Graeme & Lennai

We are Graeme and Lennai, two retired teachers from Queensland, Australia.
We are once again very excited to be visiting the UK from July through to early September this year, however have decided that as much as we love the company of dogs that cats and small animals are best suited to our interest in doing a little sightseeing ( albeit not long hours every day)

Spending time with pets, getting to know their individual personalities and creating a bond with them brings us much joy Having the company of furry friends very much enriches our lives, which is one of the reasons we enjoy housesitting so much

We very much enjoyed staying in the countryside, exploring villages and with the occasional day trip to the seaside Our preference for this trip is once again mostly for countryside and villages although we would love a seaside or even Island experience!

Whilst we are eager to explore, we do not plan to be sightseeing all day every day so will be able to take care of your lovely pets. (Down time is definitely a necessity for us) We always make sure that the needs of the pets are well taken care of before we venture out, however sits where pets can only be left alone for a few hours are not a good fit for us
We very rarely go out at night though and especially enjoy a snuggle on the couch with dogs or puss cats ( however only if permitted as we always follow rules and routines)

So far, we have completed over 20 house sits in Australia caring for 20 dogs and 12 cats along the way. We have also had many of our own pets mainly cats and dogs but including guinea pigs, chooks ( hens) and mice over the last 40 years. Check out some of our favourites and references in the photo bank.
We were so pleased and very grateful to have had nine wonderful sits in the UK over the past two summers (eight from another site with 5* reviews)
During these sits we cared for an additional 5 dogs, 11 cats, 2 reptiles, 6 geese and 15 chickens

We have cared for a variety of dog breeds, from a Toy Poodle to a Great Dane, with a whole range in between, particularly Border Collies and Jack Russell Terriers
Cats have included Burmese, Rag Dolls, a Bengal and British Blues as well as a number of moggies.
Some of the pets we have cared for have been elderly and Lennai has given injections to a diabetic dog. During 2023 in the UK we took care of reptiles for the first time!

Graeme was a high school teacher for nearly 40 years as well as an officer in the RAAF Reserves. He is still involved with the Australian Air Force Cadets which is like the Royal Air Force Air Cadets in the UK. Lennai was an early childhood and special needs teacher for over 30 years with a break to be an At Home Mum and was actively involved with the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a counsellor and Group Leader.

Obviously, we love to travel, meet people and make new friends. We are both non-smokers and very light, social drinkers. Our biggest vice is Netflix but even that is definitely in moderation! We are also happy to pursue quiet interests like reading, games and puzzles

Pets, gardening and basic pool maintenance will not be a problem as we have experience in these areas. We have a love of nature and enjoy animals (friendly ones), gardens and gardening, bushwalking, kayaking and exploring new places. Graeme is also an avid aviation enthusiast.

As well as embracing an active lifestyle, we pride ourselves in being organised and house proud with a highly developed attention to detail, it is our pleasure to leave your house in as good, if not better condition than we found it

A time span of approximately 2 weeks is what we are looking for in England or Wales.

We look forward to taking good care of your lovely home and pets while you are away.

Kind regards, Graeme and Lennai.