Things to consider before you start your WWOOFing adventure:
Initial Contact and Communication
Always book ahead! It is important to make arrangements in advance as your host may need to organise food, beds, work, tools etc. At your initial contact it is important to discuss details of the stay such as duration and what chores there are. You and your host should discuss what expectations you both have from the exchange. Also say if you are vegetarian or have any other dietary requirements. If you set a date to visit a host and then find you cannot make it, please phone the host to let them know. If you fail to turn up, there will be concerns for your welfare! You may also find you receive negative feedback on your profile.
The Exchange
Please expect to do fair help for a fair keep. Generally 4-6 hours per day. Remember it is usually intended that you live together with the family. Your host will appreciate help with clearing up after meals and cooking.
On many farms water supplies are limited. Please use water wisely, do not waste it, and never assume there is plenty of it.
What you need
Always take a sleeping bag, toiletry bag (toothbrush, shampoo, facecloth, floss, natural bug lotion, sunscreen etc.), sturdy shoes, warm and waterproof clothing.
Although we consider WWOOFing to be volunteering, the Immigration Department consider volunteering while getting food and accommodation to be work. Please be aware that the immigration department in New Zealand require people who work in exchange for food and accommodation to hold an open work visa such as a Working Holiday Visa.
Yes we have to mention it, Money
As a WWOOFer you are an independent traveller, responsible for all travel arrangements and expenses. Below a few things you will need to budget for:
- All travel expenses including, travel to WWOOF country and travel to/from between host farms
- Accommodation en route
- Insurance
- Toiletries/medicines
- Mobile phone/internet access
- Day trips/treats
Internet Usage
In New Zealand, unlike the wonderful Europe/Asia & USA internet providers, internet is extremely limited in providers, our population mass is smaller, we are slowly catching up with technology but only in the large cities and so it’s much more expensive in areas that are well basically not Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch… the more remote you go, the more expensive it is for a Host to have Internet access. Especially if they can only rely on Satellite, Mobile phone or Wifi companies for connection. Unlimited Broadband is advertised regularly on TV, but reality is only 25% of Kiwi’s can get it! And even then, there is often many wonderful hidden strings attached…
Many hosts are not big internet users, they may use only 3-4 gb per month, checking emails, wwoof site and a several other websites, so often will only have a small limited data cap to suit their needs and more often their budget.
It’s always best practice and extremely polite to ask the Host before or as soon as you arrive what their internet procedures are and to make sure you follow their requests.
I know most of you already know this, but I just want to reiterate : each time you go online to check, E-Mails, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Instagram, flickr, vine, Snapchat, Skype, YouTube, Word Press, Blogs, Reddit, ask.fm or any other social media websites, you are actually using data that is downloading.
Now it may not appear to be much to start off with but data accumulates and by the end of the month can tend to add to be quite a lot, especially if you spend say between 15mins to several hours per day, checking/using the internet on your phone/tablet/notebook/laptop and you’re not the only person in the home doing this.
This may result in a hefty bill for your host, which is not much fun for the host and not the best way to end your stay.
Most importantly enjoy your WWOOFing adventure, be open and flexible, with a genuine desire to learn and help people. As one WWOOFer has summed it up perfectly:
“I really enjoyed WWOOFing, even in the more challenging places because I learned something about myself.”
How it works in New Zealand
WWOOF enables people to connect with locals and live and learn on a variety of organic properties. Volunteers (WWOOFers) lend a hand on the land and home and hosts provide the food, accommodation and experiences. If you want to have hands on experience, learn and share organic and sustainable ways of living then WWOOF might be for you.
Volunteers
Usually you live with your host and are expected to join in and cooperate with the day to day activities. In most countries WWOOF is based on 4-6 hours help with a full day’s food and accommodation provided.
You may be asked to help with a variety of tasks like sowing seed, making compost, gardening, planting, cutting wood, weeding, harvesting, packing, milking, feeding, fencing, making mud-bricks, wine making, cheese making and bread making and whole lot more!!
Volunteers often say, “We like giving something back to the country we are travelling in”.
The length of your stay is negotiated directly between you and your host. Most WWOOF visits are between one and two weeks, though some may be as short as two or three days or as long as six months. WWOOF is not an employment situation, you are treated the same as a friend or family member and are free to leave if you are not enjoying your time.
WWOOF NZ offers experiences with both WWOOF hosts and Cultural Exchange hosts (see below).
If you are interested in alternative ways of living and want to meet interesting people then WWOOFing is for you!
Hosts
Hosts say they “like the world coming to me” by opening up their homes and sharing their lifestyle with others.
Volunteers can provide an extra pair of hands to help with various projects you are busy with. Many of our hosts practice Permaculture or Bio-dynamic growing methods. Some hosts make a living off their land, others are homesteaders interested in self-sufficiency, some are families others are individuals. There are also cooperatives, communities and eco- villages.
WWOOF is not an employment situation. Volunteers can leave at any time and there is no master/servant relationship. There is no expectation of productivity as WWOOFers are treated as you would a friend or family member staying with you. If you need consistent reliable workers to manage your property WWOOF suggests that you employ a local.
WWOOF New Zealand may include properties that are not %100 organic, but still have a desire to share their lifestyle. All hosts have valuable experiences and knowledge to share. In order to make it easier for volunteers to search for a host that best matches the skills/ experiences they have or want to learn, we have two websites one for WWOOF hosts and one Cultural Exchange(CE) hosts. Cultural Exchange hosts join here.