Océane & Ela

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

Looking for volunteering opportunities in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia !

Description

Hello, my name is Oceane !

My friend Ela and I have been in Australia for a few weeks. We plan on leaving our current Workaway host in Victoria around mi-April and will be driving East/North to look for opportunities in Queensland and New South Wales ! We both have driver's licences and we own a car.

Ela and I are used to travelling together as we did on numerous occasions over the years. We enjoy hiking together and have solid outdoors experience. We have lived and worked together for many years and get along perfectly well :)

As for me, I am a 24 year-old traveler who is passionate about foreign cultures, animals and nature. I am a quick learner, always interested in discovering new skills and very active in general. I had a wonderful experience on my last Workaway opportunity in southern Norway.

I am an advocate for slow tourism and volunteering as a way of giving back to the local communities that welcome me. I see platforms such as Workaway as an opportunity to exchange knowledge, share meaningful moments and meet wonderful people.

My most preferred hobbies are crafting, cooking, swimming, hiking and gardening.

I have continuous experience living within different community settings (house-shares, dorm rooms, tent-sharing at the girl scouts, communal living on international projects etc...) which has made me very relaxed with sharing my space and respecting people's boundaries. I also love children and taking care of children !

I have lived (as in settled, studied and/or worked for an extended period of time) in three different european countries so far. I consider myself to be quite open-minded and enjoy living with people from different cultural, ethnical, linguistic or social backgrounds. I am good at receiving constructive criticism and will always look for opportunities to question and improve myself.

I have a temperament that naturally leans towards proactivity and leadership. I do not need to be told what to do twice and will always be taking initiatives in new situations. However, I am also very capable of applying directives and follow guidelines. I do not have preferences when it comes to working on a team or on my own. I will fit wherever you need me to :) !

Thank you for reading all about me. I can't wait to meet you soon !
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Hi, I am Ela ! Nice to meet you !

I am a 24 year old girl and I consider myself as a fun, open-minded and curious traveler. I have been hiking with my parents since I was 5 years old (alongside donkeys) and by myself all across the Alps and the Pyrenees for many years. It is not a secret to anyone : I am a moutain lover. I enjoy climbing, camping and even skiing. Furthermore, I am really into connecting with nature and observing animals (especially birds). I also advocate for climate action and biodervisity protection.

My daily hobbies are reading, listening to music, walking around, playing games and taking pictures. I also love to cook delicious vegetarian meals as I am a flexitarian, which means I periodically eat meat and fish.

I have traveled all over Europe by train, car and bus and have lived in 3 different countries so far. I'm really interested in meeting people since I love to get to know them, learning about their culture, languages and knowledges and giving back.

I need things in my life to make sense according to my values - therefore I am really interested in ecological projects with a strong link to outdoor spaces and nature. I like to go deep into activities that motivate me, I am not afraid of making a fool of myself : I can get dirty, I can fall over or wear a ridiculous costume and I will keep working hard and having fun. I feel fullfiled while working in a team but I also appreciate working independently.

I do not need a high level of comfort and I love living in community settings. In fact, I have lived in shared houses since I was 18 which made me really aware of the importance of understanding and respecting other people's boundaries. I am really into constructivism therefore I believe in the power of exchanging comments in order to evolve and grow as a person.

Thank you for reading me and I am looking forward to sharing nice moments with you !

Ela

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Polish: Intermediate

More details about my language interests
I (Océane) have experience teaching French and English to non-French speakers. I would be glad to teach some French and learn some new languages during my time in Australia !

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Babysitting and creative play

Animal Care

Charity Work

Teaching

Eco Projects

General Maintenance

Life at a Farmstay

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Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Languages

Art Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

More details about your skills

Océane

During my past professional and volunteering experiences I have acquired a quite varied set of skills that range from manual to social.

Some basics : I am very good at all household tasks and take systematic initiative when it comes to participating to daily chores such as washing, cleaning, planning meals and cooking. I have worked in the hospitality sector for years and am very good at cleaning, organizing etc..

I can drive on both manual and automatic shift + I have some experience driving more specific vehicles (quad-bikes, tractors...).

Some more specific : I can sow, pick fruits, harvest crop and do all kinds of garden maintenance. I have some experience using machinery to do outside work such as weeding + some experience using powertools (screwdrivers, circular saws, electric sander...etc). I have some knowledge when it comes to fencing, crafting and repairing stuff in general.

