Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
29 Oct 2024
Reply rate
87.8 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
88
Email verified
Badges (2)
Give the gift of Workaway
read more
Find your perfect host
Details
Description
Hi there, thanks for visiting our page!
*We're flattered to have been favourited over 800 times on this website (*over 500 active users). Our aim is to be the #1 awesome Workaway experience in NZ - please check out the feedback*
In brief:
Sunny, elevated and spacious 44 acre section, fully off-grid paradise
Panoramic views over Motueka river and Tasman Bay, from The Marlborough Sounds to the Abel Tasman National Park (you can see the peaks of the Nelson Lakes National Park too)
12kms from central Motueka / 12kms from the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri / 16kms from Marahau
Great mobile reception and fast internet
Backs onto Kahurangi National Park - endless trails for walking/hiking/mountain biking right here
Swim in the clean Motueka River just a few mins away
Close to vineyards, skydiving, cycle trails, etc. - so much to do around here.
No smokers please
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
This is a mission-based project - we're returning land back to it's pre-human state, replanting the original endemic native tree species, and bringing back the birdsong.
Fully off-grid living, self-sufficiency, wild edibles/foraging, growing native trees from seed/ seedlings/ cuttings, tree release, planting, setting and maintaining traplines, trapping invasive wild animals (the ones that eat the native birds or their eggs)
Most of all you'll learn about conservation, restoration, NZ native birds and trees (if you want to), also more broadly, yin yoga, reiki, zumba, theta, forest bathing, meditation, breathing etc. for those that are interested.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We're on a mission - slowly turning 44 acres back to native forest, eradicating predators, bringing the birdsong back, opening up access paths and growing our own locally-sourced native trees. We've planted around 12,500 native trees over the last 4 years in a large-scale, long-term and ongoing project.
We're looking for chilled, positive, fit, conservation-minded people (*prefer couples or single guys) for up to 2 weeks for:
Light track maintenance, felling small wilding pines (handsaw only), some gardening, some planting, checking traplines, watering baby trees in our small nursery, we have some art projects too.
During rainy days in winter we'd appreciate help with cooking housekeeping work, childcare if you love children and spending time with them.
*If you plan to stay May-September (our winter), it's hardcore native tree-planting time!
*Please note: We would prefer global people who have an active interest in: restoration projects, nature, wildlife, being outdoors, yoga and fitness, climate activism, self-sufficiency, spirituality, self-awareness, positive living (rather than "it looks like a nice place")
*Please remember: *You need to supply and cook your own food - we do not cook for guests* +++ * please be water wise - we are fully off grid and water usage is limited in the summer if dry*
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
German: Intermediate
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
Keen on brushing up French and German, but all people welcome here!
Accommodation
Luxury powered TIPI (November-April) with king-size double bed, OR double bedroom in house (all year). Cook for yourself (with your own food) in our shared kitchen, our outdoor kitchen, or try out our sun ovens.
When things get busy in the hotter summer months, we have tents in private, shady sites close to the house, or parking for vans if you prefer sleeping there.
Whatever the accomodation, you'll have:
- shower, loo and bathroom in the main house (shared with other guests who are staying with us, a 50 metre walk away from the tipi/tent sites)
- full use of shared kitchen with solar-powered induction cookers / sun ovens
- a chill-out zone in a converted barn with shared fridge and sofas open 24hrs
- a converted writing shed next to the tipi with desk and table for writing that novel
- a large purpose-built elevated meditation platform for forest-bathing amongst old-growth native trees
- an amphitheatre for spontaneous performance, 5-side football and more
- access to large indoor yoga/dance studio
- full use of all gardens, orchards and walking tracks around the whole property (they will keep you fit!)
- 2 x complementary kayaks, 1 x mountain bike yours to use anytime
What else ...
About me:
Now a single dad with 2 awesome kids (every other week), 10 and 7, one friendly old Huntaway/Kelpie X dog.
Things that make us buzz: trees, forest bathing, regenerating native forest, yin yoga, surfing, writing, fitness, meditation, hiking, wild edibles, self-sufficiency, living life to its fullest, positive mindset etc. and providing the best Workawayer experience that we can possibly provide.
Best to have your own transport as there's no bus service, and we are 15kms from town.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Digital nomads most welcome, happy for you to run your gig from here. After all, this is exactly what we do too. Strong internet here! We're experienced in business startups and do global business every day from here.
Space for parking camper vans
You're most welcome to stay in your own camper van, we have lots of space - *please note we have an epic driveway which is steep in places, but no problem for 2WD.
