Helen

& Malcolm

Travel information

We are currently

Description

Malcolm and I are an active retired professional couple, keen long distance thru hikers, touring cyclists, skiers and mountain walkers, who prefer to be travellers and spend time becoming members of a community rather than visitors for a day or two. Mal is a retired university lecturer and I am a semi-retired director of an Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Clinic, Perth, WA. Since Mal retired in 2008 we have been on the move and amongst other things have worked a winter season driving ski buses in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA; cycled across Europe; run a 12-bed ski chalet in La Tania, for 17 weeks, in France; rode the Great divide Mountain bike route from Canada to Mexico and looked after four small farms in Western Australia. From March until June 2015, we were caretakers of a 65 hectare property in the Perigord Vert area in France, caring for horses two llamas, goats, sheep, a dog and cat.
In 2018/19, besides house and pet sitting, we completed the Te Araroa (The Long Pathway) a 3,000km hike from the top of the North Island to the bottom of South Island. In 2020, we found ourselves "stuck" in Switzerland, during the Covid-19 outbreak. However we still managed to keep active and stay healthy by walking two of Switzerland's national long distance paths, the Via Alpina and the Alpine Passes Trail. We have enjoyed caring for a range of animals including 100 head of beef cattle and a sheep or two.
Currently, we are in New Zealand having hiked the Te Araroa, South Island again. At the moment we are workawayers on Gunyah Country Estate, nr Darfield.

As we prefer to spend time in the mountains or rural areas we are always interested in any opportunity to help out in a countryside, farm or a remote setting. We do not have children and are particular when looking after properties or staying with friends, ensuring that we leave the building, house or room cleaner than when we arrived. Finally we are both non-smokers and definitely do not do drugs!!!!!!
We have been members of Trustedhousesitters since 2014 and also have a profile on AirBnB.

Interests

Farming

Movies & TV

Drawing & painting

Cooking & food

Carpentry

Books

Outdoor activities

Nature

Mountain

Hiking

Cycling

Camping

Adventure sports

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent

More details about my language interests
Malcolm and I are both learning French using the App Duolingo

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Eco Projects

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Teaching

Hospitality/Tourism

General Maintenance

More details about your skills

We are a self motivated couple who can lend a hand to most practical activities from tractor driving to painting and decorating. From cleaning to gardening, pet and farm animal care. Mal enjoys wood chopping and erecting Swiss precision wood piles. I enjoy cooking.

Age

69 & 74

What else ...

I enjoy painting watercolours, Malcolm enjoys woodwork

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  No

• 

  Special dietary requirements
  No