Remote island family homestead and large garden
British Columbia
Greetings from Sonora Island on British Columbia's West coast! Welcome to our remote island home.
We are a three-generation extended family living on our neighboring homesteads on boat-access-only Sonora Island. We have large gardens and orchards both established and newly created. We grow all our own vegetables, fruits and berries using all natural organic fertilizer including seaweed, chicken and duck manure, green mulches and compost. We are continually expanding and clearing.
We work hard and expect that from WWOOFers, but we have great fun as a family with regular communal dinners, camp-fires, games, music playing (we play traditional Irish music) and outings to the near-by lakes for a swim. Our homesteads are right on the ocean and we travel to visit the neighbors by boat. We are passionate about the beautiful area and great community we live in. We have well equipped wood working shops which we run on our micro-hydro, solar power and generator systems. We are also involved in local conservation issues.
Our closest towns are Campbell River and Quadra Island where we go to approx. once a week for supplies. We meet WOOFers on Quadra Island and bring them to our home in our boat. We have work to be done at all times of year, but the gardening season is the busiest. In the winter WWOOFers can expect chilly, wet working conditions. WWOOFers will stay in our small but cozy, fully equipped suite. We normally share lunches and dinners, but have separate breakfasts.
We also welcome any time playing with the children (8 and 12 years). Wwoofers may work alone part of the time as I will be tending to house stuff. We love sharing our piece of paradise with travelers from around the world. We look forward to meeting you soon!
We do research on salmon, work on saving our local forests from logging and we run Mothership Adventures; an eco-tour business where we take guests from around the world to explore the B.C. coast on our heritage vessel the Columbia III.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
2.5
Hectares
|
6.2
Acres
Miray
Member since 2012
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 43%
Response time: typically within 6 days
British Columbia
Campbell River/ Quadra Island
My past WWOOFers
Jack
May 2024
•
British Columbia, Canada
Reviews
Jack
Canada
•
June 2024
I was fortunate enough to work with the Diamond Bay family on and off during my month-long stay on Sonara Island. Given the time of year, the primary task was digging new garden beds, which I found enjoyable and rewarding. The sense of accomplishment that came from preparing the soil and planting new life was deeply satisfying.
The food was a highlight of my stay—outrageous (in a good way)! From the smoked salmon to the wood-fired pizzas, every meal was a delight. The smoothies were refreshing and full of fresh, local ingredients, and possibly the best upside-down cake I have ever had.
One unexpected and delightful surprise was the stunning rhododendron collection that adorned the property. Walking among the vibrant blooms in full glory was like stepping into a fairytale garden. The variety and colors were truly breathtaking and added a magical quality to the surroundings.
Diamond Bay is also home to a charming array of animals. Two adorable dogs and two playful cats kept things lively, but my personal favorite was Iger, the protective goose. Iger took his job of guarding the chickens and ducks very seriously, and his presence added a unique charm to the place.
Overall, my time on Sonara Island was an unforgettable blend of hard work, delicious food, natural beauty, and wonderful companionship, both human and animal. I can’t wait for the opportunity to return.
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Patrick-John
Canada
•
August 2017
We did not WWOOF with Miray but met her and her wonderful family while WWOOFing with her neighbours. She is an amazing gardener and is renouned for it on their wonderful island. I heard many locals rave about her roses although they were not in bloom during our stay. She had recently planted mini fruit trees and was experimenting with a covered area for peaches (which we are so excited to hear about!!). They built their house, boat and an amazing life on Sonora and you would learn SOOO much from your WWOOFing experience! We heard an Orca pod spouting after having dinner at their place one evening.
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