Can possibly accept pets
Absolutely NO CATS please because we have lots of native birds. Well trained dogs welcome.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum only 3 hours a day, 5 days a week
Host ref number: 216263854128
Feedback (33)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Viktoria & Thorsten)
Viktoria and Thorsten are some of the loveliest people you could wish to meet. If you're lucky enough to have them stay over, we would highly recommend them, they're great company, great workers, chilled out and an all-round excellent couple. We look forward to seeing them again!
(Excellent
)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Matej & Zdenka)
These guys are legends - what a family! We would give them 6 stars if we could , but 5 is the limit. Matej is handy with the power tools and got stuck into the wilding pine with the chainsaw, Zdenka is a brilliant cook who produces miracles in the kitchen and their son Ed is totally chilled out. Great conversations, great times, chilled vibes and… read more
(Excellent
)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Alvaro & Elena)
We're always delighted by the people we meet via Workaway and it was a real pleasure to have Alvaro and Elena stay with us. They are super friendly and lots of fun to hang out with, and great workers too. They did some native tree planting and helped plant an entire hillside full of cacti and succulents for fire protection. They are really… read more
(Excellent
)
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Viktoria & Thorsten)
Viktoria and Thorsten are some of the loveliest people you could wish to meet. If you're lucky enough to have them stay over, we would highly recommend them, they're great company, great workers, chilled out and an all-round excellent couple. We look forward to seeing them again!
(Excellent)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Matej & Zdenka)
These guys are legends - what a family! We would give them 6 stars if we could , but 5 is the limit. Matej is handy with the power tools and got stuck into the wilding pine with the chainsaw, Zdenka is a brilliant cook who produces miracles in the kitchen and their son Ed is totally chilled out. Great conversations, great times, chilled vibes and… read more
(Excellent)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Alvaro & Elena)
We're always delighted by the people we meet via Workaway and it was a real pleasure to have Alvaro and Elena stay with us. They are super friendly and lots of fun to hang out with, and great workers too. They did some native tree planting and helped plant an entire hillside full of cacti and succulents for fire protection. They are really… read more
(Excellent)
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Chloe & Julien)
Chloe and Julian are fully awesome, hard working, lovely people, highly recommended! They are great workers, fast learners and have traveled widely, and they plant a lot of trees! You would be lucky to host these two
(Excellent)
18 Aug 2024
Left by Workawayer (Chloe & Julien) for host
We stayed the first two weeks of July at this beautiful place. Ollie, Nataliya, Alex & Ana are so inspiring ! ✨
We learned a lot about native trees and birds in NZ with Ollie and planted around 500 trees (Séquoia, Mahoe, Nikau). What a pleasure for us to help with this amazing project to rebuild a native forest and get rid of the pest. We also… read more
We learned a lot about native trees and birds in NZ with Ollie and planted around 500 trees (Séquoia, Mahoe, Nikau). What a pleasure for us to help with this amazing project to rebuild a native forest and get rid of the pest. We also… read more
17 Oct 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Tomas)
Tomas is completely brilliant, he built us some cool steps on our QEII track, worked with the chainsaw and machete easily taking out wilding pine, and fixed his van up in his downtime. He's really practical, well-travelled and a great conversationalist with a wide range of interests. Highly recommended, we would welcome him back anytime
(Excellent)
28 Sep 2024
Left by Workawayer (Tomas) for host
I had some really nice days staying with Ollie, Nat, Alex and Anna. Helping Ollie building some steps for some of the paths around this amazing regeneration project.
I was really lucky because Ollie lent me some tools and gave me a really nice space to work on my van on my free time, which was very handy for me and I'm really grateful.
I had the… read more
I was really lucky because Ollie lent me some tools and gave me a really nice space to work on my van on my free time, which was very handy for me and I'm really grateful.
I had the… read more
28 Jul 2024
Left by Workawayer (Michal) for host
We were pleased to be welcomed into such a nice household and to be involved in a project on their property. We were given clear and straightforward tasks, such as planting trees or weeding sections of a trail, which we enjoyed doing in the fresh air. And thank you for taking us to zumba class :-)
10 Jul 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Katelyn)
Katelyn and Michal stayed with us for a week in early July in tree planting season and they were awesome! Nothing was too hard for them and they synced in easily with the family. And yes, they planted a whole load of trees, also did some maintenance work and some weed control. Katelyn has walked the Te Aroha trail and is unstoppable. Make sure you… read more
(Excellent)
10 Jun 2024
Left by Workawayer (Gersende & Nathan) for host
What an amazing experience we had with your wonderful family ! Exchanging with Ollie, Nat, and the kids about their way of life and their way of thinking has been so enlightening for us. What an incredible family you have !
