Help us around the house, gardens and olive groves near Kerikeri, New Zealand

Infos

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  Description

  Nature Retreat
  
  UPDATE March 2024
  
  Availability begins again towards the end of April. Please read our feedback for a quick explanation of who we are.
  
  Our guest accommodation (for you) is a modern, comfortable, self-contained flat ( an apartment ) it is perfect for a couple : or a young man : or two young men.
  40 square metres, all electric. Sleeps two in the most comfortable beds in New Zealand (truly)
  
  Are you a concert pianist? an arborist? Like cooking simple dinners? if not it does not matter, we welcome all Workawayers every month and all year long so please read our profile. There is always plenty to do on our 3.3 hectares estate. Interesting work.
  
  We are located in rural Bay of Islands, Northland, close to Kerikeri and Paihia. We invite inquiries.
  
  Are you an arborist? There is some interesting tree work with olives needing attention, working from the ground. For other guests/helpers there are simpler small maintenance tasks on the estate and around the house. We request only about three hours of help.
  
  We live a quiet, very peaceful rural lifestyle with olive groves, ponds and white swans. Surrounded by nature. Read our feedback for more information.
  
  We can share with you (free) unlimited 4G broadband wifi. Excellent reception via wireless transmission.
  
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  WAIMATE NORTH is in the popular Bay of Islands region, near KERIKERI and PAIHIA (pronounced Pie Here)
  
  Our 3.3 hectares of landscaped estate has two olive groves of 140 trees and four large ponds with flowering water lilies and ducks and swamp birds.
  There are lots of birds and rabbits, two beautiful white swans called Prince and Princess and a goose called Eric. And a large pet eel called EELy who is very intelligent and can say "massage please" in three languages; and her friend EELaine. Nature surrounds us.
  
  We often raise orphaned small birds. We specialise in young magpies.
  
  Our orchard of thirty trees includes 10 avocados of four varieties plus fruiting bananas on rich, volcanic soil.
  
  Area of lawns and olive groves is 2.2 hectares mown weekly by Graham. But helpers are never asked to use the powerful, diesel mower.
  We have developed from farmland a very neat and peaceful corner of rural New Zealand: thousands of trees; two olive groves; five ponds.
  
  We have a large, modern, two-story, four-bedroom, four bathroom house.
  
  Our 40 square meter guest apartment is fully independent and is equipped for comfort. The kitchen is modern with an electric ceramic cook top and microwave oven and a fridge. Freezer space is available to share. Laundry is also to share.
  A bedroom within the unit has two new, very comfortable king single beds. Hot shower. Bathroom. Easy car parking alongside the door of the apartment.
  Note ... Graham says "this apartment is very clean and very tidy (like Noelle)"
  
  Please help Graham prune and chip trees and tidy up. Plus odd jobs about the property as Graham broke his back and can only work from his quad bike or electric farm vehicle. Help with a small, rich vegetable garden. Noelle might like some help with housekeeping (eg clean windows with a window vacuum) and also with small gardening tasks in her gardens near the house. Regular use of a leaf blower on the paving surrounds of the house.
  
  We ask for no more than about three hours help per day. Five days per week. This is much less than the standard five hours per day. We are happy with three hours and it gives our guests longer days to go exploring the walking tracks, small villages and beaches in this lovely district.
  
  Ask to stay EXTRA DAYS FREE, we will enjoy seeing you make the most of your visit. We have hosted 128 Workawayers from 18 countries since 2017
  
  IMPORTANT NOTE .... HELPERS/GUESTS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN TRANSPORT AND FOOD : the hours of help requested has been reduced to acknowledge this.
  The all-electric kitchen in the flat has every facility.
  Yes, Graham sometimes cooks and we all can share a meal together, often alfresco surrounded by gardens and flowers (see note below) or in winter time in front of the warm lounge fire.
  
  Tea and coffee and milk and basic seasonings are supplied, enough to get you started. Bedding and towels are supplied. Share laundry is available, top loading machine.
  
  WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU ARE STAYING WITH US
  
  We are an excellent handy location for day trips to the North (Doubtless Bay, Ninety Mile Beach, Cape Reinga): to the West (Hokianga Harbour, scenic isolated beaches and giant Kauri trees): East to Paihia, (boat trips, islands, walking tracks and historic Russell.)
  
