WWOOFing in the wild

"Make yourself at home, the doors open. Who Roo!
It's not often you hear that, let alone from a near total stranger where you've just turned up on their doorstep. I settle in to Richard's farm, sitting under his hills hoist covered in shade cloth and made into a casual dining area listening to the sounds of crickets and bees. This should be a great week.
I've started my first day of WWOOFing and I'm both excited and nervous. Excited, as I think I'm going to learn loads from Richard but also nervous as I'm staying with a complete stranger who sounds lovely on the phone but that's all I have to base my decisions on. That, and his colourful WWOOFing ad and my intuition. My intuition hasn't let me down yet so I'm hopeful that all will work out well. I've left Tony behind in the 'Big Smoke' aka Sydney searching for jobs and refining his CV. I've driven to

'Tilligerry' permaculture research and education centre run and built by Richard who was taught permaculture principles by the very man who coined the term-Bill Mollinson. He arrives a few minutes later, carrying a bottle of wine and a massive smile. Greeted with a tight hug like we've own each other for years, I'm immediately invited in to his home and we set about having a smoothie. He's got a massive pineapple plus a handful of mint from the garden, a few apples and a splash of water. Whizzed up and glopping its way into the handmade pottery mug, we settle in for a chat. Richard is a lovely man with a passion and energy for life that has to be seen to be believed. He's a dedicated permaculture man with strong esoteric leanings that has even me pushed to my edge. I'm here to learn and acquire new skills so lap it all up, washed down with a hand picked Brahmi tea with some lemon myrtle thrown in for added oomph. Richard reminds me that Brahmi is great for the synapsis in the brain and since he has so much to

tell me, I better start drinking! A few hours later of chatting, we've worked up an appetite. Lunch is a gatherer affair-Richard shows me where his parsley and tarragon grow, we collect a handful of cherry tomatoes from the massive rambling vine across the 'Boathouse's deck and then grate a carrot onto some freshly toasted bread. Simple and delicious, we finish off some more tea and then have a meander around his property. His main 'Humpy' was hand built by himself with the help of friends and other WWOOFers and is a two storey dwelling. Downstairs he has the main kitchen/dining area with a bathroom off to the side complete with a composting toilet and a sunken bath with views across his lovely property. Upstairs is a multipurpose room with two areas that have beds as well as a long area that could be used for yoga classes or retreats with an additional balcony area for chilling out and dining. There's also the 'Boathouse' which is totally off the grid harvesting both wind and solar energy with two bedrooms, a wet area for preparing food and a long wooden table for meetings and gatherings. The bedrooms are all open plan with sliding glass doors so that the space can be rearranged to suit workshops or guests and there's a gorgeous deck overlooking the mangroves with egg chairs and a veggie garden awaiting picking.
There's also another chill out dwelling that can be used for children to play in or for sleeping as well as a caravan and the open sheds housing the rainwater and aquaculture and equipment. Richard has also put in long rows of crops that alternate between water and land, each crop again alternating between the beds for maximum nutritional content. The water houses fish that can also be eaten and the water ensures the crops either side stay well hydrated and thus require little watering. He has numerous worm farms and compost bins throughout the property and there's a zero waste policy. Any waste or pollution is seen as not having found a use yet and with the reed beds for the toilets and comfrey drinking up the grey water I know that not only my excrement is being eagerly embraced, my showers are watering the plants too. The whole property is a food forest where at any given time, you can reach a hand out and grab something delicious to eat. Strawberries, raspberries and boysenberries climb trees and old ropes, dangling deliciousness for me to delight in. Yum!
I manage to convince Richard that whilst I might be living in Kirribilli, I do in fact want to get my hands dirty so we go about shovelling some ash into a wheelbarrow and mixing it with some compost that's been decomposing. We're putting it on the raised garden bed near the house, supporting the different stages of seedlings that are currently growing in there. It appears I haven't lifted a shovel for a while and my hands and back are tiring yet my resolve is strong. Grabbing some gloves, I soldier on, carefully covering up the dry soil with this new nutrient rich concoction, following it all up with a drink of some worm tea. (Not me, the plants!) Pulling out some of the common mint that has meandered into the pathway, I relocate it over to the Boathouse where it's new mission in life is to fill in the sandy step up to the humpy and provide a lovely smell each time it's stepped on. After this, I aerate the rest of the soil around the raised garden bed. Hot and sweaty, Richard tells me that now is the best time for a shower in the main house as the sun is setting so with huge glass windows overlooking the setting sun, I lather up and soak up the views. What an incredible shower!
There are macadamia nut trees around and a bowl of nuts is looking at me waiting to be cracked. Richard hands me a glass of wine, and as he prepares the veggie curry, I'm cracking yummy nuts trying to find the balance of smashed versus cracked. With some fresh spinach leaves alongside our curry and rice, we've got an amazing meal to enjoy and settle in for a night of chatting and learning. When I finally go to bed, my mind is buzzing with ideas, I've got an awesome blister on my hand which gives me great satisfaction to see as it reminds me of the work I've put in to support Mother Earth and I'm enjoying the boathouse all to myself. Snuggling down in my bed, I ignore the little cockroach below me, instead focusing on the incredible twinkling stars that I can see from my bed. What a day!
The next morning I awake sleepily-my day of downing Brahmi meant a sleepless night as my head was buzzing with possibilities and I spent the night planning the ultimate 'Good Life' home for Tony and I. Breakfast is another hearty chat with some muesli and fruit and then we get into some work.
There's some grass plants that Richard has planted around his composting toilet along with some comfrey which is looking a bit unkempt so using a scythe, I learn how to hold handfuls of it whilst cutting it off near the base. Collecting it all together, we used the grass to make a path at the raised garden bed and the comfrey leaves were laid on the soil near the new bean sprouts as a way to not only mulch down the soil and add nutrients but to keep the soil moist. Nothing is wasted, it all has a purpose. Next, we head over to the aquaculture tanks where Richard begins relocating his fishie friends into the first tank and I take bucket loads over to the citrus. Our plan is to empty the tank that's under the sink so we can relocate that tank to make four tanks in a row ready for a downpour. Each time it rains, the rain is collected in the first tank which when full overflows into the second, then third then fourth collecting not only the water but providing a home for fish, yabbies and crabs.
Beach break-healing for the soul.

