Welcoming volunteers to help on our lifestyle block and garden in North Canterbury, New Zealand

Details

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  Description

  General profile
  Hi. We're looking for someone for gardening work and some lifting of rocks, plus other jobs. We still have to finish the pond and waterfall.
  
  We are a couple who enjoy meeting people from other walks of life. We live on a lifestyle block about 38 kms north of Christchurch and would welcome longer term help with some chores/projects around the garden and lifestyle block. We enjoy hearing about people's cultures and their life experiences. We have several cats, all rescued, and all who understand English, an elderly rascal of a dog, and 4 alpacas.
  
  We do need people who are Covid vaccinated. Because of health issues for us we cannot take anyone who hasn't been triple vaccinated for Covid - sorry.
  
  Although we don't mind people who don't speak absolutely fluent English, we do want people with a high intermediate level of our language. It is because of the safety of our workawayer and the time spent trying to translate.
  
  We are non-smokers and this is definitely a non-smoking, non-vaping home and environment.
  
  We are surrounded by livestock which are for human consumption. We also are meat eaters.
  
  We are fairly laid back and enjoy a leisurely lifestyle with the occasional/regular burst of activity.
  
  We can use someone with just a good general knowledge and also we need gardening/weeding and some other maintenance around our lifestyle block, weed eating, hedge trimming/cutting, digging the garden, helping plant the vegetable garden in the spring, spraying weeds on the driveway and courtyard and various other seasonal chores. Also to help out with putting in a pipeline so we can run taps from our water tank to water the hundreds of trees we have planted and various other projects as they come up. General tidying up of our storage areas. We have had really helpful people who are kind and willing to help when we require it. We really do appreciate people who have a good work ethic so that when we ask you to help it gets done.
  
  Then we can all have time to take off on a picnic or similar or our workawayer(s) can take off on their own, if they have their own transport and that's what they prefer.
  
  (Please note after a couple of bad experiences we would like to say if you don't take instruction well and just want a free bed, you won't do well here.)
  
  Because our car is for our own use only, a Workawayer would definitely need their own transport, especially when/if house/pet sitting. Please note - you would be welcome to come with us wherever we went and to join in our lifestyle if you don't have transport. But if a workawayer doesn't have their own transport we would not be continually running you into the city or the township. So you DO need transport if you want to go away from our property frequently by yourself. This is not negotiable. We have found that some workawayers expected us to run them everywhere. We're very sorry but we don't have the time or fuel to do this.
  
  There is definitely help needed on the lifestyle block, but if we have worked a couple or three days and there is a beautiful day then that is great. We will probably say to go off and enjoy yourself. Or just chill down at the pond or wherever. We don't enforce a strict 15 hour work regime every week. Just when we need things done.
  
  We have turned most of our place back into a park like sanctuary. We have wild ducks who bring their babies to live on our ponds in the Spring and they stay until their offspring learn to fly. It is so nice to just watch them go about their parental duties. We have lots of other birdlife and finally have got our first Bellbird and fantails flit around when it is their season, with swallows nesting in our other barn. We have a Blue Heron who visits occasionally.
  
  As we are totally a meat eating household and we are also surrounded by animals which are being grown for eating, our Workawayer experience will probably be unpleasant and unsuitable for a vegan/vegetarian, even though they will be preparing their own food in the flatlet..
  
  We are looking for anyone, single or a couple, from 2-3 weeks, to longer term if we get along well together. Both my husband, Sam, and I like a home that is filled with laughter, kindness, honesty, willing help, and reciprocal respect. We do want someone who is really looking to help around our lifestyle block and definitely not just a casual stop before you get full time work nor are we just an overnight bed stop. It is also unsuitable for children, sorry people. Our elderly dog certainly doesn't like children and we wouldn't want her biting a child. We also have 3 ponds which little people could fall in and drown. It only takes a second for a child to disappear.
  
  If you are a person who wants to just do their own thing i.e. arrive when you want to, not keeping to a booked date or similar free and easy personality, and not willing to work well, please don't get in touch. It won't work out well for either of us.
  
  We are usually in bed around 10.30 - 11.00 p.m. and up at 8.00 - 9.00 a.m. We also enjoy watching tv in the evenings if there isn't anything else to do. This isn't a place for people who got to bed early and get up early. We don't work well together as you will be waiting for us to get up and we are noisy if you want to go to bed early. So I repeat, this isn't a suitable workaway for early to bed - early to rise people. We find they don't enjoy themselves as much and it can create tension in the house and on the property, which we don't want to live with.
  
