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Karen and Geoff
My children and I lived on a 10 acre block in Waimauku for several years and car…
Hastings
The Hawke’s Bay town of Hastings is perfect for using as a base to explore the wider region. It is a grape growing area, with Hawke’s Bay being famous for its wine production. There’s also the fun Splash Planet Theme Park if you’re looking for a family day out on a warm day, and there are some great walks nearby.
And what’s more, Wellington is less than a three hour drive away!
My children and I lived on a 10 acre block in Waimauku for several years and car…
My children and I lived on a 10 acre block in Waimauku for several years and cared for a variety of animals including cats, dogs, hens, sheep, cows, and the occasional rabbit and duck! Because of Geoff's years spent at sea his opportunities to care for pets have been limited, but in his younger years his family owned cats, dogs and budgies. Geoff and I spend the summer months,October through to April, in New Zealand, which is when we are available for house sitting. We have a yacht berthed in Penang, Malaysia, and we are there during New Zealand's winter months. Geoff has spent nearly 13 years cruising in South East Asia, and I joined him in 2012. Geoff is a shipwright and is capable of servicing a wide range of appliances, machinery etc.He served in the New Zealand navy for 8 years and after leaving he worked as a commercial diver whilst building his first yacht. After sailing for many years in the Pacific, Australia, Africa and Europe, he settled in Brisbane, where he set up his shipwright business. He then built his second yacht and set sail for South East Asia. My previous working life involved a variety of positions, including working as a supervisor in a childcare centre in Waimauku, Auckland, and then as a sterile services technician at North Shore hospital in Auckland. I have two sons who live in the Netherlands and Belgium, and 1 grandson. Because of our lifestyle on the yacht we are organised and tidy in our habits. We enjoy exploring new environments, so house sitting promises to be a great way to meet new people, have some much-needed interaction with animals again, and reunite us with different parts of our country after being away for so many years. Although we are away from New Zealand at times, we are always able to participate in video calls via either Skype or What's App.
Both myself and my wife are in our 70's and will be in New Zealand from early Ju…
Both myself and my wife are in our 70's and will be in New Zealand from early June 2019 to get our permanent residency. We normally stay with our daughter in Tauranga and whilst here not to outstay our welcome have been house sitting mostly in the BOP area. For the past three years whilst in NZ we have sat for friends in Keri Keri for two weeks at a time and also for a couple of weeks in Hamilton. Last year we completed house sits in Katikati (x2) Pukahina, Rotorua and Te puke looking after lambs (one had to be bottle fed) sheep, cattle, horses & miniature ponies, lorikeets, hens, plus dogs and cats! We have really enjoyed looking after these animals and of course meeting and making friends with owners. At home in Cyprus we have two cats and six tortoises. Prior to that in the UK we had cats and dogs and my wife managed a horse riding stables. She is a qualified riding instructor as well as a retired school teacher. For the past 10 years I have been a property manager for several holiday lets in Cyprus. This included meeting & greeting guests, together with property and swimming pool maintenance. Being somewhat of a third world country versitality is definitely an asset. I am known locally as 'Mr fix it!' We are both keen gardeners and love the outdoors especially sailing and cycling. We have kept pets all our lives and would be delighted to offer our experience and expertise to any house owners. We are both non smokers. We are at present living with our daughter in Welcome Bay and know the B.O.P. fairly well. Updated 09/08/20
Hi Siani and Guy here, happily marooned in New Zealand, the safest and most bea…
Hi Siani and Guy here, happily marooned in New Zealand, the safest and most beautiful country in the world, out of lock down, grateful to be healthy, fit and ready to help you with your homes and pets when you need. We are here for our first Winter in a few years comfortably travelling in own mobile home, “Lulu” the campervan. After living in Sydney for 30 years, we sold our apartment and have been following the summer around the planet for the past three years. Between New Zealand, Australia and Southern Spain. In fact normally, at this time of year , we'd be in a wee town in Southern Spain, working on an art project together and running a local guest house. The village is called Gaucin - a mountaintop Peublo Blanco in Andalucia - see here: https://www.andalucia.com/gaucin/home.htm . The guest house belongs to our friends a Dutch couple who have, moved back to Holland with their two young boys (now our god-sons). Happily, for the last two summer seasons, we’ve achieved a 5-star rating for them, which has led us to appreciate the responsibility of looking after someone else’s house & business. Guy has owned houses or apartments in Sydney and the