contents
4
FROM THE EDITORS
20
Discover what's been happening as our editors hot footed it from the UK
HOUSE SITS & FOSTERING Silvana Clark and husband Allan talk
to their new base in France.
about the unusual twist their house sitting lifestyle took as foster
6
16
HOUSE SITTING THE KIWI WAY
parents.
24
BREXIT UPDATE
Nicole Gustas found herself "stuck"
As the transition ends, discover
in New Zealand. She learned some
everything you need to know as a
great house sitting tips along the
British citizen, to house sit in the
way!
European Union.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOUSE SIT PROFILE
26
THE CHALLENGES OF KYLE
Tips to give you the competitive
Julie Ashworth describes how they
edge as you negotiate a second
dealt with a particularly challenging
year of house sitting disruption.
house sit with an anxious dog.
32
AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS Breed and house sitting information for taking care of this hardy Aussie herding dog.
40
CITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT Find out what it will cost you to house sit in the city of
Melbourne ,
in Victoria, Australia.
46
TRAVEL INSPIRATION Ideas for future travel locations. We take a quick look at South East France.
Lac D'Annecy
in
from the editors Welcome to the first issue of House Sitting Magazine for 2021. Are you, like us, hopeful for a better year ahead than last year turned out to be? I imagine, like most, you'll be glad to see the back of 2020? It was a pretty challenging year for us all, but having flexibility was a major key to getting through these very strange times. The year ahead is also going to be filled with surprises and challenges, and who knows how things will play out over the coming months. Vanessa and I do feel, however, that we made the best of the past 12 months, and hope you managed to do so too. At the start of October, with a possible new lockdown on the horizon for the UK, we decided to head south into France, in our newly converted campervan, where we had a great month of safe and isolated touring along the Normandy coastline. Then in early November France beat the UK to implement a second lockdown, and we had to make a dash across the country to our new home base in the Burgundy region. We'd very generously been offered an empty holiday property by a UK home owner, and were extremely grateful to have a warm and cozy home to ride out the 6 weeks of strict lockdown. To leave the house we had to create and take an "attestation", declaring why we were away from home, and what time we had departed. For us, the only valid reasons to be out and about were either going shopping, or to get some exercise up to 1 hour maximum just 1km from home. In December the rules were relaxed a little, and we were allowed to wander as far as 20 kms for a maximum of 3 hours. Our world opened up significantly and we had some wonderful cycle trips exploring the local area.
Living without pets made us realize how much we missed having animals around, and with France potentially opening up again on 15th December, we applied to and were accepted for a couple of Christmas sits. It helped that we were already in the country and close by. But everything still depended on the home owners being allowed to travel, and getting negative results from their mandatory covid tests before leaving. Thankfully everything fell into place, and on the 15th we set off for Chamonix, high in the French Alps, for what would be an amazing Christmas house sit, looking after two dogs and two cats. We stayed in a beautiful chalet with an awesome view out onto Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain.
We enjoyed some fantastic clear winter weather in the mountains, and took the younger dog on some long hikes through the forests and up into the foothills. We even had a go at snowshoeing, but ski lifts were closed. The home owners returned after Christmas, and as a bonus we got to stay on in Chamonix for a few extra days in the family's little studio. Our New Year sit wasn't too far away, but we had to battle snowy conditions to get there, and couldn't make the final climb up the steep hill to the house. Instead we parked the van in the cemetery car park at the edge of town for the first night. This second winter sit was fun too. We looked after two more dogs who both loved to be out and about in the snowy conditions, so we all got plenty of exercise. On our way "home" we spent a couple of days in the campervan during cold conditions, with night-time temperatures dropping as low as -5 degrees (C). But the heater system in the van performed admirably, and the sheepswool insulation meant we had a couple of very comfortable nights. Still not on full lock-down in France, we were permitted to visit two wintry lake towns. We stayed one night at Lake Annecy, and another at Aix-le-Bains. Our almost-month-long mini trip over the holidays had allowed us to see a few places we haven't been to before, to look after some lovely pets, and to meet some wonderful home owners. Once again, we feel we have made the most of what is currently available to us. I do think that is going to be the key to enjoying what the coming year has to offer too.
Although for now many of us have lost a lot of our freedoms, and travel is incredibly restricted, it is as important as ever to remain optimistic, and try to find the positives in whatever situation we find ourselves in. We've had all had our horizons narrowed, so we must try to find the joy in the little adventures we can still create for ourselves. Here's hoping for a happy 2021 for you all, however you choose to live it.
IAN USHER & VANESSA ANDERSON CO-EDITORS
On the edge of Lake Annecy
HOUSE SITTING THE KIWI WAY By Nicole Gustas If there's one country that should be praised for it's handling of the Covid19 pandemic, then it's got to be New Zealand. With things pretty much back to normal, house sits are able to go ahead, as people venture out to explore the beauty of their own homeland. Nicole Gustas tells her story of how she got happily "stuck" in New Zealand, and provides some useful tips for future house sits. In January 2020, we came to New Zealand to housesit for a couple of months. In March our flight home was cancelled due to COVID-19. We’ve been stuck in New Zealand ever since. But “stuck” implies we don’t want to be here, when the truth is we are incredibly grateful for every minute we get to spend in this country with its gorgeous scenery, wise leaders and non-existent COVID infection rates. Because we’ve stayed so much longer, we’ve gotten a much more thorough introduction into the things that make housesitting in New Zealand unique compared to other countries. Whether it’s the application process (be fast!), the animals you might encounter (do you like sheep?) or some ways in which homes differ (don’t expect heat!), this is what it’s like to housesit the Kiwi way.
The quirks of Kiwi life NO SHIRT, NO SHOES? NO PROBLEM! Kiwis are a warm and welcoming people.
Secondhand is first-rate
There’s a lot of emphasis placed on hospitality. If you go to meet your homeowner before a sit, they will invite you in, offer you a cup of tea or coffee, and gladly sit down for a chat with you. Similarly, if you stay until they return from their sit, you’ll again sit down for tea, and maybe a nibble. The US sign “no shirt, no shoes, no service” has no place here. We often see people go barefoot into cafes and stores, especially in beach communities. People are also more likely to be dressed as if they’re ready to go fishing or hiking at a moment’s notice – probably because they are.
As a culture, Kiwis tend to be thrifty. Secondhand shopping is popular.. and it’s not just clothes and furniture that are bought used. Many cars in New Zealand are used imports from Japan. Even New Zealand’s inter-island ferries are secondhand Scandinavian ferries. People repair items, from clothing to furniture to washing machines, rather than replace them. Repair makes more economic sense here in New Zealand. Because it’s a couple of small islands in the middle of the Pacific, most items here are significantly more expensive than you’d find in Europe or in North America.
Pay at the counter
The land of accidental animal owners
Whether you’re eating at a fast food joint or the most elegant restaurant in town, you don’t pay at the table; you pay at the counter. You don’t have to wave at wait staff to get the bill; it streamlines life quite a bit.
Many Kiwis told us the same story: “this cat showed up on my doorstep one day and just didn’t leave.” Lots of owners have gotten two, three or even four cats in just this way.
No tipping, please!
