Lend a hand with outdoor projects while enjoying spectacular nature near Hella, Iceland

Infos

• 

  Description

  Hi! We are Diddi (Icelandic) and Editka (Slovak).
  
  We discovered workaway as volunteers when we travelled together for about half a year... we loved it and are loving the hosting side of it just as much!
  
  Since 2021 we've been living in a modest house on a 1.5 ha land just outside Hella, in the south of Iceland, with our two boys.
  We just wanted to move out here to get away from the trappings of urban living. It just wasn't doing anything for us!
  
  But, Let me just be straight with you guys:
  We aren't your quintessential A-type family, with 4 kinds of sporty outdoor hobbies and a full calendar of social events throughout the year.
  One might even say... that we vibrate at a significantly lower frequency than that! 😅
  
  The following is more... us:
  -digging around in the dirt
  -permaculture (wanna do more) 😁
  -relaxing in a hot tub!
  -pallet projects
  -DIY solutions.
  -second hand shopping
  -coffee
  -our trash cans are all zip-tied!
  -Diddi's shoes and clothes are mostly glued and repaired 😝
  -our favorite furniture is our living room swing chairs
  -more coffee
  -Oh... and our whole family sleeps on a giant mattress on the floor of one bedroom!
  ...So, if this hasn't painted a picture, I don't know what will. 😆
  
  BASICALLY it comes down to this: we have plenty of indoor projects, outdoor projects (largely involving reclaimed materials and budget solutions!) and gardening projects. We have about a 1000 ideas for things we want to do and on average, about half a day a week (if lucky) to dedicate any real time to doing them.
  
  We will feed you.
  We will caffeinate you (with quality, single source, micro-roastery coffee!).
  We will show you the sights.
  We'll give you all the juicy details of the local area for maximum enjoyment at the lowest budget!
  We'll lend you a bicycle and even a car (if it's not at the mechanic's!).
  
  The primary SKILLSET we need... is having hands. We then figure out together what is the best use for your hands while you are with us ;)
  
  Having said that... anyone who is familiar with the use of tools, knows their way around a kitchen or a garden is especially appreciated!
  Also, a driver's license is REALLY useful 😁
  
  We like volunteers to be involved in our family life, spending time with us, but we also are very respectful of personal space and very flexible with work hours.
  
  Do not expect to find a city with electrifying nightlife - we live just outside a fairly small town.
  Coming here is more about appreciating the slower pace of life and genuinely interacting with another people, country and nature.

• 

  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
• 

  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Films et télé

  

  Langues

  

  Auto-stop

  

  Jardinage

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Sports nautiques

  

  Nature

  

  Randonnée

  

  Camping
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  We speak Icelandic, English, Slovak and some Spanish. We are both quite interested in learning more Italian and are more than happy to practice with you if you are interested in learning any of the languages we speak!
  
  We know the local area and it's attractions quite well and will mark for you any places of interest that you would like to see.
  
  We'd love to talk about your travels and tell you about ours.
  There is a great deal more of topics that tickle our interest and we'd love to get into the gritty details! As has already been hinted at, we are interested in eco-projects, sustainable living, minimalism, good coffee, enjoying our family time and much more. Life is for learning and expanding on your knowledge and experiences. To us, this is true value and real wealth!

• 

  Aide « au pair »

  De plus amples informations sont disponibles ici

• 

  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

• 

  Aide

  ##THE PROJECTS##
  { The type of help we need depends largely on time of year! }
  
  ** Outdoor DIY projects **
  { We focus especially on these in June, July and September. }
  
  -Pallet projects (benches, toolsheds etc) 👍
  
  -Construct a basic shed and attach our 4x2m lean-to greenhouse to it.
  
  -Mak our main entrance roof overhang (north side of house) wind-proof!
  
  -Make more patio tiles from reclaimed wood.
  
  -Brainstorm with us how to make our dream-sunroom over the terrace 😁
  (Long term goal; requires drawings and permits)
  
  
  ** Other outdoor, gardening and landscaping projects **
  { Gardening and landscaping get special attention in April, May and June, but if the ground is frost-free we also do some things in autumn }
  
  -Cutting grass and low growth with the brushcutter.
  (The last cut is done right before winter, to prevent snow piling up!)
  
  -Continue expanding our walking path network around the house and land, using local material / cost-effective solutions.
  
  -Propagate trees (we have birch, spruce, pine and poplar), relocate/plant some trees into a shelter belt around the house. This place is windy!
  
  -Fertilize and manage young trees we've planted around the house and land.
  
  -Bring in more manure, compost and organic material, to improve soil condition and reduce erosion.
  
  -Manage compost and improve compost stations for kitchen scrap and garden waste.
  
  -Improve our raised garden beds for veggies w/grid for a tarp
  
  -We have a 45ft container that we intend to partially berm into the earth next to our house (long term project!)
  
  -Organizing and retrofitting inside the container is an ongoing project:
  We are preparing a basic workshop near the front of the container!
  
