Jacqueline & Curtis

We are a couple in our 60s who love dogs, flying, kayaking and travel. We lost our two beloved old dogs in 2022 and are getting our dog-fix for a while by housesitting with other people's furry family members. Jacqui is a writer/editor who works remotely; Curtis is a commercial balloon pilot who is taking a break from flying and getting up at ridiculous hours in the morning. We live in Melbourne, Australia and also have a holiday house in Mount Beauty in the Australian alpine country. We are long-time dog owners - this is the first time in three decades that we are without a dog in our lives. We are keen kayakers and Curtis has been flying hang gliders for more than 30 years. Our first house-sit (10 weeks in Cairns) saw us looking after goldfish and guppies - a bit of a different responsibility but all fish survived on our watch. We love New Zealand and are keen to do some longer periods of house and dog sitting (up to 10 weeks).