  I would be willing to help someone if they are a definite intermediate or higher level of English. We aren't interested in someone who only has beginners or a low level intermediate understanding of speaking and understanding English. It takes too long to explain how to do gardening etc weed names and dangerous mistakes can be made if using light machinery like a weed eater or hedge trimmers. This also applies to anyone who has a friend who doesn't have any English or just beginners English. If there are two of you , you must both speak definite Intermediate English. This saves us from having to say no because of a language barrier.
  
  Please read our profile carefully so you do know what type of person/s we like to have stay here. What else I can say except "Hope to hear from you soon!!" We are on Whatsapp if that helps you. Please read the rest of our profile as it does contain more info in those sections.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House sitting
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I think I have said it all in the above chapters. But intermediate and higher language help/correction can be offered in conjunction with helping, if required. So learning language while you help out, as long as you are at about a good intermediate or above level. If you are just learning English (beginner or low intermediate) then it wouldn't be suitable because of the danger when using machinery. Also joining in with some older folks who have a wealth of knowledge between them and having a good laugh. No pessimists allowed!
  
  Learning about which are weeds and which are plants, gaining experience in other things on our lifestyle block or just about life, if you are that way inclined. People with initiative are very welcome. Plus many other things, which we are usually helping with anyway.

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  Help

  It is just general help that we need, building new gardens and weeding as it needs it. Experience in using a Weed eater and hedge trimmer/cutting, if it is needed. Putting in pipes to some of the block and the paddocks which will be done with machinery. And many other things too many to list so there could be a variety of different projects available, none of them requiring a degree, just a willingness to work when required. Being amenable and very conscious of their own safety.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  There is a separate flatlet with lounge, semi kitchen with Fridge Freezer, cooking hob, slow cooker, wok, electric frypan and other appliances, bathroom and separate sleepout which our other workawayers, who have stayed in there, have loved. If you are a couple then that is good but if you are just friends you will still have to share the queen sized bed in here. There is NO sleeping in the lounge under any circumstances. Sleeping is only in the sleepout.
  
  With the 15 hours each or less a week, work regime, you supply and cook your own food.
  
  Due to water restrictions showers are to be definitely one a day and definitely limited to 10 minutes only. This is because we are constantly on water restrictions and also our electricity is very expensive for heating the water. Because of one or two past workawayers there is a list displayed in the bathroom of "Do's and Don'ts". The greater majority of people are courteous and respectful but there have been a couple of people who think our home is a hotel and we are their servants. We want you to enjoy yourself and have a happy time here and for us to be happy with your stay.
  
  Reciprocal respect and courtesy are required at all times.
  
  We like to be kind and understanding to ALL our workawayers but occasionally you have one who knocks your confidence in the human race by throwing your kindnesses back in your face. Please don't apply if this is your way of doing things as you will be asked to leave. Our house is a peaceful sanctuary and we don't like hostility here.

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  What else ...

  We live a short distance from several lovely walks/hikes in the mountains, not far from a river, which does dry up in the summer, There are mountain bike tracks nearby, own mountain bikes required. You would also need your own transport to get to the township which is about 8 kms away, although occasionally, depending on the length of your stay we may take you on a sightseeing trip to the mountains or to Kaikoura and the East coast. The views here, at our house, are really beautiful - we look over farmland straight out to the Southern Alps which are about 45 minutes to 1 hour away. The beach is about 30 kms away (East). Christchurch is about 38 kms away (South). There are many activities in this whole area, too many to list. Suggest you read travel brochures on what to do in the North Canterbury area, as well as Christchurch, Banks Peninsula and Selwyn area.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We do have unlimited internet although sometimes, because of living in the country, it is a little slow during the day. But then you would possibly be helping on the land during the day and the reception is okay at night.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  As we are on a lifestyle block we have room for motorhomes. If you have your own power plug then there is a power outlet for motorhomes/caravans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  15 hours maximum but not rigid about this. Sometimes we may not have so much work that week. It is only 15 hrs a week with workawayer supplying and cooking own food. Not 5 days 5 hrs a day as it states on the listing.

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