We had an amazing time every single day of this 10 day stay and felt like a part of this family. We would love to come again… read more
We had an amazing time every single day of this 10 day stay and felt like a part of this family. We would love to come again… read more
10 Jun 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Gersende & Nathan)
Jess and Nathan stayed with us for 10 days in June, and are some of the loveliest people we have met. They are well-travelled, kind, generous, open to conversation, hard-working and fitted in here really well. They helped us with track maintenance, weed control, and more, often working beyond their allocated hours. They also helped us to set up a… read more
(Excellent)
5 May 2024
Left by Workawayer (Ashvi) for host
I had an amazing time with Ollie and Nat, and their awesome kids. They were very welcoming and I got to learn so much about practical restoration work. They made sure I got to see all the best bits of Motueka, and took me to climb mountains, kayaking, and swimming at the beach. Ollie is very inspiring and has a wealth of knowledge about nature and… read more
21 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Ashvi)
Ashvi is a super-friendly chilled out zoology student who travels internationally between Adelaide, London, Liverpool and.... sunny Motueka :) She is a hard worker with a great sense of humour, and is always up for a challenge. While she was here she did the mountain climb at dawn, ocean swimming and the river kayaking, as well as zumba and yoga.… read more
(Excellent)
16 Mar 2024
Left by Workawayer (Emma & Thomas) for host
In this feedback we really want to thank Ollie, Nat, Alex & Ana again for everything that they’ve done for us: they welcomed us into their family, made sure Thomas had an unforgettable birthday <3, taking Emma to yoga and Zumba, and much more!!
Ollie knows so much about the nature and it is so inspiring to see how knowledge and love for nature… read more
Ollie knows so much about the nature and it is so inspiring to see how knowledge and love for nature… read more
9 Mar 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Emma & Thomas)
Thomas and Emma are such a lovely and positive couple and we were really pleased they chose to stay with us on this Workaway. They helped with a variety of tasks including watering the tree nursery, tree release (which is hardcore weeding in sloping landscapes) and track maintenance. Nothing was ever too much fr them and they are totally easygoing… read more
(Excellent)
13 Mar 2024
Left by Workawayer (Ronja) for host
Absolutely amazing place with inspiring people to be with. I feel very grateful to have been at this stunning paradise & were able to spend time with Natalie, Ollie, their kids & other same minded workawayers :) I left after a week full of inspirations, trust in my way & in life and a heart full of love. Truly grateful for all the amazing… read more
9 Mar 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Ronja)
Ronja stayed with us for a few days in February in the bedroom/tipi and was brilliant all around. She's super positive and nothing was too hard for her. She helped with track maintenance, tree release, watering in the tree nursery and much more. Great conversations were had and she was full of questions about how we do what we do with native… read more
(Excellent)
24 Feb 2024
Left by Workawayer (Carina) for host
Thank you Ollie & Nat for the wonderful time I had with you guys! Your home is something very special and I had a unique experience! Thanks for choosing me and letting me be your guest!
Communication with both of them was super easy. Nat picked me up in Motueka and I felt welcomed from the start. The kids were open-minded as well and I really… read more
Communication with both of them was super easy. Nat picked me up in Motueka and I felt welcomed from the start. The kids were open-minded as well and I really… read more
15 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Carina)
A full 6 star rating for Carina. It's hard to imagine a kinder, more caring, more conscientious person. Nothing was too hard, communication was excellent, and nothing was ever an issue. She helped us with track maintenance, tree release and heaps of other things around the house. She always did more than she was supposed to in terms of work/hours… read more
(Excellent)
22 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Guss)
Guss and Asher are an awesome duo, fully chilled out and ready to get stuck into most projects. Here they built some basic steps, did some weed eating/strimmer work, track clearance, tree release, fire safety work, including chopping gorse on steep slopes in the middle of a hot summer. They are super easy going and inquisitive, so easy to get… read more
(Excellent)
16 Feb 2024
Left by Workawayer (Julia & Michael) for host
Ollie, Nat, Alex and Anna gave us an open and generous welcome to their home, dreams and aspirations. We felt enriched by spending time with them and in helping them progress with developing their land for biodiversity and human potential. And also the whole family made sure we felt as if we were receiving all the time, we had some excellent fun,… read more
15 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Julia & Michael)
Unsurpassed coddiwomple excellence all around! Mike and Julia are definitely not you average Workawayers. Unfortunately they only stayed a few days and when they left we felt as though we could have shared conversation/ knowledge for so much longer than we did. They helped by removing invasive weeds (pampas grass), chainsawing wood, tree release,… read more
(Excellent)
16 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Kirsty)
Kirsty stayed with us for a few days in February and we were sad to see her leave. She is a conscientious worker and nothing was ever an issue, she fitted right in with our family and the other Workawayers who were staying here. Having stayed at monasteries and been involved in mindfulness and meditation she has an excellent grounded energy which… read more
(Excellent)
16 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Mirren)
Mirren stayed with us for a few days in February and fitted right in with the team here. She helped doing tree release and track maintenance and was always helpful and enthusiastic and sociable with the other Workawayers who were staying here at the same time. Highly recommended!
