Help us on our unique property in Karangahake Gorge, New Zealand

Detalles

• 

  Descripción

  THE PLACE
  We own a stunning 1.5-hectare property nestled in the hills above a river in the heart of the picturesque Karangahake Gorge. The area is recognised as a National Heritage Site because of its rich gold mining history and natural beauty, and is very popular with both New Zealanders and international tourists. Just a short 3-minute walk from our doorstep, there are numerous walking trails and cycling paths to explore.
  
  On our arrival in December 2021, the property was in a state of neglect and disrepair. Our large multi-generational family of seven has been working hard to restore the property, with the help of many wonderful Workawayers.
  Our future vision is to cultivate the gardens and enhance the house to a level where they could be showcased in the local annual Garden Festival, and possibly serve as an unique wedding venue.
  
  Karangahake Gorge is situated between Waihi (15 minutes away) and Paeroa (7 minutes). Both towns have plenty of shops and cafes to visit, and also bus stops for getting to us or heading off on more travel.
  
  THE PEOPLE
  Our family comprises my parents, aunt, husband, two teenage daughters, and myself, along with our beloved pets. We live in separate houses and lead independent lives, while we share the lifestyle property.
  
  Our days are mostly spent outdoors, tending to the property, caring for our animals, and enjoying the picturesque surroundings.
  
  Health is a priority for all of us, without being overly strict; none of us smoke, and we appreciate the occasional glass of wine. Sleep is important to us after our busy days, so we expect that guests respect our quiet hours from 10 pm to 6 am.
  
  THE PETS
  Piper the dog; Ollie, Daisy and Gil the cats, Echo the magpie (tame wild bird), Wilma and Betty the goats, 12 chickens and 3 ducks.
  
  WHAT WE DO
  My retired parents and Aunt stay active by working outdoors. Aunt Jeanette excels in gardening, especially propagation; Dad Leon is a skilled inventor and fixer, while Mum Judith is talented in decorating, vegetable gardening, and singing.
  
  In the mornings, I work in the office at an organic fertiliser company and I’m currently delving into digital marketing, a field I really enjoy. Also, I manage a busy BnB on our property. With 20 years of experience in the veterinary industry, I prioritize caring for our animals, which comes in handy for any first aid needs of our pets and people.
  
  My husband Craig runs a military flight simulator and aviation themed restaurant/bar business in nearby Thames, where he dedicates most of his time. A former NZ Air Force member with a passion for aviation, he used to pilot his own planes and also loves playing golf.
  
  Our daughters, Eliza (19) and Brydie (16), do online learning from home and stay active with friends and their jobs. Eliza is learning ecommerce and is very creative, while Brydie, who loves the outdoors, is doing a 3-year Youth Search and Rescue course and also works in our business.

• 

  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda en una granja

  Cocinar para toda la familia

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
• 

  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  We are a happy, close knit Kiwi family spanning three generations, living in a small Kiwi community. Anyone staying with us would be immersed in typical New Zealand family culture and Kiwi humour.
  
  We enjoy showing travellers what our beautiful region has to offer, and you would also be able to visit our business in Thames and try our flight simulators and food.
  
  We have WW2 Polish refugee family heritage. Not many people are aware of the story of the 1.7 million Poles who were deported to Siberian labour camps, and the thousands of Polish children who were orphaned due to this. We are happy to share our family's story with those who are interested.
  
  We grow our own vegetables, keep free range chickens and ducks for eggs, and try to grow our food as organically as possible. We've also planted over thirty fruit trees in our new orchard and our animals are an important part of our family.
  
  The Karangahake Gorge area where we live is a national heritage site. We take great interest in the local history, especially the lives of the people who lived in our area and the impact they had on the land.

• 

  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

• 

  Ayuda

  Work on our property is very weather and season dependant. During good weather the focus is on outdoor jobs, when it’s raining we find indoor work such as general housework or interior painting.
  
  THE IDEAL PERSON WILL ...
  - Be fit and able to do physical work
  - Be practical and have experience with rural life
  - Be motivated and work efficiently
  - Show initiative and be able to work without direction
  - Be confident around, and love animals, including birds
  - Have a great sense of humour, we enjoy a good laugh
  - Have a happy disposition and engage easily in conversation. This is important. We don’t enjoy hosting quiet, shy people who won’t chat at the dinner table or during work.
  - Be willing to ask questions if they need to.
  
  THE WORK
  Indoors...
  - Keeping the kitchen clean and tidy
  - Helping prepare and cook evening meals
  - Bringing in firewood
  - Vacuuming and mopping floors
  - Cleaning windows
  - Painting
  - General cleaning and tidying
  
  Outdoors ...
  - Weeding and tidying the garden
  - Gardening & landscaping
  - Mowing lawns
  - Gathering, chopping and stacking firewood
  - Feeding and caring for the animals
  
  Mature travellers with some life experience and the ability to work unsupervised would fit into our family the best.
  
  We are unable to cater for any special dietary needs, including vegetarian/vegan.

• 

  Idiomas hablados

  Inglés: Fluido

• 

  Alojamiento

  Accommodation is in a sleepout room that shares a large patio with my parents house. There is a queen bed, chairs, dressing table, TV, microwave, fridge, toaster, kettle and outdoor table and chairs.
  
  You would share a bathroom and kitchen in our house, which is a very short walk next door.
  
  We usually cook an evening meal however sometimes we do DIY dinners when we all make our own dinner when we want it. We are unable to cater to any special dietary needs including vegetarian/vegan.

• 

  Algo más...

  The Karangahake Gorge is a spectacular area with rivers for swimming, beautiful walking tracks along the old mine trails and through the tunnels, and many areas with ruins from the historic gold mining industry. There is native bush on and surrounding the property with many native birds and insects, including NZ glow worms. Our property has its own private access to the local walking tracks.
  
  Near the gorge are other nature trails and the Hauraki Rail Cycle Trail. We have mountain bikes you can borrow to explore these trails.
  
  Waihi Beach is 25 minutes away for surfing and swimming.
  
  Regional towns Paeroa (7 minutes drive) and Waihi (13 minutes drive) have a good selection of shops and cafes. There are other nearby country towns that are lovely to visit too.
  
  We are a central location for those wanting to travel further to the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, volcanic Rotorua, Hobbiton in Matamata and Hamilton City. Auckland is only 1.5 hours away.

• 

  Un poco más de información

  • 

    Acceso a Internet

  • 

    Acceso a Internet limitado

  • 

    Tenemos animales

  • 

    Somos fumadores

  • 

    Puede alojar familias

• 

  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  We have satellite WIFI and areas for laptop use.

• 

  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  We have carpark that can accommodate up to a medium sized camper.

• 

  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Dos

• 

  Horas esperadas

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Comentarios (6)