Some content was translated automatically. Show original
We ask helpers to contribute 5 productive hours per day, five days per week.
Because most of our projects are outdoors, we prefer to complete the majority of work in the morning when temperatures are cooler and conditions are best. We normally start work at:
• 8:00 am during winter
• 7:00 am during the warmer months
Some of our projects involve:
• Gardening and caring for the property
• Bush track construction and maintenance
• Landscaping....
25 hours of help per week
Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.
Painting & Decorating: Help with painting or decorating the property facilities.
Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.
Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens
2 days off per week
Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.
Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.
Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.
Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.
Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.
Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!
Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!
Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.
Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.
Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely
Dedicated Workspace: Specific space for you to work remotely
Intermediate English or Intermediate French
Between 18 and 60 years old
Only hosts solo volunteers (doesn’t accept couples or partners)
Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa
If you're a single helper (not a couple), we would really love to hear from you about coming to stay with us from 15th March 2027. We take a break from hosting helpers from December to February, as the weather becomes too hot.
Who We Are
We’re Craig and Yvonne, easy-going retirees in our sixties who’ve built our dream life on a forested acreage (not a farm) overlooking Wallis Lake and the Pacific Ocean. We love sharing our home, our culture, and our passion for nature with curious, enthusiastic helpers.
Your Role
Help us in the mornings, five flexible days a week, with possible tasks of your choosing.
Your Accommodation & Meals
You’ll enjoy:
A private, self-contained downstairs suite (lounge, desk, bedroom, ensuite)
Fast Wi-Fi for digital nomads or staying in touch
Home-cooked meals; recipe swaps encouraged!
Perks & Local Adventures
Experience the best of our region: We love taking our helpers on tours
Wildlife encounters: Kangaroos, native birds, koalas, and our own bushwalking track on our property leading to other tracks in the national park next door
Activities: Kayaking & sailing (in the warmer months) on Wallis Lake, forest cycling, star gazing from our lookout on nights that have crystal clear skies
Beaches & & spectacular lookouts: Blueys, Boomerang, Cellito, Seal Rocks—all 20–30 minutes away
Cultural exchange: Possible language practice, guitar jams, cafes, meeting lots of local friends
Fitness: Three possible free self- guided exercise classes per week
Check out our video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-YOlcfBrI
🚐 Getting Here
Daily buses run from Newcastle’s Broadmeadow Station or Taree to the Smiths Lake turn off where we’ll happily pick you up. From Sydney, catch a train from Central Station to Broadmeadow Station. Then catch the bus.
Help Needed:
Gardening, collecting firewood, weeding, painting, window cleaning, house cleaning/organising, clearing undergrowth, mowing, cooking meals, building maintenance, small building projects, and bushwalking track construction and maintenance, or any other ideas you can come up with. We are early risers and ask that you also are an early riser as we would prefer that you work in the mornings from 8am and take the afternoons off. We’re not that interested in working in the afternoons. Please note that we are not a farm - we are a forested rural acreage.
What We Value
If you:
- cherish peace, privacy, nature’s soundtrack, and early starts.
- are a non-smoker with a positive, fair, ethical, collaborative spirit
- are a morning person, fit, strong, and resilient, have a practical aptitude, able to work unsupervised, ethical and fair, and keen to immerse yourself in rural Aussie life
- are a timely communicator. If messages we send you go unanswered longer than 24 hours, we assume you’re no longer interested in coming to stay with us.
- say you can cook meals and prepare some meals for us. Please only list cooking meals if you’re prepared to do this. As a minimum, we'd ask that you help us with simple tasks in our kitchen like washing up and preparing ingredients.
- are respectful of quiet hours (no music or noise after 9pm).
......you'll fit right in.
Also, from our experiences of hosting several helpers, we’ve found it works best to begin with a one‑week stay. After that, if everyone feels comfortable, the tasks suit you, and it’s a good fit on both sides, we’re always happy to offer a longer stay.
This won’t suit you if you:
– Need nightlife, crowds, or constant entertainment
– Prefer sleeping in or staying up late
– Don’t enjoy nature or quiet environments
– Need heavy supervision or lots of reminders
– Are looking for a party house or a social hostel vibe
--Are a couple or group; we only host solo helpers
– Are always looking to see how you can't help us
– Have no practical experience