UK, for over 40 years, & renovated 4 of them in that time, and our love of travel means that we have been on both sides of the fence, renting or arranging care for our own homes and pets while travelling elsewhere to do the same for someone else. We have always considered ourselves travellers rather than holiday makers, wanting to interact, get involved and experience local life wherever we go. We don’t have our own kids, so we have poured love into our pets. In Sydney it was Junebug (a small Abyssinian who ran the gauntlet of 100s of dogs being walked in the park next door, & thus became an extraordinary tree-climber) and in Spain it’s Mr Ripley - our jet black Spanish street rescue cat. ‘Señor Reeplee’ is a favourite with the kids on our tiny street because he’s like a dog - he wags his tail for joy. Rip also has a unique way of calming & befriending dogs… he sidles up then eases himself down in a relaxed & confident pose, unafraid to break eye-contact with the looming threat - it’s amazing to witness. (He also loves to ride inside Guy’s jacket, head only visible out the top, as he bikes down to our art studio… (there’s a photo somewhere, I think, on this site) After running our own businesses for twenty odd years in Sydney, Guy and I, now work together on our fine art and design projects . We are both used to working from home offices/ studios, are creatively minded about resolving problems and not shy, so we’ll be sure to make ourselves known to your local community/support, and ensure we have all relevant numbers for vets &/or for other social friends the animals have. We’ll keep in easy touch - as much as you wish - while you are away, so you can be reassured your property and loved ones are in the best care. What else? We both have a great love & appreciation of the outdoors and taking care of the environment. With Guy’s love of fly fishing (more like obsession) he & we have visited the central plateau area around Taupo, many times over the past 20 years. In fact Guy’s Aunt and Uncle once owned the wonderful Poronui - when it was a farm, and before it was transformed into the ritziest Trout Lodges in NZ. One sometimes needs good communication to navigate the conflicting cultures of farming & fishing, especially as each summer we're usually far up a mountain valley,on farmland, or river plains in ‘Lulu' - our vintage, self-contained, solar-powered campervan. Last year, we proudly became the first overseas members of the Gore Sheep Dog Trial Club (and the first without owning a dog) - T’was the best $4.00 we ever spent. I still love to watch country calendar whenever I can, but it’s a definite privilege to watch it live, and the characters you meet!… straight out of Footrot Flats. Sian herself is a proud Kiwi, growing up on the beach of Sumner in Christchurch before moving to a hobby farm in Whangarei. Her three younger brothers still all live in New Zealand with their families, and all of them with their own lifestyle properties. Sian is a graduate of Elam In Auckland University and continuing her art practise today, as well as being a qualified Remedial masseur and Pilates instructor, interested in all things healthy. So that’s more or less us, we look forward to meeting you and your pets in person or by zoom before any house sit you may require. Very warmest regards, Siani (& Guy)
I am a very fit and active retiree. I left the workforce four years ago to trav…
I am a very fit and active retiree. I left the workforce four years ago to travel to various parts of the world, including some of NZ which I hadn’t yet been to. I have been involved in sport all my life and interested in organics and sustainabilities for many years, so decided four years ago to become a Woofer (Willing Worker On Organic Farms). I have thoroughly enjoyed all my placements in NZ, Australia, USA and Portugal. I have visited places and met people that I would never had the chance as a tourist and learnt about growing fruits, vegetables and raising animals in an totally organic and sustainable manner. I have looked after many animals and learnt how to give back to the land for future harvests. Two years ago in 2018 I bought a lifestyle property in the Far North, so have not been able to travel as much, or housesit as I used to, while working hard on my land. Now however I have more spare time, & look forward to being able to spend time travelling in NZ. I currently work on my orchard of 100+ trees of every description imaginable, & have 5 large vegetable plots. I farm totally organically, eat in season, & am self sufficient(++) with fruit & vegetables. I am able to swap my excesses for milk, meat, cheese, eggs & bread! I feel very fortunate. I have also walked two caminos (long walks) in both France, and Portugal into Spain. These were 750 and 700km respectively, in 2014 & 2017. My most recent was from Lisbon, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I have been a proud homeowner since 1980 and where I have been a Woofer, I have always taken great care to look after other people’s property and animals as I would my own. By choosing me for your housesit, you will have someone who will leave your house in the same (or better!) condition when I leave, as it was when I arrived. This is most important to me, whether I am visiting someone briefly