And it’s not just cats.
As an American, it’s programmed into me
One homeowner we sat for had
to tip. When I’ve tried to do so at a salon,
"accidentally" accrued a small flock of
a restaurant or a hotel, it has been
sheep. When she took ownership of the
unbelievably awkward.
house, she discovered that the previous homeowner had left a sheep in the small
By and large, tipping doesn’t exist.
pasture out back.
People are paid a fair wage – minimum wage will increase to $20/hour on April 1
The sheep seemed lonely, so she got an
2021.
enormously fat sheep off "TradeMe", which is New Zealand’s answer to
Eat seasonally (or go bankrupt)
Craigslist.
Lots of the produce in New Zealand’s grocery stores is grown here. The only reason to go to a farmer’s market is to save money; the quality at supermarkets is just as high. In spring, summer and fall, you’ll find a bounty at the grocery store. In winter the selection declines, and prices for fresh items like tomatoes, cucumbers and capsicum/bell peppers go through the roof. We stopped buying tomatoes and bell peppers once they crossed the $12/kilo line. Tomatoes got up to $29.99 for the entry-level variety. (Cherry tomatoes were in the mid-to-high $30s.)
“Eat seasonally (or go bankrupt)”
Two days later she saw a lamb in her
The Covid refurbishment boom
pasture and discovered the new sheep she’d acquired had been pregnant, not fat. A few weeks later she looked in the pasture and saw a fourth sheep; her neighbour, who worked at a slaughterhouse, decided to rescue that sheep from the meat packing plant.
When we first started house sitting in New Zealand, we found that people here were more likely to hold on to furniture, kitchen appliances, and so forth, longer than people in the US or Europe. Since New Zealand came out of lockdown, that has changed drastically. All that money formerly earmarked for overseas travel has to go somewhere! About 50% of homes we’ve looked after in the past 6 months have brand-new living room sets, giant TVs, and refreshed kitchen appliances. Most of the ones who don’t have those things yet are on waitlists for them. At nearly every housesit, homeowners warn us that some area of the house is in the middle of a refurb and the cabinet doors are off / the carpet hasn’t been installed yet / there’s a new
“An accidental sheep!” New Zealand is the kind of place where you wind up with accidental sheep. Or chickens. Maybe even a couple of goats.
kitchen coming / etcetera.
A QUICK KIWI GLOSSARY Moggie: cat Chook: chicken
That’s just the way it is.
Lifestyle block: Kiwis will tell you this isn’t a farm. If you’re from the rest of the
People here are also less sentimental
world...it’s a farm, just a tiny one.
about their pets, perhaps because of the
Whānau: extended family
way they just show up at the door.
Iwi: tribe Jandal: thong or flip-flop
Homeowners are far less likely to be
Munted: messed up, bollixed, completely
upset by the “what should we do if your
f*&#ed
pet passes away?” question.
Go for your life: use however much of this you want to
And in most cases the answer is: bring
Maha: Hard work
our pet to be cremated and don’t keep
Kia kaha: Stay strong (heard more
the remains.
frequently since COVID)
KIWI HOUSE SITTERS The dominant house hitting platform in New Zealand If you want to housesit for any duration
This may be because housesitters are in
in New Zealand, you’ll need to sign up
shorter supply and homeowners have to
with Kiwi House Sitters.
work harder to get sitters.
In a year of house sitting, we’ve booked 4
Kiwis are much more laid back about the
housesits on Trusted Housesitters (THS)
house sitting recruitment process than
and 12 on Kiwi House Sitters. We’ve got
people in most other countries, in a
every sit we’ve applied for on THS; there
couple of ways. While people in other
just haven’t been many to apply for.
nations post months in advance, twoweek lead time seems to be the rule of
Adverts on Kiwi House Sitters often have
thumb here.
much less information than we were used to from other services. We have
We’ve seen weekend sits go up on a
noticed that this has evolved since COVID
Thursday night and 8-week sits go up
closed the borders.
with a week’s notice.
In January only half the housesits we saw
The decision process is also less
had photos and substantial descriptions.
intensive. Often, homeowners pick the
Now about 80% have photos, and
first applicant rather than reviewing
descriptions are more likely to talk up
applications.
the benefits of the home and the area.
Very few do interviews and many are surprised when we ask to do a video interview before confirming. Because homeowners tend to go for the first applicant, you’ll need to apply quickly.
Click here for house sits in
Right now, new sits generally populate the site around 11am local time, which makes it easier to monitor. If we apply
New Zealand at TrustedHousesitters with a
within an hour of the ad being posted, our hit rate is 80%. If we apply more than an hour after posting, it’s about 10%.
25% Discount on annual membership No code required
Communication style is subtle Kiwis are often very polite and many things are implied rather than stated outright. When you talk to your homeowner, it is important to listen for what the homeowner is implying as well as what they say directly. For example... “We’ll be getting home late,
Click here to join
KIWI House Sitters
but you don’t need to wait around for us!” Translates as: "I am going to be too
to get a
exhausted for the obligatory tea and coffee
15% discount
before we arrive so we can collapse on the
Use code: HSMAG15
when I get back, please leave the house couch in peace"
Adjusting your expectations FOR KIWI HOMES If you’re coming to New Zealand from another country, particularly somewhere in Europe or North America (which may be a distant dream right now), you will have to adjust some expectations. The biggest of which have to do with heat and moisture.
Prepare for cold winters New Zealand homes are very cold, especially if they are more than 10 years old. One third of New Zealand households aren’t insulated, many of the rest are only partially insulated, and most have single-pane windows. Central heating is vanishingly rare. When homes have heat, it is often only in
About half the people we sat for made it clear that they were happy for us to heat the house as needed. Other owners, however, told us stories of how previous housesitters had overused the heat and explained that heat was expensive. This made the underlying message clear: put your beanie and parka on!
Humidity is an issue In humid areas of North America and Europe, most homes have built-in humidity controls. New Zealand homes don’t have these, and mold is an endemic issue. Kiwis generally leave the bathroom and toilet windows open at all times to disperse moisture.
living areas. Almost half of households
Farm animals are more
do not heat bedrooms. Over 35% of
common
homes are heated by wood fires, 15% by bottled gas, and 4% still use coal fires.
It’s not unusual for people to keep a
We’ve sat in multi-million dollar homes
couple of farm animals on the property,
that are heated only by a wood stove in
especially on the South Island. Sheep are
the living room.
the easiest because they usually take care of themselves. Chickens are also
All this means that, if you’re sitting in a
fairly easy and often will provide you
gorgeous historic house, it’s likely to be
with eggs. Goats, cows and horses
the same temperature inside as it is
require more significant care.
outside. We haven’t done any farm sits, but we’ve We quickly learned why many Kiwis wear
heard about them from other people.
beanies and parkas indoors in winter!
Bachelor farmers are legendary in New
Make sure to ask if a house has heat
Zealand for living a lifestyle that’s light
before you sit.
on cleanliness and cooking implements.
