Rebecca

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi there! I'm a Welsh lady who is a mature Community Development Worker in the 5 th year of travel adventures. Mainly working as a Travel Cook and Gardener now, I also try and learn as much as I can about peoples projects so I can apply the best input. I travel though different climates and have just finished a Garden for a friends family in Portugal during C19. An interest in seeing the world after finishing work in the U.K has led me to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, S.Pacific ,Fiji , Tonga and Indonesia.
Thoroughly enjoying the journey and discovering new and wonderful places and people to spend time, share and learn new skills. Particularly gardening, old buildings, working with animals , children and the elderly. I 've done a heap of stuff from painting a large property in Perth, plastering an old house in Spain, growing saffron in Melbourne and making coconut oil in Tonga.


Next year I would like to return home and work on my own stone dwelling restoration, I've plenty of time to take up a suitable opportunity. Very fit, healthy and happy to help you on your home or business projects!

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Animal Care

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Some knowledge of:  

DIY and building projects

Being an elderly companion

General Maintenance

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Languages

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

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Able to teach about:  

Gardening

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Charity Work

Art Projects

More details about your skills

Horticulture

Create small guest house kitchen gardens. Tropical and Temperate, growing some herbs, salad and vegetables. Preparing beds, bringing on seedlings , planting out , harvesting.

In conjunction with being a self taught gardener I enjoyed 4 years as a Horticultural Assistant for Pant Glas and Dyffrin Nurseries in Wales, where they specialised in growing bedding plants and architectural screening plants.
On site- experienced in propagating and potting up seedlings, plant care and pest management, tunnel maintenance and overhead manual watering systems, espalier work on screening trees, customer service and sales.

Off site contracts- planting native tree hedgerows, commemorative tree planting for community groups, school hort project worker for kitchen gardens.

I ve a Certificate in Practical Horticulture with the RBGE , Royal Botanical Edinburgh ( Merit)

For inspiration , recently, I've visited Lismore Castle and Ballymalou House kitchen gardens and restaurant, Ireland . Also Botanical Gardens in the U.K and overseas, Aberglasney and Botanic Gardens Wales.
Interested in Healing, Therapeutic Gardens and Sensory Spaces.

Overseas work:-


Horticulture

Bush regeneration for AUSTROP Foundation , Daintree Rainforest AU. Re-vegetating large sections of rain forest with native species like Black Palm and Mahogany. Some invasive weed control work.

Created Veg plots for the cooks kitchen at Mt Talau House , Tonga, Waruka Bay Eco Resort, Fiji and Adventure Waikato, New Zealand.
Gardener for Kuala Sanctuary Bungalow Bay Magnetic Island Australia.
Gardener for contractors in Sydney and Perth.
Volunteer Gardener for Min of Agriculture Kingdom of Tonga.
Created veg and herb garden for friends in Algarve Portugal. 6 mnth project.

Agriculture/ farming

Saffron Crop Production, Saffron Hills Melbourne Australia.
Cattle farm worker Red Hill Melbourne- some feeding out work using the tractor , helping with laying electric fencing, calf handling at Redhill Agricultural show.
Bass Landcare Trust Re-vegetation Program Melbourne - Native tree planting ( 2,500 trees)
Leaping Goat Olives - manual olive grove pruning.


Community Development

Grass roots initiatives- Charity and Voluntary Sector. Project Development, in particular youth fora and children's Play Development, Environment and Social Enterprise through local produce & craft markets.

Cooking/Hospitality

Skills Coach for Jamie Oliver's Home Cooking Skills Program Wales. Children aged 9-14yrs
Cook for Shearing gangs on weekend 'stay aways' with Clayton Greene and Welsh Shearers, New Zealand.
Cook and Kitchen Gardener and House Keeper for Adventure Waikato Corporate Training Groups. NZ.
Sole cook and counter service at Longbay Beach Hut, Auckland .
Cook, Kitchen Gardener and House Keeping at Mount Talau House , Vava'u Tonga. ( for professional underwater photography clients working with Darren Jew) Nat Geo, Cannon.
Foraging and cooking wild foods with Fijian Islanders at Waruka Bay Resort , Qamea Island, Fiji.
I participated in the Vava'u Royal Agricultural Show Cooking Competition 2015 which was the first of its kind on the islands aimed to promote food sovereignty and contemporary Tongan cooking with Island produce. It was recognised by the King and Queen of Tonga, 3rd Prize and received my certificate from the King. ;-)


Baby Sitting and Child Care.

Children's Play Scheme Worker and Leader for CCS Children's Play Team Swansea U.K.
Roving Activity Team Leader for 'Interplay' working with specific needs for children.
Swansea City Farm Child and Youth Project Worker. Cooking with children and running residential wk ends.
Certified ( Cache Level 3) in Play Work with City and County of Swansea Children's Play Team.
Registered Responsible Adult and Organiser for Graigfelen Play Scheme as set by my Community Development objectives. Live in nanny for Australian family with 2 boys, Port Douglas, Australia.
Child care for 2 girls Waruka Bay Resort Fiji. Babysitter for friends in Perth.

Crafts

I studied French, Textiles and Art at College and have a Foundation year in Craft. Areas of study - Surface Pattern Design - Print, Batik, Ceramics, Metal Work, Life drawing and Weaving. Grennan Mill Craft School Kilkenny VEC , S Ireland.

Help in the house.

I have lived with two elderly people in Sydney for 3 months helping them to run their home, drive and cook for them.
Live in Child carer as mentioned above with help in the home and garden.
House sitter for properties in Tonga, Australia. Perth, Sydney.


Animal Care

I worked for 4 months at The Sylva Project, a rare breed DNA conservation program for the Skyrian Horse in the Greek Islands. Lead roping for children and assisting the Therapeutic Riding Trainer in her activities.
House and horse sitter (retired race horse), Yallingupp , Perth.

Language Practice.

I have completed the CELTA Course for teaching English as a foreign language. However this was a number of years ago so it would be great to help people learn English through cooking and gardening, sightseeing or other activities.

Building.

Painter- Worked on a large property in Perth. Would love to learn traditional building skills and restoration. I' ve a dream project back in the U.K that could benefit from some lime mortar restoration knowledge.

Plastering- Worked for 3 weeks with a Master Decorator in Palma De Mallorca. Learnt how to prep , mix, apply and finish to the interior of an old Mallorcan house ( Flexible tile adhesive)

Age

49

What else ...

I m currently studying the RHS Level 2 in Horticulture, distance learning due to C19. Over the last 6 months I've created a beautiful food garden by the coast with all the usual challenges of climate and pests , watering and finding some solutions. I have made some lovely dishes from the produce for a family of 4. Recently , learning to fish off the beaches here in Portugal , collecting bait etc is a new skill additional to catching shore lobsters, prawn and crab at home in Wales.

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements
  No