or for a few weeks, that I cherish that privilege, never take anything for granted and make sure everything is left clean & tidy. I have an “old fashion” work ethic, am totally reliable and honest. As for pets, when my children were growing up, we had a Staffordshire bull terrier, rabbits, cats, cockatiel and baby goats. Currently I have no animals. While woofing however, I have looked after lots of dogs, cats, goats (learnt to milk), chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and loved all those times. My woofing hosts would sometimes leave me to house sit at weekends, or in one case, for 10 days when an unavoidable event happened. On that occasion I looked after a small farmlet of goats, cows chickens, vegetable garden, orchard....the entire property. I loved the challenge and was totally equal to the task of overall management. I love outdoors work. Obviously I enjoy walking, so dogs love me for their twice daily long walks. I do hope you will consider me for your housesit. Judy
We are Casey and Jen, a married, professional couple who are in the process of r…
We are Casey and Jen, a married, professional couple who are in the process of retiring. We are non-smokers. Jen has just completed treatment for early stage cancer. To celebrate the end of her treatment, we plan to visit different parts of New Zealand before settling into our own property in the Far North in late 2020. This retirement property is presently rented out on a long-term lease. We both were born in Europe (Scotland and Germany) and have post-graduate degrees. And with long-standing connections to NZ, we moved here from the UK in 2017 and were granted permanent residency in 2019. Our interests include outdoor sports, cooking and gardening (we have been members of our local landcare group in the Far North since 2015 and have volunteered with the World Wildlife Fund as well as a Wellington pest control group). We have owned pets (dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, chickens and fish) in the past, and we are dog and cat lovers. Casey grew up next to large farms for part of his upbringing. His father and uncle also co-owned a small sheep and cattle farm, where he spent a summer working in his mid-teens. Jen comes from a Scottish farming family. And while her parents lived in a village, with many pets, Jen spent all of her childhood holidays at her aunt and uncle’s farm. On the farm she was responsible for taking the eight working collie sheepdogs on daily walks and for tending to the chickens. With her uncle, a member of Scotland’s international sheep handling team, Jen’s also attended many sheepdog trials. We see house-sitting as a way to spend more time with domestic animals. This has not been possible for the past few years due to our work commitments. We also see house-sitting as a way to explore new parts of New Zealand. As remote property owners ourselves, we understand and respect the issues that homeowners face.
We are David and Adrienne Smith and our ages are 68 and 61. We are a friendly, q…
We are David and Adrienne Smith and our ages are 68 and 61. We are a friendly, quiet couple, non-smokers, who have rented out our home in Auckland to discover the rest of this beautiful country, whilst caring for your home and pets. About us: David spent much of his early years on a farm in Matamata, before moving with his family to Auckland. He has worked for Air New Zealand, and its predecessor NAC, for many years as an airline pilot, both short and long haul and is now retired. David is involved in IT support for a charity group, which can be carried out anywhere there is internet connection. We do not need much bandwidth, its mostly offline work. Adrienne, also retired, has worked as a nurse and caregiver. She is a keen gardener and loves walking, crafts and reading. We are keen to move into the next phase of life, exploring other parts of this beautiful country, and beyond. Our gorgeous bi-colour ragdoll cat is no longer with us, leaving us free to care for your home and pets. We love pets and have significant experience caring for cats, dogs of various sizes and ages, and chooks. Awarded as a top 10 housesitter for 2019. As we have no work or family constraints, we can offer dedicated service to caring for your home and pet as we would our own.
We are a happy couple of adventurers and animal lovers. Fit and healthy, full o…
We are a happy couple of adventurers and animal lovers. Fit and healthy, full of energy. We love to be of service and have found this to be a wonderful way. Our house sitting experience has been gathered for about 15 months. Romilly is a good gardener (organic) who enjoys growing food. She has had horses in her youth, and is experienced with dogs, cats and chooks. She also loves the sea and is an experienced sailor. Richard is a people person, brought up on farms. He is also a car buff and handyman, lawn mower and animal lover. We are tidy, clean, non smokers, who will look after your place as though it is our own. We love house sitting because it provides opportunities for us to support others in their lives, while we meet wonderful people and have new experiences. Because we are landlords, we understand all the implications of having others live in your house and the importance of respecting your property.