In New Zealand you are always next to nature In New Zealand, you’re always close to
The beach and bush are always
the natural world. This is mostly amazing,
a short drive away
but there’s a few lookouts as well. It is very easy to get out into nature here,
The shaky islands
even if you’re in the middle of Auckland. Maybe especially if you’re in the middle
I’ve experienced more earthquakes in a year in New Zealand than in 10 years in Los Angeles. Kiwis are used to them and react to a 4.5 with a shrug. And those pretty North Island mountains? Occasionally they burp. As I write this, there’s a warning about increased activity at Mount Ruapehu, the volcano in the middle of the North Island that played Mordor in Lord of the Rings.
Don't panic about the weather My local weather app constantly has “SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS” in yellow or red. Initially I handled these like New Englanders handle blizzards: I bought bread, milk and toilet paper and I hunkered down. I’ve come to learn that the very existence of weather warrants a warning here. Which is weird, because they have so much of it. By and large, it’s not as intense as what we experienced in the US and Canada; a SEVERE WEATHER WARNING is mostly a notice to bring the laundry inside.
of Auckland, because you can take a ferry to a volcanic island! (Don’t worry, it hasn’t erupted in a few centuries.) You can go on nature walks for a few minutes or a few days. There are back country huts all over, where you can stay for a minimal donation. There’s a tradition here of people “going bush” and living in the woods for a while. The sun is much more powerful here than in Europe or North America, and you’re less likely to notice because the weather is so temperate. Back in the preCOVID times, we watched incoming tourists turn boiling red under its deceptive rays. Wear a hat, slap on some sunscreen and don’t forget your water! You won’t need to worry about dangerous mammals or poisonous snakes (neither of which exist here in New Zealand), but you will want bug spray. Lots of it. Mosquitoes are many and voracious, and there’s a bug that locals call a sand fly that leaves hard welts that itch for weeks. DEET is your best friend. .
We feel like we won the lottery! We feel like the luckiest people on Earth (literally) to have been “trapped” in New Zealand by COVID. The country has done a legendary job of handling the disease. Because of that, we’ve had the chance to go out and see every corner of the country. From Mount Taranaki (covered by clouds) to Mount Ruapehu (covered by clouds) to Franz Josef Glacier (covered by clouds) to Aoraki Mount Cook (covered by clouds), we’ve managed to see amazing cloud formations in every part of the country, and some great postcards that show the views we would have had on a sunny day. We’re kidding. (Well, not about the fact that every mountain we’ve tried to see has been obscured by clouds. That part is painfully true.) This country has jaw-dropping views everywhere you go. Seeing it from top to bottom has completely and utterly spoiled us for any other land. And the people here have been just as wonderful. Everyone we meet has been happy to share their recommendations for where we should go, and the secret spots that only they know about. They’ve given us the warmest welcome, and the deepest condolences for what’s going on back in our home country. We have seen friends in other countries scrambling to get home due to visa issues, and are endlessly thankful to this nation for extending ours. As of January 12, we will have been in New Zealand a year. This is my tenth visit, and I thought I knew this country. But every day we are here, I learn something new about the people, the place, and how it is evolving and changing. It may be a while before house sitting opens up again here, but once it does, you should put it at the top of your list.
GUEST POST
NICOLE GUSTAS When she was four, Nicole ran away from home to see the world. She only traveled half a block, but she's gone much further since. Together with her partner Mike, they have been house sitting around the world for three years. You can see their travels on
Cheapskate Nomad or on Mike’s
Instagram Photo credits - Mike Rainey
SPRING CLEAN YOUR PROFILE
How does your profile appear to others?
As we turn the corner of a new year, and anticipate new possibilities for house sits (at least in some parts of the world), now is the perfect time to put some effort into reviewing and updating your house sitting profile.
Is the most prominent information still relevant? Could your title be given a makeover?
With less sits generally available due to Covid-19 travel restrictions and lockdowns, competition is fierce for both sitters and home owners – so here are a few tips to help get your profile in tip-top condition to give you a head-start advantage.
Make your profile evergreen Figures need to be constantly updated. If you quote numbers of sits, reviews or pets, or years of accumulated house sitting, you’ll need to update regularly to keep totals current. Check and where possible turn your profile into evergreen content. “We completed 16 sits in 2020 and have 52 5-star reviews” could become: “We’ve done over 50 sits since we began house sitting in 2017, all with 5-star reviews”.
You only need to change when you reach milestone numbers.
Try viewing your profile from an “incognito” window in your browser to see it from an outsider’s viewpoint.
Remember that on many house sitting platforms, updating your profile means you are moved up the search data – a small change could mean you’ll appear in more searches, at least for a while!
Picture perfect! Are your pictures up-do-date? Have you looked after different pets this year that could show diversity of care? Make sure your pictures are being viewed as they should be, and that they demonstrate your full range of skills. You’d be surprised how many profiles have upside down, or zoomed in photos that look fine to you when uploading, but appear off to others. This goes for homeowners too - make sure you have good quality images of all the pets and the inside of the house. Remember smiling faces, action pictures with pets or carrying out duties. Use all the pictures available to you and caption where this facility is offered. Try and show the chemistry you have with pets and other animals.
First impressions count
How relevant is your profile?
The headline on your profile and the first image people see should reflect your personalities and encourage the viewer to want to see more information.
With Covid-19 very much in mind, we know many homeowners and sitters who have had to adapt their travel lifestyles.
First images should show happy smiling faces, with a pet if possible. Smiling faces
Some full-timers have hung up their international house sitting boots, opting for local domestic sits; others have taken a
help to build trust – if you are a couple, get friends or family to take some pictures of you both together next time you can be out and about.
complete break.
Update your availability Not all platforms have calendars, and some like TrustedHousesitters allow you to
Do you have Covid-19 health and safety procedures in place to keep your sitters or owners safe? Pop them on your profile (briefly) to show you are Covid aware and
input a set of available dates, and your calendar is automatically updated according to your availability.
house sitting safely.
Review your skillsets
Make sure your 2021 available dates are as correct as they can be.
Do a good review of your skillsets.
Whilst Covid-19 continues to disrupt the travel and the house sitting community, sits are being booked in the hope of an easing of restrictions, so get your “hopeful” dates logged in advance.
Where is your base for 2021? It’s possible you may be based in a different country this year, and with Covid19 restrictions, that country may be your new base for longer than you had once
How well does your profile reflect your current situation?
What can you do that's relevant to house sitting? Are there services you can offer like grooming pets, cutting pet nails, trimming overgrown hair on particular breeds, or tasks like cleaning the swimming pool, or pruning the rose bushes. Have you acquired lots of experience with a particular breed of pet? can you adminster pet medications and
hoped.
injections?
If you have the ability to indicated your location, make sure you update it. This will ensure you are “discovered” by owners on specific location based searches.
Anything that may give you an edge when homeowners view your profile information.
Demonstrate flexibility We’ve found that flexibility is key at the moment. Having a home base and not needing back-to-back sits has meant we’ve got every sit we’ve applied to so far in
How well do you know the platform features available to you?
France.
House sitting platforms and apps are regularly updated. It's easy to miss some new options that may benefit you.
