Help around our family home, in the valley of Župa south of old town Dubrovnik, Croatia

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Hi Workawayers,
    Grab a coffee or a glass of wine and make yourself comfortable as we introduce ourselves :)

    WE NEED YOU FOR A MINIMUM OF 3 WEEKS PREFERABLY 1 MONTH

    We can book you in more than a month ahead BUT we only CONFIRM a maximum of a month ahead due to people often changing travel plans. If you are going to be on the road or off wifi before you arrive LET US KNOW.
    YOU WILL NEED TO CONFIRM YOUR TIME OF ARRIVAL 10 DAYS AHEAD.

    We are a down-to-earth, friendly and at times very loud family of 5.
    Mikki (an Aussie) my husband Nikša (Croatian and not home very often as he is at sea) and our 2 sons Jon (23 & living mostly in Zagreb) and Jak (22 attends University in Dubrovnik) and KOBI our American Akita pup, large but very chill.
    (Kobi unfortunately does NOT like other animals on the property and does not like children)
    We are living in the Župa valley just 15 minutes drive south of Dubrovnik.
    We speak English and Croatian.

    We will welcome you not just into our home but our family, so please think about this before applying :)
    After years of Hosting, we are very experienced with our exchange and would like both sides to get the most out of our time together. So we give quite a detailed description of ourselves and our needs.
    IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL PLEASE LET'S ANSWER THEM BEFORE YOU AGREE TO JOIN US :) :)

    We would like you to be aware that we eat meat, we have no problem if you do not, as long as you respect our choice ;)
    Although 90% of Croatia is of the Catholic faith, we loosely follow some of the traditions, Xmas, Easter and the many public holidays.
    Mikki is not religious and will not be converted to ANY :)

    Our family MOTTO- Treat people the way you would like to be treated!
    Our home does not discriminate, we will not tolerate abusive or violent behaviour under any circumstances.
    Alcohol on a social level, we PREFER non-smokers but if you must, be aware that smoking is strictly OUTSIDE, NOT DURING WORK TIME and NOT around Non-Smokers.

    We are surrounded by mountains with the Ivanica border to Bosnia Herzegovina just 8 minutes drive away, 8 minutes drive to Srebreno beach and 40 minutes drive to Montenegro.
    I love to find new places around the area and also take trips further afield so you could be included in these trips.

    Accommodation and food:

    YOU MUST - have adequate travel insurance or be prepared to pay for any medical/dental emergencies.

    ACCOMMODATION - on the bottom floor of the family home with a separate entrance.
    There is a single bedroom with 2 single beds (it can be pushed together to become a double bed) with access to a very small terrace, a bathroom with shower, toilet, you have the use of a small self-contained kitchen with fridge, oven, hotplates and microwave and access to a washing machine (we do not provide washing powder).
    We provide 2 sets of bed linen, towels and beach towels.
    You will need to provide your own body shower gel and all other toiletries eg hygiene, hair products or moisturizer you must provide.
    The front of the apartment is a work area, which will generally not be used after 7 pm or before 7 am unless it is an emergency.
    There is no lounge area and the kitchen and bathroom must be kept clean and tidy at all times.
    Your bedroom does have a key, for your peace of mind.

    You will be given a food allowance, as you have a kitchen this will be your responsibility to shop and cook for yourselves. Over the years we have found this to be the best policy as people can choose their own dietary needs. You will be invited to join the family on occasions for a meal or Mikki may prepare traditional foods for you to try.
    We are happy to take you shopping at the supermarket each week.

    Cleaning products will be supplied to keep your area clean, you are sharing the Kitchen with the workspace so it must be kept CLEAN at all times, this also includes the bathroom area.
    You are expected to wash your linen weekly and keep the area in the CLEAN and HYGENIC state that you were provided.
    If the space is not being kept CLEAN AND TIDY you will be told.
    If you leave the space less than clean it will be reflected in your review.

    We have a large garden and there is always a quiet spot to sit, we have an outdoor summer kitchen area with a pizza oven you are welcome to use provided you clean up and keep the area maintained and restocked.

    There is a small bakery within a 5-minute walk which is open daily from 6 am until 1 pm.
    If you have a car or bike we provide off-street parking.
    The beach is within a pleasant walking distance.

