landscaping in NZ

Work Exchange:

50 Benefits I Enjoyed on New Zealand HelpX Gigs

Those of you who followed my 3-month travels around New Zealand earlier this year know that I did several work exchange gigs at people’s homes. At each place I worked about 4 hours per day in exchange for room and board.

More specifically, I stayed at 7 different hosts’ homes for 1-2 weeks each, spending a total of 10 ½ weeks of my 12 week travels around the North Island doing work exchange gigs via HelpX. My assignments included gardening, landscaping, painting, feeding cows & horses, walking dogs, a bit of housework, feeding baby goats and piglets, planting garlic and helping to propagate mushrooms. Mostly it was really fun.

one of my HelpX bedrooms in NZ – dig those silky sapphire sheets!

Each host gave me my own private bedroom, usually with double bed, all fully made-up for me before my arrival. I generally shared a bathroom with the hosts and was free to use their kitchen facilities, internet, living room, balconies, gardens and property.

They also provided me with all my meals and snacks in exchange for my work duties. A few hosts even asked me what I preferred to eat then took me grocery shopping to buy the stuff I wanted if it was different from what they normally ate at home. That was a nice touch!

The general arrangements were that they supplied my living quarters and food while I worked on the tasks they needed help with – about 4 hours per day, 5-6 days per week (we agreed on everything beforehand via emails).

On top of these agreements, though, I got many, many wonderful bonuses that were basically just a result of great timing and ‘the luck of the draw’ … the benefits of living with those particular hosts. The ‘bonuses’ were all things I would not have been able to enjoy if I had not joined these work exchanges.

Clearly, not every volunteer worker is going to receive the same great bonuses I did during my various jobs in New Zealand. But this post will give anyone interested in work exchange programs an idea of what sorts of wonderful extra things you might get to see, do, learn, eat and enjoy whenever you join a work exchange assignment.

So, hold on to your hat while you check out all these amazing things I was treated to at peoples’ homes in New Zealand (for free):

kiwi fruits on vine at my HelpX in Te Puke

Food bonuses

Fresh fruit off hosts’ trees & vines: grapes, passion fruit, blueberries, apples, lemons, kiwis and oranges

Fresh veggies from hosts’ gardens: lettuce, carrots, kale, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, pumpkin

Gourmet cheeses

Use of an espresso machine

New dishes(to me): Beef Wellington, Shepard’s Pie, vegetarian dishes, cumara (NZ sweet potatoes)

Chances to bake some of my favorite recipes: dark bread, muffins, desserts

Gourmet meals at restaurants: salmon, seafood pasta, licorice icecream

my private caravan in Auckland

Accommodation

My own cute caravan for one week

Small private cabin for one week

My own carpeted bedroom, complete with double bed, shelves and cabinets in 7 different homes

Using a variety of interesting heating systems: electric mattress, electric blanket, wall radiator, wood stove

Daily hot showers

Free wifi access in every home

Unlimited use of kitchen, home and properties

joining a vintage car road trip in NZ

Road trips

Day trip to Napier town

4-day vintage car road trip

Visit to Coromandel Peninsula

Narrow-gauge railroad ride

3-day trip to Tongariro National Park with visit to the Park Visitor’s Center and Tongariro Chateau

at Bag’s End – Bilbo Baggin’s hobbit hole in Hobbiton

Visits to local attractions

Historic walking tour of Cambridge town

Centenial Drive Botanical Gardens in Matamata town

Hobbiton

Honey Bee Center, Taupo

Transportation help

Pick up from the airport upon my arrival in New Zealand

Several pick-ups & drop-offs at bus stations

Various rides to local attractions and activities

Advice on local transportation, services and attractions

mountain biking in Taupo with HelpX host

Outdoor Adventures

Bicycle rides along Lake Taupo

Hike at a small lake in Tongariro National Park

Mountain biking at Taupo

Walks along Waitomo River to Huka Falls

Soaking in natural hot springs in Taupo

Visit to Lake Karapiro

Walks along the Hutt River and Wellington Harbor

with other HelpX volunteers I befriended

Meeting new people

Lived with and got to know many local New Zealanders

Made several new friends with my hosts

Made new friends with a lovely young British couple – fellow HelpX volunteers

Learn 1st hand how New Zealanders live their daily lives, their views and outlooks

Pets

Played with, walked and groomed many lovely dogs

Befriended several great cats, including 2 rare Bengal cats

Fed and played with two adorable baby goats

Sassy cat – a silver Bengal

Miscellaneous bonuses

Free yoga classes in exchange for walking and brushing my host’s dog

Small presents from my hosts: mini torch, kawakawa balm, calendulum oil, water purification solution

Introduction to homeopathy and dousing

Joined 2 alternative lifestyle spiritual meetings

Lash feeding baby goats

Doing fun jobs

3 landscape gardening projects

Feeding cows & horses

Moving cow herds from pasture to pasture

Driving an ATV on a farm

Learning how mushrooms are cultivated, grown and harvested

Feeding baby goats for a week

Conclusions: 

As you can see, I was really blessed with many fantastic extra adventures, gourmet foods and housing treats during my various HelpX gigs around New Zealand. I’m sure I’ll be lucky to enjoy many, many more great experiences in future work exchange programs… starting soon in Australia!

Yep, I’ll be traveling around Australia for 3 months – starting in August – and joining several more HelpX assignments in some great destinations. Stay tuned!

 You might also enjoy:

Work Exchange: Pros & Cons

WWOOFing in Kuranda – Australia

WWOOFing Gone Way Wrong in USA

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Work Exchange: Pros & Cons Work Exchange New Zealand: 30+ Bonuses I Enjoyed at my South Island HelpX Gigs Travel Tips: How I Can Afford a 3-Month Trip to New Zealand Destination: Taupo, New Zealand