Could you be one of our ‘Summer Helpers’ at the Lazy Duck Hostel in 2008?
Free accommodation in exchange for three hours work per day
We have vacancies for up to 2/3 energetic helpers who can assist with the management and maintenance of the 8 bed Lazy Duck Hostel and camping ground, complete with ducks, two holiday cottages, their gardens and 3 acres of grounds and outbuildings at Badanfhuarain.
Lucky for
us in 2007 that Angie, a special needs teacher from the
U.S, having been with us two years ago decided to return for a
longer spell bringing with her British husband Nathan.
This was the year of our daughter Polly's wedding to Ross, all
taking place at the Lazy Duck, and to say that we could not have
done without Angie and Nathan is no exaggeration! There was nothing
they could or would not do in those hectic weeks of preparation
and Nathan even made a film of the happy couple's day. |
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Yann, from near Tours in France, was our youngest ever Summer Helper at just 18. He often helps his family with holiday cottages in the Auvergne so he was always quizzing us on what we were doing and exactly why! |
Joost
came to us last May from Holland where he is a student teacher.
We valued his practical skills, humour and excellent company.
Ingeborg,
a vet student from Hanoveralso joined us in May.
Lazy Duck always looked the best when Ingie had prepared for
visitors. |
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Bart and Ingrid from Holland, also with us last year, came to help us finish off 2007 and as with 2006, their competence at all things practical and hospitable left us gasping in admiration. They are spending the winter helping out at other Scottish independent hostels – lucky owners! |
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You would need to have sound cleaning and household preparation skills, outdoor painting, gardening and general grounds-keeping ability, all of a good standard, and be prepared to work when we need you to. You should also be able to live tidily in a caravan and be confident with people. In return you will be able to learn from us about small hostel management and the care of waterfowl.
Our guests in the hostel and the cottages are very important to us and we do everything possible to make them feel welcome and well looked after. You would be joining us in this task.
Our Summer Helpers can join us each year anytime from 1st May onwards and can stay up until the end of October. We ask for three hours work six days a week in return for free accommodation in two heated classic touring caravans sited in a private part of the grounds next to our 4-tent backpacker camping area. Free-range hens eggs and home made bread are usually available as part of the package, plus spontaneous invitations to share our table or BBQ.
The Lazy Duck Hostel is in the Cairngorms National Park in the village of Nethy Bridge – 2 shops, 1 pub, 1 tumbling mountain river, 20 minutes by car from Aviemore, 40 minutes from Inverness and 3 hours from Edinburgh or Glasgow
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Lina from Brechen in Germany had studied biological sciences in New Zealand. She said she knew little about gardening (nor ducks!) when she arrived but together we did very well. | Rose-Marie
from Colorado and Kristina from Berlin refurbished the
village notice board among so many animal keeping and painting
jobs |
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Kate came to us from Las Vegas for last year's mid-summer. With experience with children and shelters for the homeless she was a great person for hostellers to find on arrival! |  |
| Foad is a skilled photographer as well as timber mover - some of his shots are now included on both of our websites. |  |
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Kayella, from Toronto and possibly our best gardener ever! | Josie, a psychologist from Louisiana and Josh from New Orleans, taking time out from reconstruction work following Hurricane Katrina |  |
| At home near Madrid, Chema made a living repairing buildings without scaffolding. We appreciated his climbing skills on our roof and whenever tree work had to be done. |  |
Andre & Lenka, students from Bratislava, found part time work locally, in a hotel and in a nursing home. Now we hear they are married! |  |
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Sarah had experience of organic gardening; she painstakingly attacked the flower and vegetable beds to prepare them for the short growing season here in the mountains. |
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Neil was our first summer helper ever. He came to us in 2004, and just lived for snow boarding and climbing. He now has his own plumbing business. |  |
While with us Sylvan from Montreal got to know half the village, working in a classy hotel, as butcher’s boy in the village, and teaching French to the locals. | Sharon & Shlomo from Jerusalem took a break from their jobs in art therapy and special education. They borrowed bikes and explored the forest trails and lochsides. |  |
Interested ?
Send us an email telling us about yourself and what you can do lazyduckhostel@googlemail.com
David and Valery
