Kristy

& Otto

Travel information

We are currently

Description

My name is Kristy and I'm a Mum and music teacher with a curious soul. My husband Otto builds and renovates houses and bakes yummy treats for our family in his spare time. We used to live in South Africa, but one day we decided to go on an amazing adventure in South America(thanks to this "Workaway" website) - and actually ended up having our first child, Jesse, in Chile. We then moved permanently to New Zealand and had another son, Eli, and have enjoyed family hikes, camping trips, beach day trips and dance parties in our lounge. Now that the boys are a little older, currently Jesse is 11yrs and Eli is 6yrs, we're ready to explore some more of the world and see what we can contribute and learn in a country different from our own.

Otto has 11 year experience in farming- he ran a timber plantation, a beef cattle herd and also worked on a dairy farm. He's now a qualified builder and has 7 years experience in working as a carpenter. Otto is very interested in green living/eco-friendly lifestyles, eco-building techniques (especially cob building) and art projects. He is a enthusiastic sportsman.

I (Kristy) have over 20 years of teaching experience in schools and privately (kids, teens and adults) and currently run my own business teaching private music lessons. I would be very happy to teach English to children/adults or help look after/entertain children. As a Mum myself, housework, gardening, childcare and cooking are part of my everyday life already so I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I play the piano, guitar , cello and some drums - music is a huge part of my life whether I am teaching it or playing an instrument myself.

Our kids, Jesse and Eli, are imaginative, friendly boys who get on well with other children and are happy to help with small jobs and chores that are age appropriate to them, or keep themselves occupied playing nearby. We were thinking of alternating turns completing our volunteering hours while the other person watched the kids, eg: Otto did his volunteer hours in the morning and I (Kristy)did mine in the afternoon/evening. Of course, some tasks could be completed with the kids at our side and we are open to that too.

We are hoping to spend a month of each year volunteering/adventuring with our kids. This year is our first time doing it with the kids (2025).
We'd like to possibly visit 2 different Workaway hosts but are open to spending more time at just one host if the situation required.

Interests

DIY & crafts

Architecture

Technology

Sustainability

Pets

Movies & TV

Van life

Self development

LGBTQ

Events & social

Culture

Charity work

Farming

Plant care

Photography

Languages

Gardening

Books

Music

Cooking & food

Carpentry

Animals

Dancing

Hiking

Outdoor activities

Mountain

Yoga / Wellness

Team sports

Nature

Camping

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Afrikaans: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Japanese: Beginner
Maori: Beginner
Zulu: Beginner

More details about my language interests
Kristy is a trained teacher and has had experience teaching English before. Otto would be open to teaching English as well. We are always interested in learning new languages or growing in some languages we're will beginners at. Languages break down barriers between cultures and bring people together - that's why we love learning and teaching

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

---

Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Creating/ Cooking family meals

General Maintenance

Animal Care

Charity Work

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Being an elderly companion

House sitting

---

Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

Babysitting and creative play

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Languages

Art Projects

Teaching

More details about your skills

Kristy: teaching, administration, music, general computer skills, good with people
Otto: farming, sports, gardening, basic wood-working, general computer skills, good with people

Age

39 & 40

What else ...

Otto loves playing hockey, taking our kids for bike rides and experiments with making bread in his spare time. Kristy loves reading, playing uno with Jesse (our eldest son) and going for nature walks with Eli (our youngest son).

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  Otto is allergic to bees

• 

  Special dietary requirements