
Music
Books
Animals
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Fitness
Camping
Sailing / Boating
Dancing
Beach
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Cycling
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Help with English
Learning new skills
Beautiful lifestyle on a quiet and private lake
Connection with nature
Spiritual conversation
Counseling max of 3 hour/wk unless we are engaged in discussion when working together
Bird watching
Connection with the night sky
Cultural experience with Aboriginal community next door
Learning about the true and authentic history of Canada.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Spiritual and balanced personalities are always welcome.
I am a very spiritual person who teaches mindfulness and has a practice of spiritual counseling & energy work. I am happy to be in active dialogue with any people who come here.
If you are interested in helping with my horses, please outline your experience. These are not trail ride horses but they have lovely energy and generally good ground manners. I can teach ground-schooling & natural horsemanship & my horses are used in therapy.
Non-smokers preferred. Hard drugs will not be tolerated, light drinking accepted. I am not opposed to marijuana but it must be discreet and not during working hours - especially if using equipment or power tools. If you turn up stoned for projects you will be asked to leave.
Sense of humour an asset. I have a brilliant 19 year old who has ADHD so please don't come unless you like teens. He is in university so he may not even be around. I have grandchildren who live on my farm in their own house. They love workawayers so if you like kids, that's an asset. No babysitting will be asked of you.
I am open to singles, couples & families. We prefer couples without very young children as our area and the lake is not toddler proof.
I hope to connect with independent, individuals with good work ethic who can get themselves up in the morning and help on projects without supervision. I prefer mature individuals, as I don't want to be a 'mother' to my Workawayers. (I will however, be an Aunty.) I do offer free counseling support to my guests but please bear in mind that counseling support is offered with limits. Please don't choose our profile for this reason only.
Nature-lovers will appreciate the natural beauty and wildlife here.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Private, quaint log guest cabins right on the lakeshore
Big log cabin has power (limited) with a fridge, microwave and hotplate. Log burning wood stove for heat & cooking.
Outhouse type toilet, Outdoor shower system (working on another indoor one).
Laundry & very occasional showers in our house (not daily, as our system is sensitive)
Most Workawayers absolutely love staying in the log guest cabin, but if you are afraid of the odd spider, mouse, bat or being alone in quiet please talk to me beforehand to determine if this is the right accommodation for you.
What else ...
We live in a incredibly beautiful setting on a private lakeside ranch with over 2.5km of waterfront. Workawayers can use the canoe or kayaks for sightseeing on the lake. It would be good if you can swim. There are leeches in our lake but they are harmless and only seasonal (and easy to remove from the skin).
Workawayers are expected to work on projects independently. I have a very busy life so there will be a list of chores / projects and the Workawayers can often choose which to work on (aside of the daily plants and animals that need tending to). We do not watch the clock.
We have a gym that workaway guests can use, complete with professional equipment, a tv (Netflix, Disney, Prime Amazon) & Wifi. We ask that workout times be coordinated with family members that use the gym.
We are just down the road from an Aboriginal Reservation so cultural learning is available. Small town of Vanderhoof is 15km away where you can find shopping, theatre, pubs, coffee shops, restaurants, river for swimming and floating on, parks, hiking trails...
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have wifi for those who are working on their own projects but ask that they consider the commitment to working hours as outlined in the Workaway agreement. We have limited download speed so we have to discuss this with our guests.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a lot of space so if you prefer to sleep in your own campervan, there are many options of where to park.
Can possibly accept pets
We have 2 friendly German Shepherd dogs so if you bring a dog (please no cats) it must be up to date on immunizations, spayed or neutered, and sociable with other dogs.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (36)
From the moment we met Haley, we all loved her. She brought a beautiful positive vibe, a willingness and an infectious laugh that I'll never forget (especially the baby pterodactyl sounds LOL).… read more
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Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
From the moment we met Haley, we all loved her. She brought a beautiful positive vibe, a willingness and an infectious laugh that I'll never forget (especially the baby pterodactyl sounds LOL).… read more
I lived with Claire´s family and had this first experience as workawayer. Was wonderful for me. The task to done in the ranch are really easy, there are different house projects very interesting where you can learn from, and you can share your abilities with others!
