Family home and garden - rural

British Columbia

32 • Updated 3 months ago

We have 6.5 acres primarily set up for horses. The property backs onto the Koksilah River and although it is a steep hike it is well worth the effort as it is beautiful and totally private. There are lots of fir and cedar trees and the setting is very peaceful and quiet. We have several small raised vegetable gardens as well as new flower beds. We have 4 horses for wwoofers to help take care of and If wwoofers have riding experience they are sometimes asked if they would like to ride or work with our horses. We are into Natural Horsepersonship. Wwoofers will also be asked to collect manure for composting, help build horse shelters, muck out the barn, fix fences or other stable maintenance and weed and care for gardens. We have 11 laying hens and one rooster who roam around the farm and will share your lunch if you are willing. We would love to have people who are interested in horses and farm life. There are wonderful swimming spots, miles of hiking trails, and of course the river to explore. Our dogs are very people friendly, a standard poodle, two pomeranians, a pomchi and three toy poodle mix . We also have very friendly barn cats, who are always up for a cuddle. Our place has wonderful relaxing energy. We love the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who want to learn about life in Canada by living and working together and who in turn teach us about their lives. Certifications: we do not use any pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals on the property Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Mentoring opportunities

LGBTQ+-operated

Woman-operated

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

Certified organic

Former WWOOFer

2.4 Hectares | 6 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Vegetarian

Length of stay

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

Wendy and Sylvie

Member since 2009

Languages spoken: Dutch, English

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days

Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

British Columbia

Cobblehill at Valleyview

My past WWOOFers

Majlill

August 2026 • Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Reese

August 2026 • Texas, United States

Ryan

July 2026 • 56 - Morbihan, France

Elsa

June 2026 • Berlin, Germany

Helena

June 2026 • Australia

1 - 5 / 48

Feedback

Reese

United States • August 2026

I had such a great time with Sylvie and Wendy! The work was very reasonable, nothing too strenuous, and I got plenty of free time to hike, hang out with the animals, and ride. Their farm is in such a gorgeous area, the hiking and riding trails were breathtaking. The food was very good, most (if not all) of the fruits and veggies they use come from their garden which was so cool to me! It was an amazing experience and I would love to come back soon :)

Ryan

France • August 2026

Opposed to what we can read in the two last reviews we stay at KiaOra stables for 2 weeks and it was wonderfull ! We stayed in their cosy wooden cabin which is really comfortable and calm. Of course it is a bit rustic because there isn't running water but you have 2 big gallon of water that you can refill in the barn 1min away from the cabin. About the work it is from 9am to 1pm and we had to feed horses, cats, chicken and rabbit. We also had to clean horses' paddock. After it is really depending on what Sylvie and Wendy need to be done. We did some painting, we harvested a lot raspberries while eating them ! We also did some manual jobs in the barn. Every afternoon was up to us and we went quite a few times to the river to take a swim and walk along it. We took Dylan (one of the dog) with us 2 or 3 times and she's loved it even more than us ! We also had the opportunity to ride horse whenever we wanted and Margaux went for a ride in the forest with Wendy ! They also invited us few times for diner with some friends. We didn't share all meal together but it was truly some quality moment when we did. There was a festival going on in Duncan and they offered us a ride to take us with them ! Special mention to BB8, the orange cat that shared all nights with us in the cabin ! Thank you Sylvie and Wendy for everything and we hope you the best for all !

Helena

Australia • June 2026

Kia Ora is a much more detached experience than previous WWOOF locations i have visited. All meals are eaten separately and most work is done only with other WWOOFers or individually, not with the hosts. I did struggle with this as i much prefer a more involved experience with the hosts. The animals are lovely to spend time with and are very sweet; however i did experience some communication issues. I wasn’t picked up from the bus stop and consequently had to hitchhike to the farm. No introduction was provided by the hosts; everything was explained by the other WWOOFer there, consequently i frequently had to ask questions and often got things wrong. We were given opportunities to go into town to get our own snacks which was appreciated since i personally didn’t enjoy the food provided. Overall i would recommend Kia Ora to an introverted WWOOFer who enjoys spending time on their own and works well individually.

Reply from Wendy and Sylvie

Your bus was late, we had been to pick you up but you were not there, our last communication inquired for you to call once you arrived at the stop, that call never came.

Johanna

Germany • June 2026

I had originally planned to stay on the farm for 16 days, but on the evening of my arrival I decided that I did not feel comfortable there and would continue my travels instead. WWOOFers stay in a cabin separate from the main house. There is no running water or refrigerator, and I found the cabin very dirty. I felt the bed was so unhygienic that I chose to sleep on the floor. Running water is only available in the barn and is used to fill dirty water containers for the cabin. The toilet is an outhouse with no place to wash your hands afterwards. Showers are only available in the main house from 4–6 p.m. Food is left in a small refrigerator outside the house, and WWOOFers generally eat alone. No fruit is provided. Another WWOOFer gave me the tour and explained everything. Sylvie and Wendy provided almost no orientation or introduction. I was also not informed that a man lives in one of the former B&B rooms on the property. There are three horses and one pony. The pony’s hooves appeared severely overgrown, which I personally found concerning. When I explained that I was leaving after one night, nobody asked why or whether there had been any problems. I also noticed that although many WWOOFers have stayed here, relatively few seem to have left reviews. For me, the poor hygiene, lack of communication, and overall atmosphere were the reasons I decided to leave after one night.

Reply from Wendy and Sylvie

It is unfortunate that you did not come and discuss your issues with us. I hear you did not like the cabin as our other wwoofer was already occupying it and apparently unbeknown to us she had not tidied up. We did have the camper all ready for yourself but you were both from the same town and our present wwoofer was really looking forward to a room mate, you would have been welcome to have your own camper which has a bathroom and kitchen or you could have stayed with us in the house but you did not discuss anything with us which makes it very difficult to help you. KiaOra • Jul 7, 2026

Magnus

Germany • April 2026

I would like to sincerely thank Sylvie and Wendy for this truly special and unforgettable experience! Whether I was feeding the horses, rabbits, and chickens, or digging post holes through tough rocks, I enjoyed every bit of the work. A true highlight was learning the basics of riding—especially the 1.5-hour trail ride through the rainforest and past beaver ponds. I will never forget the wildlife, like finding a shed antler or watching a Bald Eagle soar beneath me while hiking. I’m also grateful for my “bodyguard”—the Golden Retriever puppy who often stayed by my side—and the cosy, quiet one-room cabin, with warm cabin fires and a cat keeping me company on rainy days. The setup is simple and rustic, including an outdoor toilet. From bright moonlit nights to warm cabin fires, every moment felt authentic. Thank you for everything.

Nicolas

Belgium • December 2025

They are very nice experience. Wendy and Sylvie was very open minded and pleasant for talking. You can find good hiking, good mushroom for the season. It's good opportunity for know a lots of stuff concerning Horses and Nature... I recommend :)