Self-contained Wwoofer Cottage
Our 2020 Tracking cutting team
Wwoofers, Volunteers and Service Teams are a vital part of the running of Te Moata.
Te Moata welcomes the energy, enthusiasm and contribution of volunteers and wwoofers. In return we offer a wwoofer experience in an amazing place with very special energy. You will be involved in retreats and/or projects and become part of Te Moata for your stay. You will assist our french chef in the kitchen learning many skills during retreats and there is the added bonus of being able to sit in on the teachings offered when not working – this is especially so during meditation retreats.
Please read about the retreats on our website, fill out the woofer form below stating clearly if you are applying for a two or four weeks stay. Your preferred start and end dates must be in between retreats we are hosting.
As a WWOOFER you will be helping with a wide range of jobs and following instructions:
- Between retreats: cleaning, gardening, cooking, organising, wood-chopping, repair and maintenance, land and track clearing projects
- Perhaps you would like to offer your skills in particular area’s; baking, carpentry, roofing, painting, plumbing, firewood splitting, general handy-person, gardening, weed and predator control, track trimming, etc!
We aim to:
- work 5 days per week, 2 days off – sometimes this changes to fit with retreat schedules, or emergency projects, e.g. due to weather events
- work 5.5 hours of work per day between retreats.
- During retreats the kitchen roster determines the hours of work required, but rarely more than 5 hours per day..
- Meet at 8:30am ready for work, morning tea 11:am – (20 mins), finish for the day at 2pm.
- Please note: we do expect Wwoofers to be flexible around working hours if it is needed.
Working on SERVICE TEAMS for Retreats:
If you volunteer to work during a retreat as ‘service team’ you will be on a roster assisting the chef in food preparation and doing dishes cleaning the kitchen. There is a lot of spare time to sit in on the sessions offered and time to explore the nature sanctuary that is Te Moata.
Accommodation for volunteers
Wwoofers and service teams have their own fully self contained 6 bedroom cottage. All Wwoofers are expected to share the responsibilities of keeping the cottage clean and tidy, and share cooking in between retreats.
Between retreats wwoofers cook for themselves, we supply the food basics so unless you eat luxury foods there is no need to bring food. If you are gluten free you will need to supply your own bread or specialist foods between retreats. During retreats you can eat gluten free/vegan/other cooking from the chef. Please bring your own plunger coffee as we do not provide this. Te Moata is strictly vegetarian.
We are off the grid so our power is solar – conservation of resources is very important. We do have cell phone reception Spark and Skinny are best, worst case scenario is that you’ll need to walk up the driveway to get reception. There is free internet access at Tairua library, even when it’s not open.
After the work’s done there is lots of time to enjoy the sanctuary of Te Moata. There is plenty of opportunity for reflecting, walking the Labyrinth, tramping in the bush, swimming in the stream, discovering the waterfalls or staying overnight in one of the remote huts. And don’t forget an evening walk up the valley to check out the glow-worms! Te Moata is only 10 minutes drive from wonderful Tairua, spectacular beaches, including famous Hot Water beach and Cathedral Cove.
Every wwoofer stay begins with a 4-day mutual trial period when you get to know Te Moata and we get to know you, and we see if that works for all. We try to book woofers for roughly 3 weeks when possible. All woofers have a start and finish date prearranged, and this is sometimes negotiable once you are here.
Many international Wwoofers identify Te Moata as their “home” in New Zealand and return, often bringing friends or family with them. We love welcoming our Wwoofers back, and they do come back again and again.
Please fill out the application form on this site and send it in so we have a good idea of your skills and your preferred dates to stay.