Kiwi born Adrienne and her daughter, Poppy, wanted to see Australia and have many adventures along the way. So they sold their house, car and all their possessions and began house and pet sitting their way around the country.
Here are some of their stories…
I came across Mindahome.com.au on one of my searches for different ways to travel around Australia and thought that house and pet sitting would be perfect for us.
We both love pets, but Poppy definitely has a way with all animals. Nothing beats the love and attention of a gentle child companion with all the time in the world to play. The pets that we’ve cared for are relaxed and in their own environment so it makes it easier for them to trust us and let us into their world.
One of our house and pet sits in Erskineville Sydney, found us caring for a traumatised Bengal cat called Sushi. By the end of the three week petsit, she was allowing Poppy to tickle her tummy while she lay on the tiles. Cuba was a little more friendly (on her own terms) and she is a gorgeous Oriental (Havana brown) with a sweet personality. We gave them a wonderful kitty Christmas Day with a treat of chicken for breakfast and some new toys to play with.
We called Chipping Norton in South West Sydney our home for three months and we became very, very fond of Tonks, a beautiful Tonkinese cat. He and Poppy were best mates and played for hours. We took care of mail and paid some bills as well. This homeowner left us her car which we just used locally to the Mall, grocery store and train station.
Femi, an adorable cat, was Poppy’s playmate for a month in Fullarton, Adelaide. She certainly loved spending time with us and enjoyed all the crafty things Poppy made to play with her. The garden made a wonderful playground for them both during the spring weather.
Milo and Molly were cuddly little bundles of fluff that were so affectionate and loved being close to us. They required lots of cuddles and attention and we spent the majority of our time at home with them whilst we caught up on work and school commitments before Christmas. We were so thrilled to have a pool over the Christmas period in Fernvale, Queensland – some days got to almost 40C degrees. It felt like a resort holiday – bare feet, sunscreen and swimming!
We’ve completed over 20 house and pet sits successfully and have had a ball meeting new families and different pets and animals along the way.
It’s been a great experience for Poppy and I know that both of us will treasure the time we’ve spent together travelling and discovering new places forever.