  -Wild harvesting herbs and berries! Mainly we collect the arctic thyme during summer and blueberries/crowberries in the fall.
  
  
  ** Some of the indoor projects **
  { We focus on these in colder months; March, April, September, October and November }
  
  -We only have about 70m2 on the base floor plus some 30m2 sleeping loft. Basically: do what the tiny-house community does, but to a small-house!
  
  -Second hand furniture repurposing, set up wall shelves from reclaimed wood; that sorta thing.
  
  -Repainting the walls that our kids have...
  ...decorated 😅
  
  -Furniture, counter tops and more surfaces need to be oiled regularly.
  
  -Need to apply sealant in wall/ceiling gaps and a few such aesthetic touches.
  
  -More house plants! We're talking trellises, hanging plants, wall mounted plants... the works!
  IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH INDOOR KITCHEN HERBS, CONTACT US!
  
  -Continue setting up the room in the sleeping loft to make the most of the space.
  
  
  **Cleaning and help around the house**
  { This is stuff that always needs doing! }
  
  -Talk with the boys!
  If you speak czech or slovak the boys will understand you perfectly. Thanks to workawayers, they've also picked up a fair bit of english!
  
  Anton is whirlwind of energy (but a big lover of books) while Emil is a careful and sometimes sneaky (yet adorable) little guy.
  If one were to assign them each a spirit animal, Anton's would be some sort of chimp-labrador hybrid, whereas Emil's would probably be a cross between a housecat and a koala!
  
  -We really like the notions of Montessori and have tried to apply some of that, but not very diligently! IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR with Montessori
  homeschooling, unschooling etc., let us know; any suggestions and advice would be welcome!
  
  -Join us in the pool; We go ALL THE TIME to the local thermal swimming pool and it's always nice to have an extra set of eyes since the boys are all over the place!
  
  -There is the usual household business... dishes, cooking, cleaning; you'll find that mess and kids go hand in hand ;)
  
  -Grocery shopping; Especially convenient for workawayers with particular dietary requirements or preferences... or if you simply wanna cook a particular meal!
  
  
  **Other random stuff**
  
  -Going to pick up stuff while we're at work! We found that going to Reykjavìk on errands is something we'd just as well avoid. But perhaps you wanna go see the sights and don't mind picking up some items for us along the way!
  
  -Last but certainly not least on this LOOONG list:
  Material scavenging! We're talking pallets and reclaimable wood, logs, stone, gravel, concrete tiles, grassturf, manure and organic materials, trees and plants, furniture and other second hand stuff (often free)...
  ...yeah, you get the picture 😅

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Icelandic: Courant
  Slovak: Courant
  Espagnol: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Italian Spanish Slovak English
• 

  Hébergement

  At present, we have a small room with a sofa bed, and a room upstairs in the sleeping loft.
  
  The usual system with food is that we try to have a proper lunch but a light dinner. However, during working days we aren't at home for lunch, so this is mainly applicable on weekends and holidays I suppose!
  But the fridge will be kept well stocked and any food is fair game. You could cook yourself lunch, even cook enough for everyone to have, either for dinner same day or for next day. We don't mind eating something two days in a row!
  
  We don't have any particular food restrictions or preferences and we eat basically anything... although we can't guarantee that the kids will! Usually they have some yoghurt or something for dinner, so no biggie.
  
  In any case, some arrangement can be arrived at that works for everybody ;)

• 

  Autres infos...

  We are near the UNESCO designated area of "Katla Geopark", near Mt. Hekla and the infamous Eyjafjallajökull. Several waterfalls, glaciers, glacial lagoons, the so-called "black beach" and more are all within an hour's drive from here. "The Golden Circle" is also just over an hour's drive from here as well, not to mention our personal favorite; the Reykjadalur valley's warm river... an actual natural hot spring that feeds into a river, creating one of the larger and more unique natural bathing spots in South-Iceland... possibly even all of Iceland!
  
  In the area where we live, we're a stone's throw away from a waterfall and a our land is adjacent to a forestry project that has yielded a few modest groves of trees and meadows, with crisscrossing streams and such. In the summer time we have a veritable orchestra of birdsong!
  
  In short, if natural wonders are your thing, we got plenty of nature to be explored around here! We'll provide you with map locations, details, tips and tricks to your heart's content. On weekends we might want to forego doing home projects and instead go for a drive to see the sights. Or perhaps one of us would go with you and kids while the other stays home to roll up the sleeves!
  
  We have two cars and a couple of bicycles (with plans for acquiring more bikes). We are slightly outside of town, about 3 km. There are some backroads that are quite enjoyable to walk which will take you to town without having to walk alongside the main road traffic. You can also go that way via mountain-bike, although parts of the path are rather sandy and not so compressed.

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  The house is usually empty (except for workawayers) between 9 and 16 on working days. While boys are home, and awake, there is not so much peace in the house though!

• 

  Espace pour garer des vans

  We have plenty of space for a campervan of any size!

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

Sécurité du site

Feedback (13)