(Excellent)
15 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Kei)
Kei is an all-round lovely person who illuminates a room just by walking into it. She is ultra polite and considerate of everyone's needs, and an excellent worker. She stayed with us for almost 3 weeks, extending her stay, and we were so glad to host her here - we hope to see her again!
(Excellent)
15 Feb 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Kristen & Loren)
Retta (Kristen) and Loren were a lot of fun to have around, it's hard to imagine two more laid back people. They worked hard, doing jobs like track maintenance, tree release and more, and nothing was a problem, they just got on and did it, all so effortless. They are social and fun to have around, with a diverse background and always interesting… read more
(Excellent)
30 Jan 2024
Left by Workawayer (Kristen & Loren) for host
We had a fantastic stay at Ollie and Nat's place. The work was predominantly outside, including weeding, digging, watering, and stacking wood. I appreciated the work style as well: we were given a job, told how to do it, then left to get it done. This is my preferred way of doing things. Ollie and Nat were both fascinating people and lovely to… read more
28 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Charlène & Brandon)
Charlene and Brandon (and baby Zoe) stayed with us in January and were of immense help around the house and property here. We have quite a few Workawayers at one time and they mucked in with everyone else, going above and beyond their working hours, helping with childcare, cooking, tree release, general maintenance and planting seedlings. Charlene… read more
(Excellent)
25 Jan 2024
Left by Workawayer (Charlène & Brandon) for host
We had the most amazing time at Ollie & Nat! I would recommend this place and go back there in a heart beat! They shared with us their love and passion ; Ollie through his knowledge of foraging food and kayaking down the river, Nat through Zumba and Yin Yoga! Alex and Anna were the best to play with our daughter and to keep us creative and… read more
19 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Kerstin)
Tini is a highly educated, confident young woman travelling the world. She plays at least 3 musical instruments, speaks fluent English and her beach reading is Stephen Hawking's Brief Answers to the Big Questions! We had some interesting conversations in the time she was here, she helped us with a range of things mainly around tree release /… read more
(Excellent)
19 Jan 2024
Left by Workawayer (Tim) for host
we had a fantastic christmas at Olly and Natalie's place! so cool to turn land into native Forrest again, and nice to see all those side projects on the land as well. we want to thank you for the time we have spend at your place,and wont forget this experience with this lovely family
E&T
E&T
2 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Tim)
Tim and Ellen are a fully awesome couple of world travellers, very chilled out and friendly, top star rating, we were sad when they left, (but we bumped into them later at a festival :)) There was a big crew when they were here over Christmas, everyone worked together doing a bunch of stuff, mainly around tree release and planting seedlings. Can't… read more
(Excellent)
12 Jan 2024
Left by Workawayer (Grégoire & Lorraine) for host
we had a fantastic experience at Sunrise with Ollie, Nat, Alex and Anna. they are very inspiring people that will mark us for a long time. their projet is impressive and very brave. we learnt a lot about local flora and fauna, met very interesting people and had very good time. definitely the best workaway we have done so far. thank you so much… read more
10 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Grégoire & Lorraine)
What a pleasure it was to host Greg, Lorraine, and their twins Brune and Joseph. They stayed with us for 10 days over Christmas and new year, bringing a positive energy and levity to the house. There were quite a few people staying with us at that time of different ages and nationalities, but everything seemed to flow along smoothly. We had some… read more
(Excellent)
2 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Manon & Luc)
Manon, Luc, Lilia and Elsa are a fantastic family from France, travelling the world to look at other people's perspectives, enjoying every day. Luc is a triathlete and literally runs up mountains before breakfast, there's always a really great energy about the whole family. They stayed with us for around 2 weeks and were busy with weed eating,… read more
(Excellent)
2 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (Adrienne & Liza)
Adrienne and Liza are a super-chilled out duo who stayed with us over the festive season. They brought along a light and positive energy with them, and were extra friendly to our kids, teaching them new circus skills on the silks, and helping with jobs including tree release, track maintenance, planting up seedlings and more. Highly recommended!
