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cottageHouse sitting job

Brooklands

- Taranaki

Cute cottage with dog and chickens

Picture of House requiring a House and Pet Sitter at Kiwi House Sitters, New Zealand
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Dates & location

alarmSoon

date_range 20 Aug 2026 - 23 Aug 2026 (3 nights)

location_on Brooklands - View map

my_location - Taranaki - New Plymouth

Our home

We need someone to house sit our two bedroom cottage in central New Plymouth.
Our house is small, comfortable, warm and colourful on a private section in a quiet area. A bedroom with a queen sized bed is available
We have a border collie cross dog who needs daily exercise and feeding and three chickens who need to be fed twice a day. We have a vegetable garden and also a number of flowerpots that may need watering depending on the weather.
We live in a quiet area very close to Pukekura park ... Read moreWe need someone to house sit our two bedroom cottage in central New Plymouth.
Our house is small, comfortable, warm and colourful on a private section in a quiet area. A bedroom with a queen sized bed is available
We have a border collie cross dog who needs daily exercise and feeding and three chickens who need to be fed twice a day. We have a vegetable garden and also a number of flowerpots that may need watering depending on the weather.
We live in a quiet area very close to Pukekura park and a 25 minute walk through the park to the CBD. There is off road parking. There is a bus service nearby.
If you haven't been to New Plymouth before then it has lots of great places to see and things to do - a great contemporary art gallery, beachfront walkway, gorgeous park and excellent coffee. Nearby is the wonderful Taranaki maunga and national park. There are nature walks, surf beaches and a great library museum complex

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favoriteWhat we love about our area

We live next to a large beautiful park and are just a five minute drive, a 30 minute walk (thru the beautiful park) or a 10 minute bus trip to the center of town

View house featureskeyboard_arrow_up

cabinHouse type:Cottage

local_laundry_serviceFeatures

Wifi, Streaming services, Heater, Smoke alarms, Street parking

accessibleHome accessibility

External stairs / steps, Step in bath/shower

landscapeLocale

City

near_meNearby

Buses, Supermarket, Lawn Bowls, Restaurants/Cafes, Cinema, Parks, Beach, Art/Theatre

Our pets

DogsDogs (1)
Chickens/Ducks/GeeseChickens/Ducks/Geese (3)
Lola our dog is a 13 year old border collie staffie cross. She is extremely chill and well behaved at home but will take herself for her own walk if you leave the gate open. She
Needs a good 30 minute walk once a day but can handle more of you are keen. She is fed morning and evening.
Our three highline hens will wake you up first thing demanding breakfast but lay delicious eggs every day which you are welcome to enjoy.
They are also fed morning and evening and you need to clean their water drinker every couple of days and refill it.

Our garden

local_floristGarden or plant care

No

About us

person Shirley

We are Dave and Shirley, a semi retired couple. Dave likes to build and also to play pickle ball and disc golf and to sing. Shirley is an artist, bookkeeper and likes to cook, garden and play ukulele

Trust

account_circleMember since Apr 2021

Important info

videocamSecurity/Pet Cameras:

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person_addGuests welcome:By arrangement

directions_carOwn transport required:Yes

petsPets welcome:No

smoking_roomsSmoking permitted:Outside only

Reviews (18)

Thank you Shirley and Dave for entrusting me with your home and Lola your dog. It was an easy place to stay and the proximity to New Plymouth's beautiful Brooklands Park made for some awesome walks. Shirley and Dave are great communicators and the entire week was enjoyable. Rod
Lovely stay at Dave and Shirley's place. Lola was a gem and easy to take care of, as she likes to chill and sleep most of the time. But when you are out with her for a walk, she moves like a youngster with endless energy. Their home is cozy and has a great music collection and a warm atmosphere with a fireplace for colder days. The surrounding park and many more places to visit in the area, are ideal for long or short dog walks. At the end we were sad to leave, because Lola grew very close to ... MoreLovely stay at Dave and Shirley's place. Lola was a gem and easy to take care of, as she likes to chill and sleep most of the time. But when you are out with her for a walk, she moves like a youngster with endless energy. Their home is cozy and has a great music collection and a warm atmosphere with a fireplace for colder days. The surrounding park and many more places to visit in the area, are ideal for long or short dog walks. At the end we were sad to leave, because Lola grew very close to our hearts. We would come again, if we could. That's why we recommend doing a house sit at Dave and Shirley's.