I am returning from travels overseas in February 2020 and coming back to my own …
I am returning from travels overseas in February 2020 and coming back to my own business and have decided to embrace van life to allow me even more freedom and flexibility to be me mobile and close to the sea when I want to be. But I know every and again it will be great to have some of the home comforts that a house allows and so I thought house sitting would be the perfect compromise given it also allows me to look after animals, another passion of mine. I truly love animals so knowing this might be able to look after animals as well as a home is really appealing to me and I am super active and outdoors often so if you have a dog that needs walking, you know it will get walked as often as needed as I love any excuse to get outside. I just completed my personal training qualification and will be using this in my new job as well. I am a responsible adult that respects other people and know how to look after a home as I take a lot of pride in my own. I don’t party and I don’t actually drink alcohol at all so you can also be assured that your house would always be kept clean, tidy and you can come back to how you left it. I grew up with animals so always had a dog and have had cats before. My last landlord has a dog called Clooney who is a husky cross border collie and I spent a lot of time looking after him as well and taking him for walks. I really miss having animals myself and plan to get one in the near future when I am more settled but in the interim being able to house sit for you and your loved pets is really exciting for me. I grew up with giant schnauzers and my grandma had 2 tabby cats which I loved looking after. Happy to provide more references if you would like them
My name is Sheryl, nice to e-meet you. I am a single, tidy, kind and respectful,…
My name is Sheryl, nice to e-meet you. I am a single, tidy, kind and respectful, 59-year old, and I am hoping that I may be the perfect house sitter for you. I am very house proud and like to keep things clean and tidy. I pride myself on being respectful and will gladly abide by any house rules/pet rules that you may have. I'm happy to collect your mail or help out with any odd jobs that you need to be taken care of while you are away. I love the company of medium/small dogs and cats. Up until late last year I had the pleasure of having a dachshund for over 18 years. I am also very affectionate towards farm animals, including chickens, sheep, and cows, so if you live on a lifestyle block I'm comfortable looking after farm animals as well. I am a qualified diversional therapist and use to specialise in elderly care. If you have any elderly parents or family members that you would like me to visit/check-in with while you are away I am also happy to help with that. Prior to working as a Diversional Therapist, I owned a gardening business, called "Classy Grass Cutters" that I ran for 20 years. I still get enjoyment out of working in the garden and will happily maintain your garden for you. My friends and family describe me as creative, caring and trustworthy. If you would like, I'd be happy to share some references for you. I am open to any house sitting jobs in the greater Auckland area, both suburban and rural. I am not particularly comfortable looking after large dogs, but anything else I am willing to help out. I look forward to hearing from you and if you have any questions, please do let me know. Speak soon, Sheryl
My name is Wayne,I am retired, 66 years of age. I enjoy travelling and seeing ne…
My name is Wayne,I am retired, 66 years of age. I enjoy travelling and seeing new places and meeting people. I am a Line mechanic by trade and have worked in Australia for a time. I am a very tidy,clean up after my self,honest, reliable and mature. Fit and healthy. like to go walking do some fishing.Enjoy reading,mainly on history and take the camera on my outings. I enjoy & respect all types of animals & birds. I would love to take your (mate) dog on my daily walks. I am a very tidy & organised guy,do not mind doing lawns & garden up keep. I will treat your home and pets with kindness and you can expect to have your pets and animals looked after as though they are mine. My first house sit I looked after two lovely cats, fifteen geese and 12 chickens. Really enjoyable sit,especially the fresh eggs.Since then I have cared for a variety of lovely cats and dogs Please consider me as your house sitter I live in Hutt Valley, Avalon Regards, Wayne
Greetings You ask why we enjoy house sitting and the accompanying life style? Ni…
Greetings You ask why we enjoy house sitting and the accompanying life style? Nina (51 and from Bali) and I (Anthony, 59, from NZ) spend time in both of our native countries as a lifestyle option. Between us, all 5 children are off our hands, and the period of time and months that we commute are quite flexible. My work as an architectural designer allows me to liaise with clients in NZ, then complete the technical documentation while house sitting, or sitting in Indonesia or Malaysia. Born and raised in Hastings, I spend most of our NZ time in Kapiti and Hastings. Nina is Balinese, and we enjoy the sands in Bali, Lombok and Rote. We are dividing and building on a section in Central Hawke's Bay. We enjoy domestic pets, but can not have any due to our transient life style. Let us cancel out farm animals right now! Minding peoples homes, and caring for people and properties comes quite naturally, and has been an ongoing activity for some 7 years, on and off, in Bali and Kapiti. What can you expect? You can expect your home and pets to be the same as if you had only been away overnight. Talk to us. A coffee is always good! Writing a good biography is easy. Fronting up to you, to talk, is always more accurate and productive.