Fortunately we can be flexible with our
Take a good review tour of the platforms
dates because we have invested in a campervan. This means we don’t have to rely on open hotels or Airbnbs between sits or if dates change unexpectedly. Of course not everyone will have a mobile home, but just having a flexible approach and indicating this in your profile and application may help secure more sits through this testing time.
Reviews Have you got all the reviews you can get? Maybe now while people have more time on their hands you can re-approach those sits that haven’t gotten around to doing your reviews.
you use to see if there are any features that might enhance your profile or application process. For example, TrustedHousesitters introduced links this year for LinkedIn and Airbnb profiles. Not relevant to all, but if you have these links they do provide added credibility. HouseSittersAmerica on the otherhand has had a complete overhaul of their platform, in line with other websites in the group. Check to see if there are any new options you can take advantage of this year.
And make sure you’ve done all the reviews you can for your homeowners, even for repeats.
If you review your profile regularly it shouldn’t take long to update. Take the time necessary so that you get off to the best start you can in 2021, and let’s all keep our fingers crossed for some easing of restrictions with more housesits appearing on the horizon.
HOUSE SITS & FOSTERING By Silvana Clark People are drawn to the house sitting lifestyle for very different reasons. You may find yourself settling into a new life, doing something you never imagined to be an option before making the space to explore new possibilities. Here's the story of Silvana Clark and her husband Allan, and the wonderful service they provide not only to pets, but also to children in need of temporary homes.
Like many empty nesters, my husband and I reveled in the ability to house sit around the world. In Australia, we snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The homeowners didn’t want us to have too much work, so they asked us to give their dog a ten minute walk every other day, allowing us time to explore. We also gave the dog some “extra” walks. Other amazing experiences followed in Japan, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany. Then the guilt set in. Shouldn’t we be doing more than galivanting around the world? Sure, we’ve put in time raising two self-confident daughters, volunteering in the community, and paying our taxes. Yet all the while traveling, we had a desire to do something with real meaning.
We also missed the controlled chaos of designing a last-minute octopus costume for the school play or driving to a soccer tournament with five squealing "tween" girls. When home, our house stayed way too clean and was certainly too quiet. What better way to get a messy, noisy house than to invite some children over for a few days? That’s why we made the decision to become foster parents. Both of us enjoy being around kids. We live in a great neighborhood next to a 320-acre park and have two empty bedrooms. However, we’re not the typical foster parents that may keep a child for several years. At this point in our lives, we want the freedom to travel and housesit several times a year. So, we found what seems to be a perfect fit for us - to help foster children while also having the ability to travel on our schedule. We are what's known as “emergency foster parents”. It’s a simple matter to email our foster caseworker and tell her, “We’ll be home for the next two months and are available to take in children.” Or, if we are heading out to house sit for three months, we let the caseworker know and she simply puts us on the “inactive” list. There is such a shortage of foster parents that caseworkers are happy to have us available, even if it is for just a few months scattered throughout the year. Over 420,000 foster children live in the United States. Often, police or social workers get called to remove children from their home due to abuse or neglect. But what do they do with a traumatized child at 10:00pm? They bring them to our house!
As emergency foster parents, this could mean getting a call at 9:00pm from a caseworker saying, “We’ve just removed two siblings from their home. Can we bring them over?” The children arrive, and we make them as comfortable as possible while the caseworker gets to work finding a long-term foster home. Each state has different requirements, but usually the caseworker has around 72 hours to find that long-term placement. Recently we got a call that three siblings needed placement for just a few days. They arrived at midnight. The oldest, a ten-year-old, we’ll call her Maria, was sobbing because she blamed herself for not keeping her siblings out of foster care. My husband takes the girls inside while I ask the social worker if she needs help bringing in their bags. She simply says, “They have no bags or extra clothes.” They’ve arrived with nothing. No extra clothes, no pajamas, not even a toothbrush. Maria wants to see if her little brother is OK and when she sees him sleeping in a clean bed with a Thomas the Tank blanket, she stops crying. I show the girls a drawer full of pajamas, and they soon get excited about wearing nightgown designs from Elza and Anna from Frozen. I give them a snack, read a few books and they finally fall asleep. The next morning they are overjoyed at having a “big” breakfast. Their mom had abandoned them in their apartment, and they hadn’t had a complete meal in days.
Yes, it is heart breaking to see innocent children arrive at our house with cigarette burns on their bodies, lice all over their scalp and lacking in education.
Then, when we head off to another housesit, we relax and enjoy our experience. We know that in a few months, we’ll be back home and can give full attention to the children that need positive adults in their lives.
It’s for those reasons that we are suited to manage these children. Allan and I have (hopefully) the maturity and experience to understand why a five-year-old doesn’t
It’s always sad when the children leave, since we know we will probably never see them again. But we can only hope they will
know how to use a fork, or why a "tween" wants to sleep with all the lights on in her room.
remember that for a few days, they were with two adults who were kind, funny and helped them get Halloween candy in July!
We spend our time with these children taking them on hikes, having picnics and making amazing batches of homemade Play-doh. I’ve even given our neighbor candy to keep on hand. I will encourage the foster kids to dress up in costumes from our well-stocked costume closet and we’ll Trick or Treat next door on a year-round basis! So whenever we take a break from house sitting, our goal is to accept foster children for a few days at a time.
Silvana and her husband have enjoyed house sitting in places ranging from an apartment in Tokyo to a manor house in England. In between times, Silvana has written 12 books, appeared on the FOX reality show "Trading Spouses" and trained her dog to star in TV commercials.
www.silvanaclark.com
BREXIT UPDATE The transition period ended on 31st December 2020 and the UK is no longer part of the European Union (EU). For some it's the end of an era and a sad outcome for freedom of movement in the EU. But we aren't here to discuss the politics of Brexit. We do recognize that it will present some changes to UK citizens who house sit and travel in Europe. Ultimately it will also affect Europeans wanting to house sit in the UK too, but here we focus on information issued by the UK Government for UK citizens only.
Brexit and European travel - what's new? Visiting the European Union (EU) in 2021 There are several things you'll need to check before leaving the United Kingdom when travelling to the European Union (as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein). These include: - Your passport validity - Time permitted in EU countries - Healthcare (EHIC or new GHIC) -
Travel insurance Driving documents Travel with your own pets Mobile phones and roaming in EU Restrictions on cross border food/drink
British passport requirements On the day you travel to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you must have at least 6 months before expiration and your passport must be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left).
Time permitted in the EU Tourists do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You cannot join two 90 day periods together and the 90 day period applies across all countries visited. There are different rules for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. If you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries do not count towards the 90-day total.
Will I need a Schengen visa? No, not currently. Although the UK is not a member of the Schengen Area, British citizens can travel across Europe visa-free for a maximum of 90 days.
Will I need an ETIAS visa? This has nothing to do with Brexit, but yes you will need to apply for an ETIAS visa. However, although this was previously scheduled to come into effect in 2021, European authorities recently announced that the ETIAS start date has been pushed back to 2022.
www.etiasvisa.com/
Healthcare - EHIC & GHIC
Driving in the European Union
A last minute announcement indicated there will now be a replacement for the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), namely the "Global Health Insurance
If driving someone else's car in the EU, make sure you are covered by their insurance and that you carry your UK Driving Licence at all times.
