Mature and Reliable

About

Hello and Kia ora,

I’m Heather Taylor, 55 yo and a Kiwi citizen ex Whangārei, currently house sitting in Portobello, Dunedin for 5 months until Jan. 4, 2024. I am looking for a new house sitting gig starting sometime in January 2024 so I can look around Dunedin some more and see if it feels like home. I am interested in long-term or medium-term 1 month or more, not just a few days.

I am happy to take care of pets: dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc. I am happy to take care of a reasonable lifestyle block with a few sheep, cows, etc. I am not interested in managing a big farm or in milking cows. I am reasonably fit, I don’t smoke or vape, and I do not have any pets currently, nor do I have any dependents/children. I have a big soft spot in my heart for dogs, I love Christmas, I love baking and cooking, making mosaics, gardening, tramping and cycling. I also love hunting. At rest, nothing is better than a good book or a Sudoku, or writing a poem or short story. I would love to get my kayak out more, too.

My work background:

• Beef and deer farmer, Wairarapa, 1995-2001
• Vineyard worker/manager, assistant winemaker, Martinborough, 1997-2003
• Department of Conservation (DOC) weed and animal pest control ranger, 2003-2013
• Wildfire fighter and logistics manager (for DOC), 2004-2013
• Freelance editor and owner of my own business (First Person Editing Ltd.), 2012-present
• Commercial gardener/landscaper, 2018-2021 (T/A Whangārei Green Thumb)
• Client services manager and editor, OnLine English (based in Hobart, Tasmania), 2023-present

I am happy to stay in your house, a sleepout/whare, or I am also happy to retrieve my caravan from Tauranga and stay in that if the timing works out and I can get a ferry company to commit to taking my van in the current situation with the ferries! My caravan is 9m long and can be operated off grid.

I require good internet and/or mobile phone coverage so I can tether my laptop to my mobile because my work is remote. I have both Spark and 2 Degrees phones.

My other skills: Heavy transport class 2 license (towing 9 m. caravan, have driven barges on trailers and fire appliances); chainsaw skills inc. tree felling but not windthrow; firewood processing; weed spraying/weed control; animal pest trapping and poisoning. I am happy giving the home some effort, e.g., I love lawnmowing, etc.

I have referees x 4. Please ask and I will give you their details.

• Solo
• Age Group: 55-67
• Freelance editor