I am very good with animals (small and big !) as I have worked with horses, cows and sheep before. I have been a foster family for local shelters for three years which has made me really acquainted with household pets and their needs.

I am a very good horseback rider (6+ years of riding in open nature) and can care for horses very well (grooming, washing, walking, sadling, bridling, assisting riders etc..).

I am also something of an artist and love to paint, decorate, craft, sculpt... to create unique items or give a special look to any type of space :)

I am good at public speaking, community management and communication skills in general.

I am licensed to work with children and have worked as a camp leader, babysitter and in-house nanny for several years. I love to take care of children and promote educational values such as self-learning, acceptance, self-confidence, proximity to nature, empathy, emotion control etc...

What else ? I am also a strong swimmer (10+ years of swimming) and I have some outdoors skills and will do perfectly well on my own in the wild with some appropriate preparation :)
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Ela

While studying, working and volonteering, I have acquired a wide range of experiences and skills which could match with your various needs :)

I have some skills in harvesting, planting, growing and picking fruits, vegetables and plants. I would be really interested in improving my permaculture skills. I also have good animal care skills and can take care of dogs (I love them) and cats but also farm animals such as horses, donkeys, sheeps, ducks, rabbits, chickens... I am a quite decent horseback rider and love to help take care of horses and other big farm animals.

I am also good at all basic manual work which need to be done in the house such as caring things, assembling simple furnitures, sanding, painting... I would be interested in learning some construction and repairing skills.

During my studies, I have acquired some experience in administrative work, public relations, social media management and events planning. I have good communication and social skills.

Also, I have very good skills when it comes to taking care of children as I have worked several years as an activity leader in summer camps and schools and as a part-time nanny. Therefore I do have a lot of experience working with kids from 3 to 17 years old, I am certified to insure their safety and entertain them. It is an activity I have always liked and especially alongside Océane with whom I already worked several months. We never missed ideas to come up with fun and creative activities !

Regarding day-to-day life, I can cook, I can clean, wash and tidy shared areas to help with keeping the house cozy. I am proactive in all daily chores and I feel very concerned about "doing my share" and more in a community. I am happy to help at any time.

As Océane, I can drive on both manual and automatic cars.

I have some skills in taking nice pictures, as it is one of my hobbies.

In general, I am a curious person and I am motivated to discover and learn new skills in very various fields.

Age

24 & 24

What else ...

Océane

I enjoy travelling by myself as well as with friends who share the same philosophy as I do. My main goal while travelling - both locally or abroad - is to encounter new people and learn more about the places I visit. I tend to stay for longer periods of time (never less than a month) in the same place so that I can get the fullest possible experience and give back as much as the community has given me.

I also prefer to use slower and shared modes of transportation such as buses, trains, carpooling...

Volunteering has always been my go-to way of travelling. I do not care for the economical aspect as I usually have enough money saved up to properly sustain myself while travelling without having to rely on hosts for being the "cheapest" way of eating and staying abroad. Volunteering for families and projects happens to perfectly fit my vision of travelling and encountering foreign or local cultures.

I thrive on learning new skills - especially skills related to human contact, animal care, farming, gardening, outdoor living or language learning - and love to share what I have discovered from one experience to another.

I have already travelled to Australia with my father back in 2014 and have not been able to forget about it since. I am more than delighted to get to experience the Australian country and its people with everything I have learnt since then :)
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Ela

I have traveled all across Europe mainly with friends and family but also by myself. I am more into the backpacking way of travelling and I prefer using slow travel transportation such as train, bus and car, even if it takes much more time. In my opinion, the journey is a part of the adventure. It matches my values and my wish to meet new people and beeing fully emerged in the place I visit.

I did a lot of self-organized hiking trips and especially in the Alps - I have been hiking in France, Italy, Swizterland, Austria and Germany. I have improve little by little my skills in wild camping, sleeping in tents and hammocks. I know all the basics to follow a route, organise supplies and spend a night outdoors. I also enjoy sleeping in community settings such as moutain shelters.

I am really interested and stimulated by the idea of learning new skills (especially those linked to handworking). I am also really into discovering alternative and sustainable ways of living to inspire a potential new personnal project I could have in the futur.

I like feeling connected to people and have deep conversations about nothing and everything. I love playing boards, cards and outside games :)

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  No

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  Special dietary requirements
  Ela is a flexitarian so she does not eat meat quite as often