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16 Feb 2025
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Description
I am an organic farmer, wiccan, herbal healing balm maker, taxation consultant and English language teacher and live with my daughter, her partner and my three grandchildren on our 20 acre natural agriculture, permaculture, organic property. We also have a local NZ guy living on the property who helps out with paid work on our farm and on other local properties. His two children also stay regularly with him on our farm.
I love growing food for the family, flowers and trees and creating gardens everywhere on the farm so I need help with small farm animals and in the plant nursery and gardens where we grow, using organic methods, natural agriculture methodology either food or plants. There is also general housework, cleaning and if you have the skills, office and computer help from time to time.
I also love Art so anyone staying long enough who wants to paint a mural or make signs for the property is most welcome. We also look for interested people to help complete the community earth oven on the farm if they are able to long-stay but they need to know about working with clay,
We are surrounded by trees and live close to a beautiful Harbour at Whangateau. We are open to people working for less hours a week in exchange for accommodation only or for longer hours in exchange for accommodation and food. We are not vegetarian but eat lots of vegetables every day. Families and children are welcome if we have enough room.
We are in the process of establishing on the property, through a charity, an environmental education and healing centre for children to learn about sustainable agriculture, the interaction of land and the ocean environment and using wiccan ritual to create connection with nature. I would love help from people who are interested in sustainable environmental and social and economic change for the future of the planet. At present we are working in the gardens, plant nursery, track clearing and cleaning up a close by property that we also own.
In 2022 I ran my first workshop in Astrology for adults and will continue to run astrology, spiritual and wiccan workshops plus allow others to join in wiccan sabbat celebrations.
We have had local home-school children coming to enjoy the outdoor space on a regular basis and the plan is to open up for more children to be able to come and enjoy the natural environment we have created on the farm and what is offering in our wider seaside environment.Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
SustainabilityFarmingCharity workPolitics / Social justiceHitchhikingPerforming artsWritingCooking & foodGardeningPhotographyPlant careHistoryBooksNatureDancingUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I am a trained english language teacher so can help people with their english plus I have traveled extensively in the world and am comfortable with different cultures and am happy to share my life experience. I love to cook and share recipes and I am happy to introduce people to the natural environment of NZ through my knowledge of medicinal native plants, herbs, natural agriculture and permaculture. I am interested in discussing world affairs and how we can change the world even as an individual. I am involved in my local community as a volunteer through groups like Greenswap, Mahurangi WasteBusters, The Matakana Community Garden, Whangateau Resident and Ratepayers and so you can tag along and help or just watch these happenings and see how people live in NZ when they are part of a community.
Help
We are an organic natural agriculture, permaculture property and have set up the property for environmental education for children , teaching astrology, wiccan spiritual workshops for adults, wiccan sabbat family events marking seasonal change and as a place for groups to meet to learn natural healing, healthy eating, growing food etc. Currently we grow indoor and outdoor plants for sale, produce herbal healing balms and teas from plants grown on the farm and run some of the above workshops for children and adults.
We have an unfinished community earth oven project as part of the community education we hope in the future to offer as part of a charitable education programme but we need longer stay skilled persons in order to complete this project.
Currently workawayers generally help me with the personal chores around the small farm animals, the garden, the house, firewood collection, cooking, cleaning, some building, painting depending on peoples skills and what time of year it is. These chores have nothing to do with the business activities of the property
Although I am self employed and running a business activity from the farm I do not use workawayers for this business work.
For being part of our extended household and helping out in the gardens and around the house we offer accommodation and food.Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Maori: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I am a training English Second language teacher and do voluntary English teaching via Zoom of children whose parents once volunteered at our farm years before. My son-in-law is German and we are always interested to have that language around for the benefit of the three grandchildren. My partner is French so I can always use more tuition in that language.Accommodation
we have 2 individual cabins (one has a single bed-one has a double bed),another double bed and a small single bed room up in the office barn space. We have a separate kitchen for people to cook. Sometimes we supply food and get those staying to prepare their own meals especially if they have a diet that differs from our own or in the family need space to themselves. We have both compost and flushing toilets available, several shared lounge spaces and various other very basic accommodation spaces in another building on the farm property. The farm is not a "middle-class" place as it has been a farm for more than 100years and so buildings are older, have been recycled from being once homes for animals and more emphasis placed by me on the natural environment than on the houses, however, they are dry, clean and if you like nature you will love this place with its glowworms, its waterfall, gardens, fruit and native forest and the nearby beach.
What else ...
We are 1km walking distance from the Whangateau Harbour and close to Tawharanui Regional Park, Omaha, Pakiri ocean beaches, Matheson Bay, Leigh and Matakana. There is a weekly market at Matakana which is a tourist highlight. Hitchhiking locally is very easy but there is also a bus in Matakana which is 8km from the farm. There are walking tracks, a waterfall by the farm and an 8km walk to Tamahunga Mountain and Pakiri Beach. We have had over 1,000 helpers stay with us from around the world and we have 3 generations living at the farm.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We live up a quiet road and there is some parking available for larger vehicles.
Can possibly accept pets
As long as their pet is able to behave itself around our animals we have no problem.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (14)
Her vision for the place is… read more
The tasks were always fun and easy and Audrey often took us to meet ups or markets.
Thank you Audrey
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.8)
Her vision for the place is… read more
The tasks were always fun and easy and Audrey often took us to meet ups or markets.
Thank you Audrey
Making pickles, the community garden, the dinners, workshops, the waterfall, and the glowing bugs at night – everything here was amazing!
Thank you for teaching me even though my English isn't perfect yet!
All the experiences here are treasures to me.
Thank you so much!
Audrey is such a strong , hardworker , teacher, wiccan ,gardener, farmer, crazy funny person !
I've learnt a lot from her and her beautiful family!
Hope to find the way to come back one day!
Totally reccomend it!
Will miss Ashton road!!
Working with animals (pigs, chickens, ducks...) and plants was really enjoyable.
I've learnt a… read more
NOTE: The work week is actually 6 days a week. Workawayers also do the dishes for the… read more
Furthermore she's a… read more