My name is Colwyn, however, everyone calls me Charlie because it’s easier to remember - I’ve been Charlie for the past 25 years when I left the medical fraternity to hit the road. I have gained a lot of experience over the years in between contracts with house sitting San Francisco, New Zealand and Australia in between driving contracts and am now happily retired. I have been night manager of a resort at Palm Cove as well as licencee of two hotels with accommodation. I have had a lot of animals over the years being dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish, chooks, 3 pet pigs, a dingo and pet lambs having spent a lot of time as a youngster on our uncle's farm. We also had our own horse and would attend pony club on weekends.
I am happy to supply some wonderful referees who would be more than happy to talk to you as well as a couple of reviews on this site for recent house sits. I love the idea of being able to stay in different locations - looking after animals and meeting new people.
I have been house sitting some beautiful homes in great locations and am I extremely house proud, clean and tidy. I love animals and have had some great housesits with dogs, cats, fish annd chooks and have no problem if I need to be administering medication etc. As my sister and I have a 3 acre property at Emerald Beach I have no problem with watering, mowing and keeping the home clean and tidy. I am a non smoker which is of utmost importance.
I have just completed a wonderful housesit on the big cattle station Yugilbar in northern NSW of 38,000 hectares on the mighty Clarence River. The owners fly up in their Lear jet monthly so of course the driveway has to be mown. Yugilbar is famous for a castle built on the station in the early 1900’s and it’s only opened one day a year to the public. We were fortunate enough for the museum in castle to be opened up for us due to the work we had put in. The history is so interesting and we felt very privileged.
The sit on their property before this last one - my sister Katherine came on that with me to help out. She was busy on the lawn mower and tractor/slasher mowing the 1.5 kilometre long driveway plus the house yard and around the big shed where they hold cattle sales etc. I was in the house. The painters were here the whole time so it was a big job helping the owners out by reorganising, cleaning the whole house which I offered to do while they were away and they were thrilled. It looked fabulous. They will be more than happy to give us references and I have wonderful referees from previous housesits.
I enjoy cooking and there will be a meal in your fridge to pop in the oven on your return. I also want to advise that I do not charge to house sit. It is a privilege to be trusted to look after your precious animals and home and I take great pride in that.
I was previously driving a 57 seater coach from Alice Springs to Uluru however, I am now on a different path to retirement. Back in 2022 I was fortunate enough to drive the Irish dancers around NSW and WA for their Christmas tour. In 2020 I also started an Irish cast of singers and dancers on their World of Musicals tour around Australia and NZ. Flew into Adelaide and unfortunately for us when we arrived in Mt Gambier for the first concert, the government shut the whole state down due to one Covid case in Adelaide. As they had already been isolating for a month after a sellout tour in Tasmania and then coming into SA - the decision was made to cancel the rest of the tour and return to Ireland. So I didn’t ever get to see them perform which was unfortunate. So now I am taking time to smell the roses - travelling around Australia and enjoying retirement.
The photos are of my sister and her Rottweiler and myself and our property with the big lagoon at the bottom of our garden at Emerald Beach NSW. It’s a beautiful property however, I’m not quite ready to go back as yet as I enjoy moving around. The fur babies are Obi the toy poodle, big Frankie and the little sausage dog Peanut. These fur babies are from the recent housesits I have been on. All of them an absolute delight. I am presently looking after two French bulldogs Justice and Gotham as well as a beautiful chocolate Burmese cat.
A little more about me - I was Charlie when I was in a rock band years ago - went in the Battle of the sounds in Festival Hall in Melbourne and came 2nd back in the day. I played keyboards and sang. The boys couldn’t remember my real name Colwyn and gave me the name Charlie. So years later I left working for one of Australia’s top
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in 2001 - was sick of talking to women about a wrinkle - and I hit the road working on the Marlin boats out of Port Douglas as chef/ hostess, dive boat out of Cairns as Purser as well as cruise boat as a Purser. Spent a lot of years in the medical fraternity and have been on the road now since 2001 of course spending some time in between at home. Achieved my HR licence 2011- have been driving coaches - biggest 71 seater - in between cooking for drilling crews in the Tanami Desert Northern Territory as well as the big cattle station Corunna Downs an hour out behind Marble Bar.
Whatever your needs are for your animals, yard, plants or pool I am more than happy and able to look after. Having 3 acres I actually enjoy mowing however, of course my top priority is making sure the animals are well cared for and loved. Keeping in touch whilst you are away as well is also paramount.
