From: Australia
Couple account
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama
06/05/2018 - 06/05/2020
278
Drew and I are two friends from Australia we have been volunteering & traveling since May 2018 throughout South America. Our volunteer projects have taken us to Ecuador, Galapagos, Perú, Chile, Bolivia, Brasil and now Colombia.
Drew is a qualified electrician and weler he has experience in boating, motor mechanics, fabrication, fiberglassing, carpentry, building, construction, fencing, butchery, cooking and now hostel operations
I have over 15years experience in all areas of the Hotel industry from remote pubs to resorts, cafes, clubs, motor yacht and sailing vessels.
I have also worked in farming, vineyards, warehouses, packing sheds, traffic control, construction, delivery driver, cook & cleaner.
Together we are a great team and can do anything. We are handy and resourceful, keen to exchange language and culture! we are capable of anything! And will give everything a go.
Workaway Projects have been varied, Hostels, Cabañas, Organic farming, Construction, Home improvements, Animal rescue care and Teaching ESL.
We spent 6months on an Organic Vegie Farm in Chile:
Making organic fertilisers & pest controls, soil preparation, prep garden beds, plant seedlings, transplant seedlings, spray pre-made pest controls when needed and fertiliser, control watering system, open/close greenhouses daily, herd llamas & sheep too & fro shelter daily, manure collection, grass cutting, wood chopping, harvesting produce, washing harvest, sorting harvest, quality control, weighing/recording produce, packaging produce, delivering produce, catering for courses & events, & training new volunteers.
I was trade assistant to Drew on the following projects...
Construction & Home Improvements:
Extended existing greenhouse, fix greenhouse beds, build greenhouse tunnels out of recycled materials, research and build sand/gravel filtration systems to supply filtered water to the whole farms irrigation system & volunteer house. Installed water tanks, water pumps, gas hot water systems, repair/design/build garden tools, repair and build new animal proof fencing, replace rubber lining of a grass roofed house, electrical installations, mechanical maintenance, wood chopping, metal fabrication, plumbing, grey water system installation, generator installations, chainsaw maintenance, house painting, solar installations, fualt finding and all round general maintenance.
We had multiple roles when working in hostels and cabañas.
Reception:
Meet & greet new guests, checkin/out guests on multiple different systems, give establishment tours, give tour advice, inventory checks, up keep of the office, opeing/closing the office, schedules, communicating with staff in both English and Spanish.
Breakfast:
Early morning rises, buying fresh supplies before open, clean the dining areas, set up station, prep and serve food & drinks, inventory checks, clean and pack down, clean kitchen, empty rubbish and ashtrays, tidy up outdoor furniture (daybeds & blankets) sort recyclables.
Housekeeping:
Leason with reception for check out info, work with local staff in Spanish, prep cleaning basket for the day + linen, change linen, make up beds, clean floors, remove rubbish, use correct cleaning supplies, make bathrooms spark and shine, maintain comunal areas, wash (sometimes by hand), hang, fold laundry, feed animals, open windows, control lighting, pool cleaning, maintain the garden,
Evening Shift:
General maintenance, wood collection, wood chopping, clean fire pit, start and maintain fire for guests, mingle with guest, clean and close kitchen, close front gates, control lights, look after late check-ins, close reception.
Bar:
Open bar, prep work station, stock rotation, restock fridges, inventory checks, work with different languages, control lighting, keep bar area clean and orderly while providing fast service with a smile cocktails, juices, beers etc, interact and have fun with guests, give advice, organize bar games/activities, cash handling and end of night tally, clean/restock & close bar.
Teaching Esl for 1 month:
Leason planning, creating educational activities/games, leason with past teachers/volunteers, fill out reports and class updates, online resource research, take part in community events, work closely together with other volunteers, organise volunteer activities/dinners/fairwell parties and interact with locals and students in different activities.
Animal Rescue Care:
General cleaning of horses & 3leged mule, yard cleaning, manure collection, grass cutting for extra feed, taking horses for feeding walks, feeding cats, retrieving escaped horses, moving horses from different properties over large distances through bush and via main roads, keeping animals calm in stressful situations and general maintenance.
We are interested in artesanal products, wine making, cheese making, organic farming, aquaponics, any kind of farming really, eco building, renovations, creative projects, up cycling, recycling, animals, sailing, fishing, camping, and beach fires...
Thanks for reading
Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
Elderly Companion
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Helping with Tourists
Charity work
Language practice
Art project
Help with Computers / internet
Teaching
We are handy and resourceful, can construct, paint, get our hands dirty in the garden, like building projects and renovations, wood works, creative projects, upcycle can use power tools, a little bit tech savvy, like to take photos, good with children, love to cook, learn new skills, exchange language and culture! We are capable of anything! And will give everything a go. We can drive manual, motorbike, fork lift, tellyhandeler, bobcat, dingy, boast with outboards.
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
34 & 38
Australian
We don't have a set time frame we just like to go with the flow and what feels right......
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Ants & Wasps
Special dietary requirements
No
