Dom & Frankie
These two Londoners took a trip similar to ours about 15 years ago, even spending time in New Zealand as WWOOFers. They were so taken by the beauty of NZ and the quality of life here that they went home to London, earned some money, saved their money, then permanently relocated to the south island of NZ.
Now they have an awesome piece of "lifestyle" property in Wanaka, which means they have enough land to live off of, but not quite enough for a full-scale farm. They live a very laid-back life, working "real" jobs two days a week (Dom is a surveyor and Frankie a pre-school teacher) and dedicating the rest of their time to working their land: planting trees, growing vegetables, raising chooks, etc.
They don't watch TV, they only eat organic food, they shower outdoors, and they volunteer for the Green Party. They might even invite others like them to build a hippie commune on their property. But they're not fake and trendy "green", this has been their lifestyle for years.
Our Work
We were assigned to jobs immediately. It began simple enough with potting tussocks, but over the days we also mulched, weeded, chopped wood, and staked trees. After our 5-day stay, just when we thought we were packing up to go, Dom and Frankie asked if we'd housesit while they left town for a few days. Of course! They left us a list of chores and let us eat their food in exchange for 4 hours work a day. We worked in the mornings and then spent our days exploring Wanaka. It was awesome.
Our Accommodations
While Dom and Frankie were home, we slept in a rustic sleep out just up the hill from the main house. It had a futon, a chair, and a sink. There was a long drop toilet 10 yards away. But the views of the landscape were better than most fancy hotels. When Dom and Frankie were away, we moved into the house but missed the sleep out.
Highlights
- Baby chicks were born while we were visiting
- Picking fresh veggies, straight from the garden to our plate
- Eating vegetarian (and not missing meat)
- Pretending to be Wanaka locals (ex: bicycling to Soul Food for muffins and coffee)
- Showering with a view in the great outdoors