The ranch is in a small town, where you will… read more
They are both very polite, kind, organized and have a lot of experience in many areas. We hope to see them again.… read more
Claire was very welcoming and always made sure that everyone was comfortable. She was really accomodating and cared a lot about her workawayers. I had a great experience!
Anyone considering hosting Lyn, please know that her age does not need to be a deciding factor as she brings her organization skills, energy and… read more
The place is amazing, surrounding by stunning nature and… read more
Good luck in your future endeavours to both of you and please stay in touch.
Claire
Her family are also lovely & I had alot of great conversations here.
I kept telling her she needs to rename her profile 'Claire's house of cleanse.' You will be treated like family when you come stay here, not only in time spent together & inclusion but also through delicious, healthy nutritious food &… read more
She was a real trouper and helped with everything assigned to her with a positive attitude.
She was friendly and considerate and welcome back anytime.
Good luck in your tree planting venture Jenna. Remember: Green side up LOL
They are independent, hardworking, honest, friendly and willing.
They came with an enthusiasm and a "can do" attitude. Also a great sense of humour.
Our grounds have never looked so good.
They will be missed as they move on to their next adventure. Good luck to you both and remember our "talks".
I loved living at the ranch, really felt at home and the animals on the ranch were all super lovely.
The work I did was always changing and fun and I was very happy with the way I could work independently, the trust that was put in me and… read more
There is always plenty to keep you occupied, from feeding and working with animals, gardening, repairs to the fencing, helping make delicious healthy Elixir and selling at the local farmers market.... to mention just a few things. There’s generally something… read more
We would welcome her back… read more
Jobs are very variable, which keep things interesting.
We stayed for 3 weeks as a family and felt very welcome and appreciated.
Our daughter especially loved the horses and thoroughly enjoyed having had the opportunity to widen her experience in natural… read more
Claire, her husband and son are very kind people. They have taught us a lot about Canada and her history. And even though we stayed only for 8 days, they've been able… read more
It was uncanny how many similar things we enjoyed - particularly birds. So great to have someone here who shares this passion (as there are a LOT of birds). Sarah was welcomed the first couple days she was here with some very close eagle encounters. Sarah was willing to help in any way I asked… read more
During my stay, I helped Claire to prepare her fabulous elixir for a Saturday open market where we then sold her… read more
Thank you sooo much for everything. Even if we just spend three days together before you left, I learned very much from you (about healthy food and eating leftovers with rice paper and how to ride a quad :))
I was staying at Claire's for a few weeks while Claire and Lucas made a trip to New Zealand. The first three… read more
She worked hard at everything she tried and was pleasant, kind and cooperative.
Happy travels to wherever you may find yourself… read more
What can I do ?! except : Claire, Lucas and the Nulki Lake Ranch is just so so Amazing!!!
I just One of my best experience in Canada, I am so happy to be a rescue from an another woofing!
Claire is friendly, lover and so carefully with her woofers !
I have been pass so beautiful time with her family, her lovelly… read more
Thanks for everything and happy travels wherever you may find yourself.
Good luck :)
I really enjoyed working 4-5 hours each day in the fresh air, surrounded by nature at its best. The jobs were varied and included tasks, such as caring for pets and livestock, gardening,… read more
Thank you both for all the wonderful care of our place and for treating it as you would your own home. You are always welcome to come back any time. We will miss you very much.
I am so glad it worked out to have you here and truly appreciate you work ethic,… read more
Happy journeys to you both.
Hope you get to see a spirit bear and a grizzly but most of all some moose, Erin.
Take care and thanks for coming to Canada.
We had lots of bonfires and the food Claire serves is really yummy :)
We did get loaned out to Elizabeth for a weekend and also had a brilliant time gardening there too, Elizabeth… read more
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and hard work in everything you did.
Lucas misses you too. :)
Good luck in your journey on this last leg of your travels and may you always be matched with people who appreciate your cheery "no problem" attitudes. Big hugs.
The ranch and surroundings are absolutely beautiful and Claire will make it her priority to ensure you get as much out of the experience as possible. I experienced many 'firsts' on this Workaway which explains a lot about her eagerness to show and do many things.
If you want to be immersed in nature,… read more
Stay in touch and all the best to Jack
Love Claire
It was never boring and they had done a great deal to me and I saw a lot of beautiful British… read more
Thank you Larissa. We miss you but wish you well in your school and travels. Come back to Canada anytime.