(Excellent)
2 Jan 2024
Left by host for Workawayer (camillegl)
Camille stayed with us over Xmas when there was a big crew here, she took part in tree release, planting seedlings, and general maintenance tasks. She's super-friendly and very chilled, and totally welcome back here at any time!
(Excellent)
19 Dec 2023
Left by Workawayer (Tessa) for host
Ollie and Natalia were absolutely wonderful hosts. The work itself was rewarding and fun. We got to spend lots of time outdoors as we worked to restore the natural landscape. We also got to help in the kitchen making muesli and soup which was extra fun! Best of all were the good conversations about life, spirituality, and sustainability with Ollie… read more
5 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Tessa)
Tessa stayed with us for a few days in mid-Spring with her two friends Gavin and Claire. What a team, 6-star rating. They were brilliant doing tree release, planting seedlings and general tree maintenance work on this restoration project and always having that infectious upbeat optimistic vibe that we loved. Welcome back anytime!
(Excellent)
18 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Lana & Quentin)
It was great to host Lana and Quentin as they travel around NZ by bike. They stayed a few days which went quickly, helping us with tree release and track maintenance work, also a bit of furniture maintenance! Nat took Lana to yoga and zumba classes and Quentin went on several hikes. Highly recommend them to anyone. All the best for your travels… read more
(Excellent)
18 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Jule & Leon)
Jule and Leon are a fully awesome young couple, travelling around NZ. We would highly recommend them to anyone. They are both friendly and positive, and work really hard on projects give to them - they extended their stay here, effectively doubling it. Here they did a lot of work with tree release and track maintenance - they also gave our… read more
(Excellent)
5 Dec 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Elisa)
Very positive feedback for Elisa who was a star. She's lively and outgoing and was great at all jobs while staying here with several other guests at the same time. Elisa was doing tree release, planting seedlings and general tree maintenance work on this restoration project. It was great to be able to connect her with others and take them all… read more
(Excellent)
9 Nov 2023
Left by Workawayer (Justine & Riantsoa Marvin ) for host
Great moment in Ollie and Nath house. We were very happy to participe a their reforestation projet. We spent our time between missions (grounds maintenance, caring for baby trees, cut down invasive trees, etc) and activities (kayak, Abel Tasman, to climb the mounstain, etc) around Motueka.
I did in Zumba and Yoga with Nath, it was very cool… read more
I did in Zumba and Yoga with Nath, it was very cool… read more
20 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Justine & Riantsoa Marvin )
Justine and Marvin are an awesome couple who are full of life and energy. On their stay here they did river kayaking, ocean kayaking, tramping, and they climbed the mountain behind the house. They planted up seedlings, hacked down invasive wattle trees in the forest and did clearance and maintenance on the orchard. They also did a yin yoga class… read more
(Excellent)
26 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Christian) for host
The stay with Ollie & Nat was an all in all awesome experience!
I stayed with the family in their lovely house on top of a hill. Stunning view over the forest which I was able to contribute a small part in reforesting with planting trees. This wasn't anything like work. You walk on small paths threw a beautiful piece of nature, you hear the birds… read more
I stayed with the family in their lovely house on top of a hill. Stunning view over the forest which I was able to contribute a small part in reforesting with planting trees. This wasn't anything like work. You walk on small paths threw a beautiful piece of nature, you hear the birds… read more
19 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Christian)
Christian is a fully awesome guy who stayed with us for a couple of weeks. In that time he was doing meditation, learning Reiki and active forest bathing daily, he also attended yin yoga sessions and went for a huge tramp in the Abel Tasman national park. We remember him as the 'Kahikatea King' as he planted around 80 of these giant trees during… read more
(Excellent)
29 Sep 2023
Left by Workawayer (Nicolas) for host
That was an amazing experience regardless to the really bad weather I had.
To understand how important to restore the native nature, to see the nature change (in a good way!!) by our hands is priceless.
Ollie and Nat are so kind and open-minded. We had some really good talks about everything.
Don't hesite and go to help Ollie and Nat to… read more
To understand how important to restore the native nature, to see the nature change (in a good way!!) by our hands is priceless.
Ollie and Nat are so kind and open-minded. We had some really good talks about everything.
