Profile information
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
I am a 26yo from New Zealand with a love of the outdoors and creative pursuits. Nothing makes me happier than sunshine, trees, smiles, and creating beautiful things whether that be in the form of horticultural, landscaping, or conservation/sustainability initiatives to improve the natural beauty of our environment, or producing artwork such as paintings, written word or music. Cooking is another hobby of mine that blends these, by turning produce (often home-grown) into beautiful plates that can fill bellies and put smiles on the faces of people I care for.
I have spent most of my life in the countryside, working from a young age on family farms and businesses and on self-sufficient properties growing vegetables, tending and managing orchards and beehives, and caring for animals (see skills section for specifics). Living on a range of agricultural and horticultural farms, I often raised orphan creatures and enjoy caring for any animals from mice to horses.
I like to keep myself busy and be productive with my time, ideally spending a majority of it in the outdoors. I bore easily and prefer to be working or taking on a new challenge rather than laying about, although I find it important to take time to rest and explore academic and creative activities too.
The purpose of my travels is to expand my perspective and explore varied outdoor environments, cultures, farming techniques and social experiences before I return to New Zealand to take on a long-term orchard contract and settle down.
Interests
Sailing / Boating
Performing arts
Mountain
Languages
Carpentry
Culture
Writing
Pets
Sustainability
Outdoor activities
Nature
Farming
Camping
DIY & crafts
Gardening
Plant care
Music
Hiking
Drawing & painting
Events & social
Cooking & food
Beach
Art & design
Animals
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: FluentMore details about my language interests
I'm a natural born English speaker that has lived internationally and am comfortable teaching the language. Although 'fluent' in German, I have not been using it regularly the last few years and look forward to regaining an ease of speech. I am also interested in learning other languages, especially French and Spanish
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Hospitality/Tourism
Some knowledge of:
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Eco Projects
Charity Work
Art Projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Gardening
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Life at a Farmstay
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Languages
Teaching
House sitting
More details about your skills
I have grown up on farms from a young age and continued on to a career in horticulture and orchardry. I have spent time working on a mixture of conventional, spray-free and organic dairy farms, self-sufficient properties, sheep farms, small mixed farms with alpaca, horses, goats, chickens, and bees, and fruit and nut orchards. I have been professionally employed as an orchard worker and manager, for off-season fruit tree pruning and maintenance, on horticultural farms and hothouses, in a plant nursery, and on organic regenerative farms. Professionally, my career is in horticulture with my main areas of interest being fruit trees and sustainable horticultural farming, although I also have a great love for animals.
I have experience driving a forklift, manual car, tractor, cherry picker / hydralada, quad bike, farm bike, trailer, or small truck and am familiar with farm machinery and equipment.
My family business brought me into the food industry early as I helped with early-morning baking before markets, catering on a daily basis for 30+ people, and creating my own recipes for the sale of healthy or allergy-friendly food alternatives by the time I was 15. I am barista trained and certified, have worked as a server and kitchen-hand, and have a passion for mixing flavours and cooking for any occasion.
I learned to speak German as a 2nd language from living there when I was 8-15, and can still get by near-fluently, only forgetting the occasional noun.
I have spent time working in a kindergarten and am comfortable working or living with children.
Although I think it is important to take some personal time for reflection and quiet activities, I am a very social person and always up for an adventure or a new challenge. If nothing else, I can attest to my unstoppable work-ethic and that I am one of the fastest learners you will ever meet. I hope to not only learn from and enjoy this experience but also to be a positive memory for my hosts and friends I make along the way!
Age
26
What else ...
I absolutely love a good night of board games or a few social drinks with friends. I enjoy a good swim on a hot day or spending time writing or creating music and art. I primarily write poetry and songs, and like to sing with some beginner experience with guitar and piano.
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
Vegetarian - NOT FUSSY I can just pick the meat out :)
Photos
