WWOOF New Zealand

WWOOF is built on the spirit of mutual respect, cultural exchange, and shared learning. With thousands of stays happening every year, it’s heartening that most go smoothly. However, every now and then, things don’t go as planned — and it’s important we talk about it.

When Things Go Wrong
While complaints are few compared to the number of positive interactions, we have recently received reports highlighting avoidable issues:

-WWOOFers being asked to work 5 hours a day, 7 days a week without agreed days off.
-Stressed hosts showing verbal impatience or unkindness.
-WWOOFers not showing up, or treating the experience like a B&B stay.
-Visitors not understanding they are entering someone’s home, and farm life isn’t always clean or quiet — animals, dirt, farming banter and local ways of life are all part of the experience.

WWOOFing means co-existing with strangers, embracing different cultures, age groups, and perspectives. This requires tolerance, adaptability, and understanding. Mutual respect is the heart of the WWOOFing experience.

WWOOFers: Honouring Your Commitments
When you confirm a stay, please understand that hosts make real preparations — from stocking up on food to planning projects and turning away other applicants. Cancelling last-minute or failing to turn up not only causes inconvenience but also damages trust in the network.
We ask that you:
-Communicate clearly and promptly.
-Honour your commitments or give plenty of notice if plans change.
-Be prepared for farm life — it’s not always glamorous, but it’s real and rewarding.

Hosts: Communicating Availability Matters
Some WWOOFers have reached out, disappointed by a lack of responses from hosts. We understand you’re busy — but even a short reply, such as “Sorry, we’re full right now,” goes a long way.
A few tips to help manage expectations:
-Use your availability calendar to show when you’re open, full or taking a break.
-Consider updating your profile status to hide it during your off-season or busy periods.

You can do this under Profile Settings in the dropdown menu. Click on Display to make yourself unavailable. You can switch to be visible again at anytime.