Card". Simply check that you have a valid EHIC, or apply for the new "global" GHIC here:
If you are driving your own vehicle, the following will apply:
UK citizens apply for GHIC here A GHIC or EHIC gives you the right to access emergency state-provided health care during a temporary stay in countries of the EU. These cards do not cover you in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. There is no charge for this. Remember that a GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private medical health care or costs, such as winter or adventure sports, flights home, or lost or stolen property. EHIC cards are also not valid on cruises.
Travel Insurance As full-time house sitters we use SafetyWing for our international medical cover. Their policy has been created by nomads, for nomads, and allows much more long term flexibility than some other policies. They also cover Covid related medical expenses. Their prices do rise with age and so it's good to check other comparable policies online. Remember that during health emergencies such as the Covid 19 pandemic, insurance may be invalidated if you travel against the advice of your government.
- Carry your original UK Driving Licence - Carry your original vehicle registration document (a V5C) - Obtain a "green card" from your insurance company - Clearly display a GB sticker on the rear of your vehicle (except in Ireland) International Driving Permits are not needed for most countries, but you should check this here:
Check if you need an IDP here
Travel with your pets You can no longer use a pet passport issued in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) for travel to an EU country or Northern Ireland. Full details here:
Taking a pet to the EU or N Ireland
CHECK OUR EXTENSIVE GUIDE TO BREXIT CHANGES WITH ALL UK GOVERNMENT LINKS HERE: House Sitting After Brexit - Update
THE CHALLENGES OF KYLE By Julie Ashworth
(for privacy, names of homeowner and pets have been changed) Kyle is a strong 4 year old rescue German Shepherd / Pit Bull cross. He provided us with our most challenging pet sitting experience, while at the same time the most rewarding house sit we’ve ever done. This is the story of why. We met Kyle and his owner, Elisa, at their small flat in California, USA, a few weeks before the sit was due to start. Elisa had chosen us because of our experience with large dogs and had already informed us that Kyle had huge anxiety issues. When we arrived at the apartment we were greeted with boisterous excitement from Kyle as he pounced towards us, thrusting his tug toy at us frantically. Elisa said he loved this type of play but could get a little aggressive. While chatting we were constantly “defending” ourselves from Kyle’s exuberant attention by turning away and not acknowledging him. Later, when we accompanied him and Elisa on a walk round the block, we quickly noticed Kyle pulling on his lead. Elisa was constantly on the look-out for other dogs, avoiding interaction with them as soon as possible.
A possessive nature Elisa acknowledged Kyle was very possessive of her and explained the strategies she had developed to leave the flat without him. Kyle doesn't like her leaving and his behaviour is to place himself between her and the door.
Sometimes he would growl if she tried to pass him, so she would entice him into the bedroom with a treat and then quickly leave the house. Kyle is a very clever dog but she said this tactic almost always worked and we may need to follow the same procedure. To add to all of the anxieties Kyle has, she told us about an awful experience he had had with his collar just a few months earlier. He wears a metal prong collar that got tangled and Animal Rescue had to be called to snip the collar off him. He’s now understandably guarded about his collar, which resulted in the previous sitter leaving after just one day when he became aggressive. On returning home Elisa talked us through the procedure for removing Kyle's choke collar. It had to be done swiftly so as not to alert him. Jonathan had a go at removing it and all went well, but that wasn’t always to be the case.
Talking through our options When we left Elisa and Kyle that evening, we had a conversation about Kyle's aggressive behaviour but agreed we weren't going to let Elisa down. We knew she really needed her yoga retreat and the sit start date was less than two weeks away. Kyle's dreaded prong collar was going to be the big issue. As we tried to imagine what an awfully distressing experience it must have been for Kyle, being held down as his collar was cut from him, we began to think about strategies we could use to make the process of fastening and removing his collar less stressful.
And so the day of the sit arrived and after a short chat with Elisa, she departed, leaving us alone for the first time with Kyle. He immediately became excited and wanted attention. He leaped about on the furniture, frantically bringing us his toys. We ignored him as best we could and stayed very quiet and calm. When he did keep still, for even a moment, we praised him in quiet tones with a “good boy” response. Eventually he curled up at the end of the sofa, but always had his ears pricked high. Then it was tea time for him, followed by his walk. We had asked Elisa to leave his collar on when she left, just for Kyle to get to know us better before any dealings with his collar. Clipping on his leash went well, but of course he wanted to pull all the way around the walk. We knew of strategies to help dogs who pull frantically, and had a pocket of treats for distraction and rewards. We quickly discovered woe betide anyone who stroked Kyle without him first seeing their hand. Touching him unaware resulted in lots of loud defensive barking. But these are actions house sitters have to learn and know about. In terms of the character of a dog, it’s important to be respectful and patient with their anxieties.
Toning down play time We've sat for a number of dogs who love a game of tug, but Kyle’s toy tugging play was true to Elisa's warning. It quickly turned into aggressive behaviour and at one time this was directed towards Jonathan. A game of tug resulted in accidental biting, growling and scratching. Kyle really just didn’t know when and how to stop. The build up of excitement just got to a stage where he lost control. So from the moment we took charge of Kyle, we toned down the tug playing game to a more gentle style anytime we felt he was starting to show signs of over aggression. In these situations we immediately let go of the toy.
With lots of praise and by encouraging him to be gentle, this new calm approach to his favourite tug play, showed signs of improvement as soon as the second day. Kyle was much more paced while playing, and showed little sign of the aggressive play we’d first experienced from him. As with all dog training, repetition, routine and rewards are definitely key. We noticed through the week Kyle playing in a much gentler manner. As experienced sitters we know that if a dog has aggression issues, it’s not such a good idea to engage in games that encourage this aggressiveness. Instead we found Kyle a Kong toy, filled it with treats and rolled it around the living room floor space for him.
Making progress Knowing that Kyle was understandably wary of having his collar put on and in particular having it removed, we knew it would be even harder given that we were strangers to him. So we took a gentle approach which seemed to work well for the first couple of days. We knew it was far more comfortable for Kyle to have this large metal collar off in the evenings, especially when cuddling up with us on the sofa and at night. When he relaxed and lay on us in the evenings it melted our hearts. He slept on the bed, so he must have wanted to feel close to us, and we didn't mind. He has a cuddly blanket that he holds and sucks on at night when he's tired - he's such a needy boy really. He often burrowed under the quilt, making a “cave” at the bottom of the bed - again that was fine by us. It was quite bizarre really that this big dog that could easily show signs of frightening aggression, had his own comfort blanket and loved nothing more than cuddling up to us both. All was going well and we noticed Kyle pulling much less frantically on his walks. His eyes said it all when we praised him when he walked to heal. He really loved that praise (and of course his treat rewards), and we were so thrilled he was sitting for us as we waited at the traffic lights to cross the road.
A small setback Then suddenly on day three we had an incident. Just as we were taking off his collar after a walk, Kyle got spooked by a loud noise from outside and became very aggressive, warning us to stop. Anyone that has experienced a large aggressive dog lurching at them, will know what a scary experience it can be! However, just a few minutes after the event, it was so obvious that Kyle was very sorry and that his intention was not to harm us, but just to tell us he was frightened. In order to ensure Kyle didn’t have any undue stress we decided to leave the collar on while we came up with a new plan that may help him become more trusting of having the collar removed. An action that for most dogs is a regular part of their daily life.