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As our first experience as housesitters, staying at Shirley and Dave’s place was absolutely wonderful. Lola is a lovely and well-behaved dog, it was very easy and enjoyable to look after her. The house is cozy, with a great backyard, and the neighbours are really friendly. A highly recommended place!
We had a lovely time looking after Lola and the 3 chickens. Shirley and Dave answered all our questions and it was very nice to go for a walk the day before the sit to get to know Lola and the local area. The weather was very rainy for our stay, but we still enjoyed our daily walks around Brooklands park and the house was very cosy. Lola was such a good dog, very chilled, we will miss her.
I loved staying at Shirley and Dave's, they have a gorgeous house and garden with a log burner to keep cosy. Lola the dog was a star, so relaxed and easy going. We walked in the nearby Pukekura park which is an amazing park!! And she was good in the van for 10mins up the road to Lake Mangamahoe. The chickens were also a delight, super easy to please and provided daily eggs. Thanks!!
Lola is an incredibly sweet dog — she quickly found her way into our hearts. Caring for the chickens was easy, and we really appreciated the delicious fresh eggs. We’re very grateful to Shirley and Dave for kindly letting us stay on their property with power the night before. However, we didn’t feel entirely comfortable staying in the house, so we decided to sleep in our campervan instead.
It was a very nice experience to take care of Lola and the chickens. Shirley & Dave were very kind in their welcome and explained us step by step everything to do, also left us tips to know the city. Thank you for being so nice & for the eggs. We wish you the best, hugs !
I had such a lovely time looking after Lola for a week at Shirley and Dave’s place. Great location for walks and a wonderful neighbourhood. The chickens were entertaining and sweet to care for as well. I was given clear information and comprehensive instructions to follow and even a information pack too, which is super handy! I’d definitely come back!
It was a pleasure to interact with Shirley and Dave throughout our houesit for them. They were very welcoming, informative and friendly, and their dog, Lola, is a treasure. She was a delight to look after and we quickly bonded with her. The chickens were very easy to care for. Shirley and Dave generously shared their delicious eggs with us. The house is filled with light,, easy to care for, surrounded by nature, and very close to the entrance to gorgeous Pukekura Park. Our house sit was a ... MoreIt was a pleasure to interact with Shirley and Dave throughout our houesit for them. They were very welcoming, informative and friendly, and their dog, Lola, is a treasure. She was a delight to look after and we quickly bonded with her. The chickens were very easy to care for. Shirley and Dave generously shared their delicious eggs with us. The house is filled with light,, easy to care for, surrounded by nature, and very close to the entrance to gorgeous Pukekura Park. Our house sit was a very positive experience for truly lovely people, and their sweet Lola.

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We had a wonderful time house sitting for Shirley and Dave. Their home was so cozy, and garden was fantastic, as they were very generous to allow us access to some of their homegrown produce while they were away. The location was also perfect- only a short walk to Pukekura Park and a Countdown for groceries. Their pets and plants were all very enjoyable and low maintenance. Lola is such a sweet dog, and even after only 3 nights, we will miss her. We loved taking her for walks in ... MoreWe had a wonderful time house sitting for Shirley and Dave. Their home was so cozy, and garden was fantastic, as they were very generous to allow us access to some of their homegrown produce while they were away. The location was also perfect- only a short walk to Pukekura Park and a Countdown for groceries. Their pets and plants were all very enjoyable and low maintenance. Lola is such a sweet dog, and even after only 3 nights, we will miss her. We loved taking her for walks in neighbouring park. Anyone considering an opportunity to house sit here will not be disappointed.