  For trips to Cape Reinga and to the Hokianga and for trips to Russell our guests take the whole day off and this gives them lots of time for exploring. We like to see them making the most of their stay and enjoy hearing about their adventures when they return. You can even leave to go north for a few days or a week camping and hiking and return to your unit to continue your stay. We are very relaxed and happy to fit in with your wishes.
  
  We are 16kms from Kerikeri CBD (main shopping village) : 10km from Kerikeri Airport: 18km from Paihia (beach, ferries and maritime center)
  
  Graham is a retired Bay of Islands cruise boat skipper (captain), Noelle is a retired receptionist of Waitangi Treaty House and Trust and of the Royal NZ Navy where she was a hydrographer/cartographer.
  
  All our guests are NON-SMOKERS; all have their own transport; hopefully they are also covid-protected. They provide their own food and cook their meals. All our guests prefer this; it explains our reduced hours (five hours reduced to three hours) Sometimes we get together for a shared meal cooked by Graham. Sometimes a guest will cook in our own large kitchen for all of us. We like that! If you enjoy cooking, why not include that as your morning contribution to a short working day ? Graham will supply all the ingredients.
  
  Noelle and Graham are sixth generation New Zealanders. Graham writes and publishes non-fiction books.
  
  We are retired, relaxed and just appreciate cultural exchanges and companionship and some help. Most of our guests stay for three to five weeks, some for ten weeks and some for up to three return visits. We really do like meeting people !
  
  Also, Graham says "if you are a pianist you are welcome to play my lovely Atlas piano which is regularly tuned : it is fantastic!"
  Note : on December 25, 2023 we had nine pianists playing my piano . . .

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Jardinage

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général

  Aide informatique/internet
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  The practice of English language is No 1 on the list. But our lifestyle is one of living in a beautiful rural area where peace and tranquility reign supreme. This really is a lovely place and the house and the helpers' apartment are modern and comfortable. This apartment (also called a 'flat' or 'unit') is suited to one person or two. Noelle and Graham do not smoke and nor do our guests.

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  Aide

  We have two olive groves of 140 trees which need occasional pruning of branches. We have four landscaped large ponds which need to be kept neat and tidy for our two white swans and ducks and other birds. We have 400m of driveway and sometimes the edges need to be trimmed with a small machine. A small vegetable garden and an orchard are close to the house. There is sometimes work to do there. Graham mows his 2.2 hectares of lawns every week, using a big machine which he will not ask helpers to use. But he cannot use a weed eater (line trimmer) or a polesaw chainsaw because he broke his back and is now not strong enough. Safety helmet and protective leggings are provided.
  
  Noelle would like the windows in the house cleaned from time to time ( about every 3 months) using a K'Archer electric window vacuum. Some help with housekeeping might be nice. Some guests like to cook a shared meal in our big, all electric kitchen and that has been a lot of fun but it is not expected of guests. If you do like cooking we would like that very much and it could be part or all of your helping hours on some days.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
  
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  Hébergement

  As described : a modern unit, all electric kitchen with cooktop and microwave, fridge. Share our laundry and our freezer space if needed, you are welcome. But note that you will cook your own meals. In return we ask for only 3 hours help per day (not 5) and on some days, no work at all if you wish to go exploring Northland for the day. We are retired, relaxed and just appreciate some help when it is offered. If your stay is for longer than two weeks we are happy for you to take extra whole days off free of obligation to go camping or hiking.
  
  Want to stay over the winter months? Why not? But in this case, please include some regular meal preparation for Noelle and Graham in our own kitchen. The house is warmed by an everlasting wood fire right through the cold months because we grow our own firewood and have a big reserve supply in dry storage.
  
  Wifi is unlimited data shared with our helpers/guests

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  Autres infos...

  As described in our "description" we are an excellent base for exploring Northland and a delightful home to return to at the end of the day. Even if you go north for a few days camping, you can return home to us and tell us all about your trip! We will keep your unit available and secure and you can continue your stay.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Lots of room for parking on a large concrete apron which surrounds the east and south sides of the house. Level parking. But unable to supply electricity to campervans because we do not have the correct power points. A standard extension lead could be provided for charging devices.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  Maximum approximately 3 hours a day, 5 days a week; prefer a stay of at least 10 -14 days Suggested hours 9.00 am to 12 noon m to 11 am or 9.00 am to 12 noon.

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