Praise and reward We are true believers that the best form of dog training is to praise and reward. Using this “reward” method, we would sit Kyle down, 4 times a day, and show him a treat while we clipped his lead to the prong collar. Each time he let us do this we gave him the treat and plenty of praise. Kyle was very intelligent and understood very quickly that the treat related directly to him letting us clip the lead to the collar. It was necessary to gain Kyle's trust more before we attempted to remove his collar again. So coupled with the treats and praise when attaching and removing the lead, we spent a lot of time cuddling him, stroking him and pretending to “accidentally” touch the collar, while all the time giving him plenty of praise. We continued this for a full 3 days before we made any attempt to try and remove the collar. On day 6, on our return from the morning walk, Kyle was already sitting waiting, his eyes fixed on his treat which was showed to him every time we removed the lead. But this time, very gently, we also slid the collar off him …… and it worked! As you can imagine, he got lots of praise along with his treat! The combination of treats, praise, building trust and repetition, turned Kyle's bad experience into one that he now associated as being a positive experience (even if he ultimately knew he would receive a treat as a reward for being so good!) We will always remember how much he loved his walks at the beachside and digging in the sand. It was a real joy seeing his happy face as he heard us ask, "Shall we go to the beach?" As we got our shoes on, his tail wagged and he licked at our faces and hands as he sat near the door ready to go - looking round at us, as if to say “hurry up guys”. He loved his morning cuddles on the bed before we got up, and was never demanding about his breakfast or walks. Kyle is a big strong dog and he does get over excited and is hard to calm down. But when he does, we can tell he has a loving side to him and just wants to be good. As pet sitters we do all we can for the pets in our care and call on all our experiences and kindness to keep them safe and happy. We learned so much with Kyle and are so happy we didn’t give up on him. Kyle will always have a place in our hearts - he will always be our "Special Boy".
Julie & Jonathan Ashworth are semi-retired house sitters and travellers, who sold up to explore the world. Three years into their new lifestyle they’ve house sat in 6 countries and looked after over 100 pets. They are ardent animal lovers who discovered house sitting and now can’t imagine their lives being any other way. You can follow their house sit and travel adventures at:
TheGlobalPetSitters.com
ANDY ROONEY
EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN BUT ALL THE HAPPINESS AND GROWTH OCCURS WHILE YOU'RE CLIMBING IT.
Ned focusing on his next instruction
Breed Information for House Sitters
AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS Discover the history, termperament and characteristics of this tough Aussie breed
With our Aussie connections, we were
Matti was contrasted by younger, 4 year
drawn to our Christmas sit, partly
old Ned who is full of exuberance, and
because like us, the homeowners were
could hardly contain his excitement
an Australian / British couple, but also
each morning when we emerged into
because they had a couple of Aussie
the kitchen. He lives for exercise and
Cattle dogs. A breed we are familiar
loves to be part of the family.
with from our time spent in Australia, but which had eluded us so far on the
It was a joy for us to be a part of both
house sitting circuit.
Matilda and Ned “Kelly’s” lives for the duration of our snowy Christmas house
We’d be taking care of two dogs for a
sit in the French Alps.
little over 10 days. Matti was the elder of the two, who at 15 is a bit of a grumpy
This is a compilation of our experience
old lady who needs a lot of love, care
and extra research we've done on
and attention. Despite her age and
Australian Cattle Dogs. We hope it will
arthritis, she enjoyed a daily stroll to the
give you more understanding if you're
church and back. She’d demonstrate her
ever fortunate enough to look after this
love of humans by nestling her head
hardy, but loyal and very intelligent
between your legs to get a daily head
breed.
and rump rub, before settling back on the sofa to sleep the day away.
A breed of many names Australian Cattle Dogs are also known as Australian Heelers, Blue Heelers, Queensland Heelers and previously, Hall’s Heeler (now with extinct breed status). And if you think you can see the wild look of dingo, you’d be right. These cattle dogs were all bred originally by crossing with tamed dingos in an attempt to make them more hardy for Australian conditions. Why a heeler? Well, that came from
But Ned, when he got excited, could
the fact that these dogs were bred to
revert to type, and so we’d quickly
herd cattle by “nipping” at their heels.
discourage any nipping. It wasn’t at all
It’s something they continue to do, and
aggressive, but we could see that it
it was explained to us that our charges
might be misconstrued if you weren’t
may nip gently at times when the
aware of the natural behaviour
herding instinct rises to the fore. We
inherent in this breed.
were also told how to stop this behaviour when it emerged.
History
I think Matti had long forgotten about
When 19th century settlers created the
herding cattle, content instead to herd
first large ranches to expand the beef
us up for her daily food rations.
industry in Australia, they found that imported dogs from England were not up to the job of herding the wild, often uncontrollable cattle. It seemed they needed a bit of dingo in them and so an experimental breeding program began. Different ranchers bred and cross bred the English imported Collies and Smithfield herding dogs with the native Dingo, which was much more suited to the harsh Aussie climate and tough working conditions.
"Smithfield" dogs were first introduced to Australia in colonial times, after originally being used to work the meat market in Smithfield, London.
We recommend this for all house sits, but it’s particularly important with breeds that have a protective nature. These dogs are highly intelligent. They are tough herding dogs bred for endurance and independence. They thrive on having a job and need to be
The blue coloured dogs were the popular choice for many Australian ranch owners and drovers, especially in the state of Queensland, hence the name “Blue Heelers” or “Queensland Blue Heelers”. The history of Australian Cattle Dogs is both interesting and well documented with several key players in the field of breeding and development. If you enjoy learning about the history of breeds, this article from the Australian Cattle Dog Society of NSW makes for good reading. Today’s Australian Cattle Dog has distinct characteristics of the Dingo, with the exception of the colour, and despite the often used “heeler” name tag, “Australian Cattle Dog” is now the official and accepted breed name.
Temperament and personality Australian Cattle Dogs are loyal protectors of their families, but can be initially wary of outsiders. It’s a good idea with these dogs to have a handover with the homeowners in situ. Let the dogs get to know you and see that you are accepted into the family.
part of the family’s activities. Young dogs need a lot of exercise. We walked and walked through the mountains with Ned and it took a LOT to tire him out! On several occasions it was us rather than Ned that curled up for a sleep on the sofa for a recovery nap! This breed does need both mental and physical activity to stay happy and healthy. There were times when we felt like we were the ones being trained! But come evening, Ned would simply snuggle up on the sofa, head on my lap, until sleep silenced everything but the occasional murmer, as his legs continued to run in the mountains, only this time in dreamland.
