“Women and Cats Will Do As They Please, and Men and Dogs Should just Relax and Get Used to the Idea“

~ Robert A. Heinlein

About me

I’ve been a house and pet sitter for more than twelve years. I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia, but have now spent significant time in many other places in Australia and around the world (some photos further below). I lived and worked in Melbourne during covid and the lockdowns and am now located on South Island, New Zealand.

I am just starting up my small business online again. During covid, and being restricted to Australia, I returned to full-time work for architects in Melbourne, which I loved. However, working remotely gives me flexibility to travel. I communicate with clients via email to create print and digital assets. My interests, other than caring for animals, include gardening, desktop publishing, travel, further education, creating things, getting out into nature, and snorkelling. I’m always learning something new. Since being in NZ and having a large property to look after, I’ve studied more about horticulture, grown vegetables, propagated many plants, and made kokedamas with the amazing West Coast sphagnum moss. I’m currently updating my digital media skills by doing another certificate online in my spare time, which will be completed by this December.

I have been able to take in three foster puppies from the pound in New Zealand, trained and rehomed them since being here this past year and a half.

I have a genuine love for animals and creatures of all kinds (except mosquitoes) and enjoy slow travel, spending time living like a local in different places (some travel pics below). I’ve rented apartments in Paris, driven up the West Coast of Australia in a camper van to swim with whale sharks and manta rays, and looked after rescue and foster dogs in Bali. I’ve eaten my way down the south coast of Italy from Rome to Ravello, enjoyed a white Christmas and Hogmanay in Edinburgh, Scotland, and had a fortunate encounter with a pod of wild dolphins in Hawaii while out swimming alone off Two Steps (yep, I got GoPro footage) and more.

The only thing this lifestyle prevented me from doing was having pets of my own, so I have loved looking after everyone else’s to fill that gap.