Maggie & Bob

We are a married couple (52 years), non-smoking and semi retired, but are very active and have good health. We welcome enquiries for our availability for property/house sitting and mention here we will be in Hawkes Bay from March to the end of June 2024.

After spending many years motorcycling around NZ on holidays and seeing many memorable places. we wanted to spend a few years exploring NZ at a slower pace (and in a little more comfort) whilst living in our 9 metre self-contained caravan (or your home if you want us to "live-in").
Over the last 7 years we have looked after house and farm properties for friends and property owners in the Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay, Taumarunui, Waikato and the Firth of Thames and have thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and change of scenery.
FAMILY:
We have 3 adult children ( two sons, one daughter); one of whom lives in Australia (Sunshine Coast); 4 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren.
ABOUT US:
Maggie was born and bred in the country so has knowledge of farming lifestyles. Rode horses for many years prior to moving to town to obtain work once college education was completed. A secretary/PA/EA/office manager by trade (many years in the legal field) but have also worked in the aged care industry as caregiver and for the last 9 years as a medical transcriptionist. Worked alongside hubby when we had our own farm smallholding as well as keeping a large farm vegetable garden and shrubbery, raising our family - not to mention raising the numerous "orphans" from farming - lambs and calves. I was heavily involved in local Pony Club and Trail Riding events at that time.. Our daughter's love for horses still continues and a granddaughter also currently rides). I have run my home-based secretarial business since 2004 and also do medical transcription work. My business now operates from our caravan with onboard broadband.

Bob spent a few years working on various farms prior to moving to the Wairarapa and becoming involved in the agricultural industry (cropping). He later returned to farming where he managed a cropping/beef/sheep property before buying our own smallholding and raising a family. "Rogernomics" arrived in the mid-80s; at which stage we sold up and moved to town with our teenage children. However, having an agricultural/farming background meant no shortage of work for Bob (varied agricultural work, fencing, etc. ). He also drove for a stock cartage firm which also included making farm fuel deliveries and this eventually meant a move to Wellington to drive fuel tankers throughout the lower half of the North Island for 20 years. (Apart from having a NZ Class 5 truck licence, Bob also has an Australian multi-combination licence). He spent the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons in Hawkes Bay driving for an apple orchard.
HOBBIES:
Gardening and lawn-mowing have always been part and parcel of our lives - enjoyable, therapeutic tasks. We have been members of the Ulysses Club for 25+ years and although we still own motorcycles, we find caravanning pursuits take up most of our time these days. We enjoy pedalling the trails (we completed the Alps to the Ocean Trail in Feb 2024). Maggie also has an interest in outdoor photography (and genealogy or quilting on those not so nice days and still manages to have an occasional horse ride).

THE BOTTOM LINE:
* We don't mind being in town but prefer the rural lifestyle.
* We have a farming background and have experience in looking after dogs, livestock, horses and family pets. (Over the years we have owned numerous cats, a West Highland White Terrier, a Fox Terrier, a Labrador, a cockatiel, goldfish, many chooks, pigs, and a number of horses and ponies). We know how to operate most farm equipment; electric fences, chainsaws, tractors, quads, motorbikes, trucks, etc.
* We live in our self-contained caravan which we prefer to do whilst we are looking after your property. We are also happy to "live in" if that is your wish but would need to park our 9 metre caravan somewhere - if not on your property while we are housesitting, then perhaps you can help us out by suggesting local, inexpensive but secure, parking options [quid pro quo would be great].
* We take pride in ourselves and in the property sitting we undertake. We will look after your property and livestock as if they were our own.
* Currently we do not charge for looking after your in-house pets, tending gardens or mowing lawns.. We are more than happy to undertake farming duties or other work as required on your property but if this is the case, we ask for reasonable compensation.
* Verbal references are available on request - Ministry of Justice check can be obtained if required (but will merely show that neither of us have a criminal record).
We look forward to hearing from you.