In Australia this breed is still used to
That can involve people, other
herd cattle. They are high-energy
animals, cars, bikes and in our case,
working dogs that want to be active
cross country skiers! For that reason
and busy, so it is important to direct
we always kept Ned on a leash when
their energy appropriately. If you
around others... just in case.
don’t you may find boredom sets in and they will resort to finding their
An adult Australian Cattle Dog that
own entertainment. This will quite
hasn’t been raised or exposed to young
possibly result in some “naughty”
children may interact with some
behaviour, chewing, digging or over-
roughness. If you are house sitting as a
excitement. Their wonderful
family, this is something to check with
independence can also make them a
the owners in advance.
little stubborn when trying to deter these behaviours.
Fortunately our dogs were well trained and lived in a family environment. We
These dogs often attach themselves to
didn’t ever experience an issue when
one person in the family, and you may
out and about. But it’s something to be
find that one of you as a house sitter
aware of, and questions about recall
becomes the focus of attention. Both
and socialisation should always be
Ned and Matti sat by the front door
asked, as on any house sit, but
quietly when their owner’s left,
particularly for this breed.
appearing to inwardly assess their new situation, before fairly quickly
Generally they are fine with other
switching allegiance to their new
household dogs, especially if they’ve
temporary owners. Matti was drawn to
grown up together. But because of
me, while Ned saw Ian as his new
their overly loyal, protective nature,
companion!
they can exhibit some jealousy or hierarchal problems with other dogs.
With any breed, temperament is
Again, talking openly with your home-
affected by many different factors,
owners, will identify any issues you
including heredity, early socialisation
may need to be aware of.
and training.
Size and weight A tendency to bite or nip The male Australian Cattle Dog is Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to
between 18 and 20 inches tall, while
herd by force and by biting the heels
females stand 17 to 19 inches. Weight
of cattle. So they have a tendency, or
ranges from 30 -50 pounds. This is a
you could say a natural instinct, to
strong, muscular breed with perky
chase after and nip at anything that
upright ears, and short rough hair.
moves.
Our home owners were quick to point out Ned hadn't quite made the grade where size is concerned!
Feeding It’s recommended to feed twice a day and not to leave food down for grazing to avoid dogs becoming overweight. As house sitters you’ll be guided by the home owners and you should maintain the feeding regime as they suggest. Remember to ask about permitted treats / dental chews for teeth cleaning.
Coat and grooming Australian Cattle Dogs have a dense outer coat and a shorter undercoat with rough, straight hair. This makes them very unphased by wet conditions, with their natural water
Don’t be concerned if the undercoat
resistent overcoat serving them well.
comes away in clumps during these times... this is quite normal.
Nowadays the dogs are bred in two colours – blue and red. They tend to
They don’t require a lot of grooming
be referred to as “blue” heelers
but occasional brushes will remove
regardless of colour, and the random
dirt and any loose hair, as well as dead
markings and patterns result in a dog
hair when they are shedding more
that looks like a mix of both.
prolifically.
You’ll often see an area of darker fur
Ned absolutely loved water. We found
over one or both eyes, adding some
him to be one of the easiest breeds
cuteness to their appearance.
we’ve looked after to keep clean.
We’ve read conflicting reports as to
Despite the cold temperatures
whether they shed all year round.
he would plunge into the ice cold river
They certainly seem to have times
and roll about in the snow, always in
when they shed considerably over
spotless condition by the time we got
just a few weeks.
home.
Potential health problems
The red or black hair starts to show from around 4-weeks.
This is a generally healthy, robust breed, but Australian Cattle Dogs are prone, like most breeds, to particular health conditions, including: Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) – an eye disease that results in gradual
Hip Dysplasia – another inherited condition where the thigh bone doesn’t fit properly into the hip joint. This can cause arthritis in older dogs.
Injuries
deterioration of the retina causing dogs to become night-blind initially,
This breed has been raised to be tough.
followed by day time blindness as the
Aussie tough! They can tolerate
disease progresses.
extreme temperatures, difficult terrain and long working days.
Deafness – an inherited condition that can be tested in young puppies. It’s a
This has resulted in dogs that will keep
known fact that deafness is colour
on working even if injured – they are
linked, and genes that cause pups to be
highly tolerant of pain.
born white are linked to impaired hearing. Both the red and blue ACD’s
It’s doubly important when caring for
are born white, with the exception of
these dogs that you check regularly for
solid body or face markings.
injuries that may need attention.
Elderly Matti in her favorite sofa position
OUR TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS HOUSE SIT Australian Cattle Dogs are incredibly intelligent, a little cheeky and very easy to fall in love with. They need a lot of exercise: our owners said “He’ll exercise you for as long as YOU can keep up!!” – they weren't lying! Keep these dogs mentally and physically stimulated to stop them getting bored. So loyal and protective, that once you are accepted they are never far from your side. Like us I'm sure you'll be quickly longing for a repeat sit. Fortunately we've already booked for 2021
Information for house sitters If you are looking after Australian Cattle Dogs you need to be able to give them plenty of exercise, appropriate to their age. It’s worth checking to see if your charges need to stay on or off lead on walks. It’s much easier to provide them with the exercise they need if they have somewhere to run freely and safely. Ask about any nipping behaviour. If the dogs in your care are prone, find out how the owners stop or prevent this. Knowing the commands they use will prevent any confusion when trying to prevent a dog from this unwanted behaviour.
THE COSTS OF HOUSE SITTING IN
Located along the south eastern coast, Melbourne is Australia’s second-largest city.
MELBOURNE
It's a thriving metropolis, complete with a Central Business District (CBD), hip bars and restaurants, historic landmarks, beautiful beaches, and great shopping.
By Natasha Great Ocean Road Collective
Whether you’re just passing through on your way to a Great Ocean Road tour or staying for some time, you’ll want to get an idea of the cost of traveling to Melbourne.
If you are planning your trip, need some inspiration or looking for authentic advice on Aussie travel visit the website The Great Ocean Road Australia or check us out on Instagram.
CITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Covid 19 Update Australia is doing a great job of keeping numbers low and stamping out small clusters with regional restrictions. Check here for the latest guidelines N O M A D I C for | 24 the state of Victoria: Victoria's Restriction Levels
TRANSPORT Getting out and about
Fares are calculated based on whether you travel in 1 or more of 3 zones, and how many trips you make. There are also daily and weekly passes. For example, a full-fare Daily Pass for Zone 1-2 will cost you 9$ AUD while a Weekly Pass for Zone 1-2 will cost you 45$ AUD. For a full breakdown of fares, head to Public Transport Victoria’s website.
Melbourne is a big city, and with so much to cover, it’s a good idea to get an idea of the best and most cost-effective ways to explore. Luckily, getting around Melbourne as a visitor is fairly budget-friendly. This is largely due to the free tram service that runs in the CBD. The "City Circle Tram" is a free tram that goes through the center of Melbourne and stops at nearly all of the city’s landmarks and historic sites. The tram runs from the Queen Victoria Market to Docklands, Federation Square, Spring Street, and Flinders Street Train Station. Though the free trams are a great way to get around, if you decide to explore away from the city center, you’ll have to take a bus or tram outside the Free Tram Zone. You’ll want to pick up a myki card or download the mobile app. A full-fare myki card costs $6 AUD, or 3$ AUD for concessions, seniors and children. Cards can be purchased at Metro premium stations, myki machines at all Metro stations, 7-Eleven Stores, as well as online.
