Response rating:
Preferred locations
Sydney, Central Coast, Hobart, Rural/Regional Tas
Additional Info
References available, Police check available, Non smoker, Experience with Domestic Animals, Experience with Farm Animals
About
I've been a house-sitter for the past 20 years. House-sits have come my way from all over Australia via friends, colleagues, word-of-mouth, and house-sitting agencies such as Happy Housesitters.
I'm a self-employed artist, working in the forms of site-specific video, performance and installation. I also work as a community artist and sometimes as artist-in-residence with remote and regional communities. It suits me well to house-sit as I travel extensively for my art practice.
I've explored Tasmania recently, via a mixture of house-sitting, WWOOF'ing, camping, bushwalking - climbing mountains and breathing deeply in old growth forests as much as possible. Most of my recent house-sitting references are from that period of 2-3 years in Tasmania, and are uploaded to my profile. One such house-sit, which I did for two separate periods of 5-6 months was on 100 acres of conservation protected bushland, with extensive covered vegetable gardens to look after and a slightly temperamental septic tank.
I'm now based in my old home-town of Sydney. I'm fortunate to have a reliable home-base in Lane Cove, with a fit and healthy 86 year old friend for whom I WWOOF whenever I stay. I periodically spend a month or two nannying a delightful 7 year old for friends in the Illawarra and I sometimes sojourn in Ballina with my niece, where I can be a great aunt to her two littlies..
I'm single, have no children, don't smoke, drink very little and have my own car. I love to grow and cook good food and am a dab hand in the kitchen, having spent a few years as a professional cook. I love to have the sky as my roof as much as possible - 'chop wood, carry water' has great appeal. I'm physically active with bushwalking, swimming, gardening, Pilates, strength training. I like to sing in community choirs and i practice meditation and gentle yoga.
I'm experienced with farm animals (especially chooks) and with wildlife (I'm about to do a WIRES wildlife rescue training) and I'm VERY happy to companion your beloved domestic animal. I'm clean and tidy and always leave house, animals and garden well tended. I'll attend to incoming mail under your instructions, send scans of anything requiring your attention, and can even run an in-house business if you happen to have one, as did a Hobart home-owner for whom I've been a regular house-sitter.
I'm energetic, versatile and adaptable. I have a special interest in eco-sensitive, energy-sustainable homes and properties, to learn from them, to make a sweat contribution to them and to foster optimism about the future. I'm currently involved with Narara Eco Village and I'm on the way to becoming a member so that I can eventually live there. Hence, I'm especially keen to do house-sits within range of Narara on the Central Coast in NSW.