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I really enjoyed my time housesitting for Shirley in New Plymouth. Lola is a lovely friendly dog, very good company around the house, and super enthusiastic on a walk! The house has a beautiful garden to enjoy & is really close to Pukekura Park, so there are lots of options for walks there, or further afield at the dog friendly beaches. The chickens are easy to care for & super 'chatty' at meal times, and have the extra reward of fresh eggs. Shirley was great with communication and letting ... MoreI really enjoyed my time housesitting for Shirley in New Plymouth. Lola is a lovely friendly dog, very good company around the house, and super enthusiastic on a walk! The house has a beautiful garden to enjoy & is really close to Pukekura Park, so there are lots of options for walks there, or further afield at the dog friendly beaches. The chickens are easy to care for & super 'chatty' at meal times, and have the extra reward of fresh eggs. Shirley was great with communication and letting me know all about the area. I happened to be staying while the light festival was still on, so the location was fantastic for that. It's an easy walk into New Plymouth centre as well, with all the great cafes and galleries. Would love to spend time with Lola again if the chance comes up :-)

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We had a fantastic stay at Shirley and Dave’s! The location was perfect, close to beautiful parks. Lola, their dog, was incredibly well-behaved and added a delightful touch to our experience. The accommodation was comfortable and they provided us with easy-to-follow instructions that made our stay seamless. Highly recommended if you get the opportunity to house sit for Shirley and Dave!
Shirley and Dave are so friendly and easygoing. They let me stayed the night before the sitting cause I misunderstood and didn’t have a place to stay after arrived at night. But glad to be there the day before so I could learn more about Lola and the chicken, the second morning they showed me everything and we walked Lola together before they leave that helps me know more about her and it was so easy to take care of her later and also she was really behaved. The chickens were easy as well and ... MoreShirley and Dave are so friendly and easygoing. They let me stayed the night before the sitting cause I misunderstood and didn’t have a place to stay after arrived at night. But glad to be there the day before so I could learn more about Lola and the chicken, the second morning they showed me everything and we walked Lola together before they leave that helps me know more about her and it was so easy to take care of her later and also she was really behaved. The chickens were easy as well and also have the fresh eggs to eat. Really appreciate them for the sitting opportunity!

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Shirley and Dave were easy to work with and very nice people. Lola was fun to be with and good companion. Would housesit again a great experience.
Great house sit, Lola is so much fun :)
Thank you for this delightful opportunity. Lola was great company, and the chooks were a regular joy to keep an eye on, and even a few eggs :-) Shirley was very easy to communicate with, and the information for the house was clear, informative, and easy to follow. The location is right by the park and a larger run-around area so walking Lola was easy to do locally, and she behaved really well in the car for walks further away at the numerous beaches around New Plymouth. The house is cosy and ... MoreThank you for this delightful opportunity. Lola was great company, and the chooks were a regular joy to keep an eye on, and even a few eggs :-) Shirley was very easy to communicate with, and the information for the house was clear, informative, and easy to follow. The location is right by the park and a larger run-around area so walking Lola was easy to do locally, and she behaved really well in the car for walks further away at the numerous beaches around New Plymouth. The house is cosy and warm, and in a great location to explore the city, or hang out with good music on the sound system and enjoy the sunshine pouring in through the windows (and onto the little deck outside). You can tell the place is loved!

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Shirley and David were very welcoming and Lola was a treasure to look after. The house was very cosy and warm through some colder nights. The location was excellent, we were able to walk to the nearby supermarket and there were some lovely walks around Pukekura Park. We would be very happy to house/pet sit again. Thanks from Cathy and Pete.
Looking after Lola was a real pleasure. She is the sweetest dog that enjoys company and having you around. We are very pleased that Shirley and Dave put their trust on us for this pet sit. They are very nice people and gave us lots of tips of things to do around New Plymouth. They responded quickly when we told them about a little issue with Lola when the lead got broken during a walk and told us not to worry. We also had another issue hitting their letter box when we were leaving the place ... MoreLooking after Lola was a real pleasure. She is the sweetest dog that enjoys company and having you around. We are very pleased that Shirley and Dave put their trust on us for this pet sit. They are very nice people and gave us lots of tips of things to do around New Plymouth. They responded quickly when we told them about a little issue with Lola when the lead got broken during a walk and told us not to worry. We also had another issue hitting their letter box when we were leaving the place that got us distraught and they were the nicest people minimising our concerns and telling us not to worry about it. Thank you guys for your trust, help and understanding!

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