Another budget-friendly way to see the city is by bike! With over 135-kilometers of cycling trails, there are paths all around Melbourne and its outer suburbs for you to check out. You can rent a bike from the city’s bikeshare program, with docking stations located across the city. All you have to do is download the app. Daily rates start off at just 3$ AUD, giving you access to unlimited 30-minute rides throughout the day. For those who love to cycle, you’ll also want to consider cycling the Great Ocean Road, located just an hour from Melbourne’s CBD. If you prefer to opt-out of public transport, yellow taxis are available throughout the CBD and can be called to hotels and restaurants. However, taxis are quite expensive, for example, a ride from the airport to the CBD costs roughly 50$ AUD, whereas the Skybus costs about 20$ AUD. Instead, we recommend ride-sharing apps such as Uber, DiDi and Taxify, which offer more competitive rates.
FOOD
When it comes to eating out, meal prices in Melbourne can vary.
Melbourne's culinary scene
You can expect to spend roughly 14$ per meal on average, with breakfast costing a bit less than lunch or dinner.
Melbourne’s culinary scene boasts flavours from around the world, ranging from small snack bars, to trendy coffee shops and upscale bars and restaurants.
Fast-food and street food will present you with cheaper options. We love the Queen Victoria Market for tons of great, affordable dining options.
Regardless of what kind of food you like, Melbourne has got something for you. Start off by trying some world-class coffee made by some of Australia’s best baristas. We recommend trying a flat-white, an Australian classic. This drink is made with less foam than a traditional latte, consisting of espresso and steamed milk and has a smooth, velvety consistency. You can expect a cappuccino or flat white to cost about 6$ AUD.
A sit-down dinner for two on the other hand will cost about 90$ AUD. If you’re on a budget, pick up snacks, and prepare small meals from the grocery store. You can easily pack a quick lunch to enjoy in some of the city’s most beautiful spots like the Botanical Gardens or Federation Square, both of which happen to be free! Mealpal recently launched in Melbourne, and offers the chance to enjoy $7.49 lunches at some of the city’s best eateries. It’s a subscription service that allows you to buy either 12 or 20 meals up-front.
WHERE TO STAY... ... between house sits Whether you’re on a budget or want to treat yourself and splurge, there’s a great selection of different accommodations in Melbourne. For those on a budget, you will find several hostels located in the CBD, Fitzroy and St Kilda. The cost for a dorm bed ranges from 14 to 30$ AUD, white private rooms go for between 30 to 80$ AUD. Midrange options such as comfortable, standard hotel rooms and airbnbs start off around 150$ AUD and rise upwards, depending on the area and amenities.
ACTIVITIES Melbourne is home to many of Australia’s most iconic landmarks and historical sites, as well as offering a plethora of outdoor activities. Whether you prefer spending your days soaking up the sun at the beach, visiting museums in the CBD, or being more active, there’s something for every budget. If you want to spend the day swimming and tanning, relaxing in the soft sand, then head to St. Kilda Beach. Located just 6-km outside the city centre, you can take a quick half-hour tram for about 5$ AUD. If you are up for going a little further afield Bells Beach in Torquay is a must-do. It is one of the best places to surf in Australia.
Melbourne has plenty of museums to suit different interests, such as the Melbourne Museum, a natural and cultural history museum which happens to be the largest in the southern hemisphere. Entry is 15$ AUD for adults, 10$ AUD for seniors, while children under 16, enter for free. If you enjoy sports, head to the Australian Sports Museum, home to the largest collection of Aussie sports memorabilia. Entry costs 30$ AUD for adults. For 40$ AUD you can also get a tour of the Melbourne Cricket grounds.
THINGS TO DO FOR FREE Luckily, visiting Melbourne doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of free things to see and do around the city, including a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria.
The museum is home to over 75,000 works of art including modern art, sculptures, and paintings. It is conveniently located next to Federation Square. Next you can admire the street art at Hosier and visit AC/DC Lane, or take in the architecture at Flinders Street Station and the Block Arcade. For a break from the hustle and bustle of downtown, head to either the Botanical Gardens or the Fitzroy Gardens. Both are free to explore, and offer a green retreat in which to relax and stroll around.
BUDGET SUMMARY Melbourne City Living STRICT BUDGET - we’re talking public transportation, free activities and only occasionally eating out, estimate costs between 45-60$ AUD per day.
MID-RANGE BUDGET - For those who want small luxuries such as a private hostel room or paid tours and activities, budget between 80-140$ AUD per day.
HIGHER BUDGET - If you’ve got more money to spend and want to indulge during your travels, you can easily expect to spend 200$ AUD and up for your trip.
And remember, if you can find a house sit, you will be able to reduce your accommodation costs considerably.
COVID-19 Local Outbreak information websites for Australia CURRENT STATUS The situation changes often. Stay up to date with the latest information about the spread of COVID-19 and the steps being taken to slow the spread. TRAVEL PERMITS FOR VICTORIA Victoria now has a Travel Permit System in place for people wishing to travel to Victoria. This website has all the information and links to apply for permits: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travelpermit-system
STATE BY STATE WEBSITE LINKS Check the state websites for the latest information regarding travel and Covid-19 restrictions in Australia: Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia
LINKS CORRECT AS AT 14.01.2021
Post Covid Travel Inspiration
LAC D'ANNECY Surrounded by snow capped mountains, Lac d’Annecy is one of the largest lakes in France, famously painted by Paul Cézanne. It’s tucked away in the south east region and the town is often referred to as the “Venice of the Alps”. After a Christmas house sit close to the ski resort and mountaineering centre of Chamonix, we found a lake-side “aire de camping car” for a Sunday overnight stay. It's free to stay but in winter months only. From here we walked west through the gardens of the impressive Imperial Palace Hotel, and then east to the beach pavilion of Petite île, frequently fascinated by the swans, butts in the air, feeding off the bottom of this pristine lake, in temperatures well into minus figures. Despite the cold weather, the lake looked sublime as sunlight filtered through the wintery cloud to reflect off the surface. The absence of a lockdown meant that locals were out walking, running, skating, and even standup paddle boarding. It looked to all like the fittest place in the Haute-Savoie. We didn’t have much time, but will definitely return. The lake is partly ringed by a cycle path that passes Saint-Jorioz, part of the UNESCO Prehistoric Pile Dwellings. Also on our list is a trip to the old town of Annecy with its canals, winding cobblestone streets, and pretty pastel coloured houses. When tourism resumes and restaurants and bakeries reopen, we think this will be the perfect place to spend 3 or 4 days eating French pastries, partaking of afternoon ice cream and "people watching" in the picturesque "Vieille Ville".
ISSUE 34 - JANUARY 2021
HOUSE SITTING MAGAZINE
Editors Vanessa Anderson & Ian Usher Publisher Ian Usher Contributors Issue 34 Nicole Gustas, Silvana Clark, Julie Ashworth, The Great Ocean Collective Ian Usher, Vanessa Anderson ADVERTISING & GUEST POST ENQUIRIES vanessa@housesittingmagazine.com OTHER ENQUIRIES admin@housesittingmagazine.com
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Copyright 2016-2020 by Ian Usher. All rights reserved
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