Hi there, how are you? I’m Julia, really happy to e*greet you. I'm a PhD stu…
Hi there, how are you? I’m Julia, really happy to e*greet you. I'm a PhD student with the Department of Psychological Medicine at Otago University, but based in Wellington. I love animals, but don’t have any of my own [and rentals rarely allow them]—studying gives me a flexible schedule with plenty of time for attention. My pet experience includes dogs, cats, rabbits, and goldfish—but, game for anything! Happy time for me includes reading, yoga, and cricket. My profile pic is my sister and me watching the Black Caps play in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup—what a game [might have to update this now that we've played an even more epic match in the 2019 final!]. Every summer Saturday, I can be found cheering my nephews on the cricket pitch and playing with the dogs on the sidelines! I’m a quiet, relaxed person, who will care for your beloved pets and treat your home with respect. I look forward to meeting you :)
Rob and I are a mature couple currently living in the Wairarapa. We have the fl…
Rob and I are a mature couple currently living in the Wairarapa. We have the flexibility to be able to lock up our home and go away for unlimited periods of time. This would give us an opportunity to have some time away but to also allow you, the homeowner to have much needed time away and be able to relax knowing your 'much loved' pets and your home are in safe reliable hands. We have over the past 4 years looked after a large farm/property from time to time so the owners could go away. This property was quite isolated outside Masterton. There were 3 small house dogs and 5 horses as well as cattle/calves and sheep and was over 200 acres in size. The owners were very fussy about who they left the animals with and have been happy to have us come back on many occasions (see our refs). To look after a property of this size is a huge commitment and takes a certain amount of fitness. While we have been happy to do this for these people we would prefer to look after something smaller in the city or town with less 'farm work'. We have had many pets over the years, both dogs and cats which have all been much loved and extremely well cared for. Our much adored cat "Sassy" passed away at the age of 21 a few years ago. We do not currently have any pets. We have both had professional working careers where the highest level of integrity and care have been paramount. We are extremely reliable, honest, caring people and would treat your home and pets as though they were our own - with the love and caring they deserve.
Hi! we are a small Argentinian family living in NZ. We have been living in Queen…
Hi! we are a small Argentinian family living in NZ. We have been living in Queenstown since April 2019 and we are planning to travel for some time around NZ! Our children LOVE animals and my husband is a great handyman & gardener. So we thought it was a good idea trying to housesit while we travel =) We have done it in Argentina sometimes and around Otago too so we have references. We will treat your home and pets as if they were ours. It is our promise! Thanks for helping us live this dream to travel around NZ!
We always had dogs and cats when I was growing up so I'm comfortable with having…
We always had dogs and cats when I was growing up so I'm comfortable with having them around and looking after their needs. I house-sat for some friends and their two beautiful dogs over the winter of 2018 and decided I wanted to continue doing it for others. I'm a self-employed entrepreneur and can work online from anywhere. I enjoy the variety of moving around and experiencing different places. Because I work from home I'm able to be there a lot of the time to keep an eye on things and keep your pets company. I'm tidy, self-sufficient and responsible with other people's property. My motto is 'leave things the way I found them'. I look forward to meeting your beloved pets :-)
We are an active, fit, retired couple who, because we live in the city have no p…
We are an active, fit, retired couple who, because we live in the city have no pets of our own. I am farm raised and have worked with animals all my life until I retired. In the past I have bred Boxers. We are both experienced sitters and have been looking after the pets of others for several years. This year we have spent a month in UK doing two successful 10-day dog sits for both of which we received 5-star reviews. In the summer we are planning to travel in the South Island for 3 months and are available to pet sit during that time, getting to know various areas and meet the locals. We are both active golfers, Warwick is a handyman and I am a keen gardner. We are both house proud and will look after your home and your animals as if they were our own.