    Tasks:
    INDOORS:
    Household cleaning including windows, ovens, and kitchens, vacuuming, cleaning and mopping all tiled surfaces, toilets, and bathrooms, washing and ironing, decluttering, reorganizing, moving and restoring furniture.
    There will be some cooking or assisting with meal preparations.
    Help with shopping and putting it away.
    Maintaining the cleanliness of the workshop area, helping with organising and packing away.
    Social media/website/computer work.

    OUTSIDE:
    The gardens are divided into areas, each have common and specific tasks.
    COMMON- ALWAYS LOTS OF WEEDING, planting, picking and general clean-up of areas.
    SPECIFIC-
    There is a 50-tree developing Lemon Orchard, although reticulated some additional watering may be required during summer. Trimming and picking of lemons is mostly November - January
    There is an extensive vegetable garden that requires pruning, picking and endless weeding. There are some reticulated areas but also daily watering during summer.
    The general gardens including a small lawn, potted plants and garden beds need to be maintained.
    This area includes Lavender, Rosemary and a variety of herbs that we dry.
    Harvesting of fruits and olives in season, we have 4 other plots of land in the area which have olive and fruit trees.

    ANIMALS:
    Unfortunately, we can not accept animals, no matter how well-behaved your loved one is.

    We have approximately 30 free-range chickens and may include a couple of ducks in the future.
    The chicken coop needs to be DRY CLEANED every day this means SIFTING THE COOP FLOOR OR MUCKING IT OUT, eggs need to be collected, water needs to be changed daily and this includes brushing the containers before refilling. Food needs to be checked every second day.
    Weekly the nests need to be emptied and reset and the coop needs to be cleaned and sprayed with vinegar.

    PROJECTS and OTHER TASKS:
    Learn how to make beeswax food wraps to replace plastic and recycle old t-shirts for shopping bags.
    Learn how to make natural food seasonings by dehydrating vegetables/herbs and assisting with making preserves, we also make our own eco-friendly cleaning products.
    learn about Rakija
    Teach me how to use social media and how to use my website.
    Video and photography projects.
    Painting of property walls.
    Painting of interior walls.


    So if you are up to some hard work, can keep your space clean, are not afraid to handle chickens and clean up after them and follow instructions we are open to making your stay happy and memorable.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    All throughout the year there are many cultural activities in the area.
    We also make our own Rakija, we preserve fruits and vegetables mostly by dehydration.
    We pick our olives and send them to the local process man, we also preserve some.
    We make natural seasonings, from local produce.
    Mikki is happy to teach you traditional dishes.

  • Help

    Help

    Our description on our profile is very detailed and clear, please read carefully.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Croatian: Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE FRONT SECTION OF YOUR ACCOMMODATION IS ALSO A WORKSPACE WE TRY OUR HARDEST TO NOT WORK IN THIS AREA AFTER 7 PM OR BEFORE 7 AM. SOMETIMES IT IS UNAVOIDABLE BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE.
    The accommodation is clean, cool in summer and warm in winter. There are ceiling fans in the bedroom and front area. Blankets and duvets are provided during winter.
    There is a wireless internet connection provided.
    Although part of the family house it is separate and has its own entrance.
    2 single beds with linens and towels. The beds can be put together and have a padded centre piece to stop rolling into a ditch ;)

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are an easy 20-minute walk to the beach, there are many walking/bike tracks around.
    There are local buses to Dubrovnik and down to Cavtat and takes approximately 20 minutes to either place.
    Some taxis are available at reasonable rates.

    There will be plenty of free time, we understand and appreciate your wanting to see as much as possible.
    We will go out of our way to help you so we would truly appreciate you putting in a solid work ethic.
    If you are NOT prepared to work hard, clean properly and follow instructions or you're looking for a free place to party we are not what you are looking for.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We have unlimited download and wireless connection to the internet in the house, outside garden areas are not covered.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We have quite a large area at the back of the house which has fitted a large converted bus it is not under cover, there is an outside toilet close by.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 full hours/5 days. When the weather is unpredictable help hours may need to be split during the day. Should a task need to be completed which runs over the 5 hours that extra time will be returned.

Host ref number: 692259443877

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