Don't hesite and go to help Ollie and Nat to… read more
14 Jun 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Nicolas)
Nicolas is a totally cool and chilled-out guy who was really helpful with lots of activities like tree planting, general maintenance, keeping the drains clear on a huge driveway, and is a pleasure to have around. We highly recommend him to anyone. Kind regards, Ollie & Nat
(Excellent)
5 Sep 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Elisabeth)
Beth stayed with us for around a week at the end of winter. Her mission was to clear some trails and plant some native trees, which she did with aplomb. We're both Guardian readers so it was easy to connect and refreshing to have such a thoughtful and intelligent person in the house with us. All the best on your travels Beth, hope you have a… read more
(Excellent)
5 Sep 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (David)
David stayed with us for just a few days right at the end if winter and was involved in planting the last batch of native trees out on the open slopes before the rains arrived. He planted around 100 in a single big day, then continued his adventure. He is a communicative and thoughtful guy, involved in mixing hip hop music from his Ibiza base,… read more
(Very good)
28 Aug 2023
Left by Workawayer (Isabel & Petrus ) for host
We enjoyed our time with Ollie and his family up in the hills overlooking Motueka Valley - what a fantastic project, meaningful to contribute to! Our tasks were varied and flexible timings - such as learning the trap lines, placing shields around pre-planted trees, digging holes and planting young trees, clearing bracken, collecting and chopping… read more
21 Aug 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Isabel & Petrus )
Isabel, Petrus and little Arri stayed with us for around 10 days in the middle of winter tree-planting season. These guys travelled mostly overland from Scandinavia to NZ and have some fantastic stories and observations to share. Even with the little one in tow they have a strong outdoor lifestyle and work ethic, we got good amounts of work done… read more
(Excellent)
6 Aug 2023
Left by Workawayer (Natalie) for host
I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for my first Workaway experience. I stayed here for 3 weeks and I really enjoyed our time with Nat, Ollie, Alex, Anna and Spenner. They make me feel part of the family since the first moment I arrived. When friends become family!
They really like having Workawayers and they were very pleased to make their… read more
They really like having Workawayers and they were very pleased to make their… read more
13 Jul 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Natalie)
It was a real pleasure to met Natalie, who stayed with us for a couple of weeks in early winter. She is a very good communicator and the conversations are always excellent. She was really great with our kids and became part of the family very quickly! We found out she's also an excellent photographer and talented cook! We would highly recommend… read more
(Excellent)
18 Jul 2023
Left by Workawayer (Seoyoung & Charlotte) for host
We had so much fun during the week we stayed in Motueka! We greatly enjoyed planting trees, which was very rewarding and soothing work. During our time off, Nat and Ollie made sure we could make the most of our time here, taking us to yoga and zumba classes and dropping us off to go kayaking and hiking in the Abel Tasman. Our game nights with Alex… read more
16 Jul 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Seoyoung & Charlotte)
Seoyoung and Charlotte are super-adventurous and ticked all the boxes while here. They hiked into the Abel Tasman, climbed the mountain behind us, we took them to zumba, yoga, kayaking down the river, in return they planted more than 250 trees in the week they stayed here. They are super-friendly, very communicative, have excellent English and… read more
(Excellent)
19 Jun 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Cloudscape)
Nyx describes herself as a sweet, friendly introvert - and indeed she is. She's ultra polite, and possesses a sharp intelligence that's like a ray of sunshine. In fact, out of all the (almost 100) Workawayers that we hosted here in the last few months, Nyx was an absolute standout and our #1 favourite, because of her charm, her friendliness, her… read more
(Excellent)
17 Jun 2023
Left by Workawayer (Sophie & Teifryn) for host
Being our first Workaway experience, we weren't sure what to expect, but Ollie and Nat were the perfect hosts. We thoroughly enjoyed planting the native trees (and reporting back home what we were planting!), and doing other tasks around the property like building an apple crate and helping out with the kids. Alex and Anna are such wonderful… read more
14 Jun 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Sophie & Teifryn)
Sophie and Teifryn are a cool chilled-out couple with a good sense of humour, they arrived in their awesome transit van, which they are creating into a mobile palace, check it out! They had a few days of tree planting mainly as that's what happens here at this time of year, and did a bit of baby sitting for us. They are great at building stuff out… read more
(Excellent)
8 May 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Merle)
Merle was super-friendly and always helpful. She was keen to learn new things and helped with tree planting, tree release, planting cuttings, and more. Her English is excellent and she is always in a bright, optimistic mood. Merle was really sociable with other travellers who were here at the same time, we have quite a social scene going on and… read more
(Excellent)
8 May 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Coline)
Coline was brilliant, super-friendly, always helpful, and very considerate around how we do things here. We would recommend her to anyone, she is 100% reliable and keen to learn new things, with a thirst for adventure that will inevitably take her to many different parts of the world. Coline you are welcome back anytime, we hope to see you again!
