Home Among the Gum Trees NSW

Holidays for people seeking asylum and their families in rural and coastal towns in NSW.

For relaxation, friendship and understanding in an ordinary Australian family setting, with leisure and social activities such as bushwalking, sightseeing, fishing, and swimming.

It’s a taste of life away from the main cities for people seeking asylum who are interested in working and living in rural and coastal areas on a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa.

Holidays with Home Among the Gum Trees are free for people seeking asylum and their families. They are offered to two or more people at a time – either family members or friends who speak the same language.

Hosts are more than a single family: there will be a group of friends or families in the area who take part in the activities of the holiday, for example, driving on outings or hosting a BBQ at a neighbour’s house.

Guests share family meals and have access to the kitchen to make snacks if they’re hungry between meals; they have a suitable bedroom and access to a suitable bathroom. They have time to rest by themselves when they wish, as well as participating in activities with the host family.

Transport is arranged and paid for by the program, and guests are met at the local train or bus station. Guests share life and meals at home with an Australian couple or family and have fun on outings with other friends and neighbours. But guests are also able to be by themselves when they want to rest.

DAY-AWAY in the BLUE MOUNTAINS: With changes to Community Detention restrictions i.e. people on CD cannot be away from their place of residence overnight, we have an increased need for people who want day trips out of Sydney. We in the Mountains are ideally situated – regular trains, people here live near stations and many detainees are in Western Sydney – to host families, small groups, individuals for a “Day-Away”. We will then have “Holiday Hosts” [hosting in their own homes for 2 or 3 days] and “Day-Away Hosts” who MAY take people to their homes for a meal OR may simple pick them up from a station, have a time sightseeing, having BBQ/picnic lunch and then return them to the afternoon train.

Home Among the Gum Trees (HAGT) has full insurance cover for all people involved in holiday and day-away programmes both HAGT members offering hospitality and our refugee guests.

We hope you, like many others, find being involved in Home Among the Gum Trees a wonderful, life-changing experience.

Find us on Facebook: @HomeAmongtheGumTreesNSW

HOME AMONG THE GUM TREES NSW INC

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

(Download this form to your computer before you fill it in, then return the completed application to: gumtreesnsw@gmail.com)

Name:

Address:

Email:

Phone/mobile:

Joining fee (once only): $10

Annual membership: $10

Pensioner and student rates: Joining fee: $2.50, Annual fee: $5