(Excellent)
5 May 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Kelsey)
Kelsey is a super fun and lively person with a great sense of humour and eagerness to learn new stuff. She was brilliant at all aspects of helping around the tree nursery, plantings, release, even digging out some water channels for us with a team of Workawayers to make sure our driveway was not going to flood. We were sad to see her go and would… read more
(Excellent)
20 Apr 2023
Left by Workawayer (Kelsey) for host
I spent ten days with Ollie, Nat, and their two kids and had an amazing experience. They were so incredibly welcoming, kind, and went above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and ensure that you were having a good time. Ollie has a wealth of knowledge around native New Zealand vegetation and invasive species and he was great at explaining it… read more
5 May 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Kelsey & Christopher)
Chris and Kelsey are brilliant, if we could give them 6 stars we would. They are super keen to soak up new experiences and look at alternative ways of living as they take a gap year out from their jobs in Missouri. They're both adventurous and communicative, and go way above and beyond with everything they did here. We had some tough work clearing… read more
(Excellent)
16 Apr 2023
Left by Workawayer (Kelsey & Christopher) for host
We had such an incredible time staying with Ollie, Nat, and their lovely family this past week! They are warm and welcoming, with loads of knowledge about anything ranging from the native flora/fauna to health and wellness. We can’t recommend this host enough, especially if you are interested in having good conversations, learning a lot, and… read more
26 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Franka Luna) for host
I just had such a lovely time staying with Ollie, Nat and their two sweet children. They're so welcoming and generous, always happy to help with information or offer to take you with them to activities. The work was very engaging and it's just such a motivating feeling to have done a little part in a huge project like this. There was always a nice… read more
18 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (George) for host
Ollie and Nat were some of the most generous people we’ve met in our time at New Zealand, always happy to help giving us information and advise. We enjoyed the work it was pretty easy and chill would definitely recommend going to stay. We can definitely say we had an amazing time and would definitely come back again in the future.
Kind regards… read more
Kind regards… read more
28 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (George)
Gibby and Jon are legends. We have a lot of guests coming through here, and some are more memorable than others. These guys were perhaps the hardest workers we had this season so far, and they like to work out when working on the land. Chainsaws, power tools, hardcore digging, nothing stops them, if they stayed longer we would have our 44 acre… read more
(Excellent)
16 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Irwin & Béatrice) for host
It was wonderful to stay with Ollie, Nat and their children. It was a great experience not only for us but although for our two boys. They are fantastic hosts with a welcoming mindset. It was very pleasant to help them in the project they have for their place. We share great times altogether with the other workaways. We continue our trip but we'll… read more
15 Mar 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Irwin & Béatrice)
Irwin & Beatrice, with their lovely children Aedan and Ewen and stayed with us recently for 10 days. It was great to see our children playing with theirs and there being no language barrier. Our children were sad when they left, so were we, but they are off to fresh adventures on their world tour! They're super-adventurous, kayaking and swimming… read more
(Excellent)
6 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Noëmi & Matthias) for host
Dear Nat, Ollie, Anna and Alex! Thank you very much for the amazing experience we had with you. We enjoyed your lovely place and the welcoming atmosphere you create for everyone. You included us so friendly into your family, celebrated a wonderful christmas with us and gave us a lot of freedom and oppurtunities to spend the days. The way you live… read more
8 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Noëmi & Matthias)
Noemi and Matthias are lovely, they have come back twice so far, so things are great! They are always welcome here. They helped out doing a whole bunch of stuff from tree release to weed-eater clearance. Highly recommended.
(Excellent)
28 Feb 2023
Left by Workawayer (Maxi & Lucas) for host
Olli, Natalie, their kids and their dog are fantastic hosts!
We had a lot of interesting and fun conversations about a lot of different areas in life. We also learned a lot about New Zealand and it's wildlife and plants. About Foresting and Trees in general.
They also helped us out when we were in trouble with our car.
We enjoyed every… read more
We had a lot of interesting and fun conversations about a lot of different areas in life. We also learned a lot about New Zealand and it's wildlife and plants. About Foresting and Trees in general.
They also helped us out when we were in trouble with our car.
We enjoyed every… read more
20 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Maxi & Lucas)
In a word, these guys are awesome! They are very conversational, and have a fantastic work ethic, we wouldn't even ask and things would get done. They are really into fitness and give them half a chance and they will start running up mountains. Nat took them to a zumba class, and we played a long board game with them with personal development and… read more
(Excellent)
28 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Johannes)
Johannes is a really kind, generous young guy who loves the outdoors, sometimes we forget he is only 18. He got on really well with the family and the kids especially, and loved our old dog. He extended his stay as he needed to do that - his car broke down and his foot got infected! Despite this, when he could work, he worked super hard, chopping… read more
(Excellent)
28 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Olivia)
Olivia and Eva stayed with us for a few days in February, and they were fully awesome, with a genuine interest in the stuff we do here e.g. reforestation, traplines, nursery care, tree release etc etc. They are both super-communicative, enthusiastic with intelligent lively minds and joy for the outdoors and adventure. We took them kayaking down… read more
(Excellent)
23 Feb 2023
Left by Workawayer (Eva) for host
Ollie and Natalie were so wonderful! They were both incredibly kind, with a relaxed approach to the work. We learned a lot about the native plants and animals, and their whole home and mission is so inspiring. It's a stunning place with nice amounts of privacy but also enjoyable community areas, and a beautiful garden and orchard we were able to… read more
21 Feb 2023
Left by Workawayer (Frank & Ann-Katrin) for host
Dear Nat, dear Ollie, dear Alex and dear Anna, thank you very much for your great hospitality and the experience we had with you. We had the opportunity to sleep with our children in your wonderful tipi, from which we had a great view of the valley. We thank you for your trust in us to do a lot of things as a family. We were very happy to help you… read more
20 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Frank & Ann-Katrin)
Frank, Ann-Katrin, Finn and Anna stayed with us for 10 days in mid-summer. They were wonderful guests and very thoughtful and considerate, with a very high level of understanding of the flow of family life with children. During their stay they helped with traplines, exterior painting, planting, weeding, tree propagation and more, almost always… read more
(Excellent)
17 Feb 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Maëva & Lucas)
Possibly one of the coolest couples on the planet, Maeva and Lucas stayed for a few days with us recently. To be honest we would give them 6-star rating but we can only do 5-star on this system. They are super-chilled and keen to talk and learn, and we loved having them here. Even though we only say guests work 3 hours a day, we couldn't stop… read more
(Excellent)
8 Feb 2023
Left by Workawayer (Maëva & Lucas) for host
We spent a wonderful week at Ollie and Nathalie 's place. During our stay, they always made sure that we had good time. The project they have for their property ... is inspiring and they are really passionate about it.
This was a source of motivation for the work we did there.
We can only highly recommend this workaway.
Thank and we hope we ll see… read more
This was a source of motivation for the work we did there.
We can only highly recommend this workaway.
Thank and we hope we ll see… read more
15 Feb 2023
Left by Workawayer (Rike) for host
Staying with Ollie and Nat and the kids was one of the best experiences I have had in New Zealand. Although the house was already packed with people, I got offered a place on short notice and I enjoyed my time in Motueka so much! The surroundings are super nice and calming and you can relax on the meditation platform or go for a walk in the woods.… read more
21 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Rike)
Rike is a superstar, so kind and polite, and always willing to help out. She's a gifted piano player and really great with the kids. Nothing was a problem for her and she enjoys lively intelligent conversation. We would highly recommend her to anyone, Rike you are always welcome here, wishing you all the best with your travels!
(Excellent)
21 Jan 2023
Left by Workawayer (Charlotte) for host
I highly recommend it! Ollie and Nat are really lovely and generous. I would have loved to share more time with them if I could have stayed longer.
The time worked is less than 2 hours a day.
The meditation platform is right in the middle of the forest, quite exceptional!
The time worked is less than 2 hours a day.
The meditation platform is right in the middle of the forest, quite exceptional!
20 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Charlotte)
Charlotte is brilliant, super-friendly and always willing to help out. She's a great communicator and we wished he had stayed a bit longer with us. Charlotte, you are welcome anytime!
(Excellent)
8 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Rivers)
River stayed a couple of weeks here, she is fully awesome, super-friendly, always up for a challenge. She's super-motivated and lovely to be with. She's got some great DIY skills and climbs mountains, when she's not at the gym or on her (own) MTB she bought over from Colorado. Plus, she plays rugby.
(Excellent)
8 Jan 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Aurélie )
Aurelie is brilliant, so friendly, a great communicator and she loves trees too, so we could talk for days about that. Hopefully she'll be back for another visit before she goes back to Europe!
(Excellent)
21 Dec 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Angelina )
Angelina arrived with 3 young friends, as agreed. To their credit, they did move a pile of logs and transplanted several hundred seedlings during the course of their stay. However, this was a distressing and negative experience for us. They moved as a clique, always talking to each other, ignoring us, apparently uninterested in anything we have to… read more
(Negative)