Moved all of the tanks around, lifted baths and repositioned for the aquaculture
Smashed a lot of macadamia
Talking about 'living water'
Being given my coolemon to collect our lunch and dinner veggies in

Day three
Began the day discussing levitation and aboriginal initiation and trances and their ability to have other senses to talk to the animals and themselves
Collecting pigeon pea seeds
Cut and moved baby bananas to a banana circle at the front of the property which needs to be lifted to get plants out of the water table. Planted rockmelon seeds and watered them in
Dug out weeds that make your skin itchy
Planted fig trees
Cut off old banana leaves for mulching
Helped with replumbing to the tanks
Moving telegraph poles
Cutting down banana leaves and recomposting them back on the plants
Making plans for my future-what do I love doing? What do I need? How can I use the resources I

already have?
Thinking about my connection to magic and the spiritual but the levels of uncomfortableness I have around these ideas also. 'Edges'
Cakes and sport

Day four
Taken around aboriginal circle and ceremony. Past present future. North South East west
Designing own property for the future off a imprint from a zen tangle I'd done.

Day one
Hoeing in veggie garden

Planting plants
Checking on the sheep
Driving on the quad bike

Day two
Check on sheep
Heard the blue tongue
Raking out mulch
Planting more plants
Pulling out rocks with maddocks and picks
Ironing

Day three
Saw the blue tongue
Watering
Picking asparagus
Spraying
Hoeing
Planting
Cracking macadamias
Sweeping shed
Moving fencing
Using tractor to pull out metal chain
Managed to pop out to vinnies and salvos to grab 2x dresses, 2x shirts and a book for $17.

Day four
Chipping
Watering
Raking
Crazy wind
Given basil plants
Dom taught me how to make pesto pasta

Day one Julia and Kali's
Weeding in the veggie patch
Giving chooks the weeds
Seed saving from the king rocket
Drive into town to call Tony
Incredible food -quiche salad and carrots
Watching Julia make spelt bread with seeds in her wood fired oven
Best shower-rocks and plants and watering can rose
Walking down to my van being chased by Christmas beetles, dodging the frogs and stopped dead in my tracks by the incredible stars and night sky.
Snuggle down into my gypsy caravan and listen to the wombats fight and possums play

Day two
No sound of the shrieking lady owl. Thank goodness.
Woke up to see stumpy the lizard on the deck watching me sleep
Relaxing breakfast with Julia watching the birds before getting into work
Julia has made all of her amazing stained glass windows which are very detailed and beautiful
Ripping out weeds, vines and cutting back bushes
Piling up stacks of cut offs and weeds and sticks
Talking to Julia about what purpose weeds play-learning which weeds are edible and medicinal value of some
Met John the incredible 70 year old travelling hobbit
Restocking the firewood shed and cleaning up the large pile outside.
Lunch and a rest to do some crochet when I had my incredible garden shower in nature. Cold!!!
A trip to Nowra to get some wood to make a floor for the gypsy caravan and buy some hardware for odd jobs
Fresh prawns and fish for dinner and a super deli stocked with loads of local produce.
A sneaky beer in berry pub, complete with wood swing watching the world go by.
Buying fresh milk to make yoghurt out of
Finding an echidna scratching around behind the gypsy caravan
Hanging out with king parrot scar and his baby and three other new freinds
Beautiful dinner of prawns and salad then a little bit of craochet before turning off my light to the thankful Christmas beetles who've been buzzing around the screen door desperate to get in.
Hearing wind build up over ranges
Rain on tin roof

Day three
Clearing out vines and weeds from a callistamon
Found a huge Phasmid
Collecting sticks for firewood
So cold and rain came again
Restocking glass jars
First boysenberry of the year
Into town for wood with Tashi sitting on my lap the whole way
Nowra Showgrounds where hanging rock is, little bush walk down to Nowra river and below hanging rock
Back to berry Christmas festival
Fish curry
Plan to make a basket from the vines I cut
Learnt now to take a stick to gently move the spiders webs crossing over my path back to the gypsy caravan. Removed a few webs from my room much to the disgust of Mumma spider
Talking to Julia about her lack of fear. I only fear humans
Talking to Julia about travelling, babas, shamans, high priestesses, predicted baby and Kali's 3year old question

Day four
Woke in the middle of the night to a wombat attempting to push the gypsy van over.
Four seasons in one day. Spent the night bitterly cold with layers upon layers on blankets on
Bill came to help us-Julia's friend. Laying a deck for the gypsy caravan
Learnt to use the sander-sanded all the window frames
Painted the stained glass window frames
Painted the bath tub
Got my blood sucked by a huge tiger leech
Delicious hot shower in the incredible bathroom
Dried my hair on a rock watching wrens and dodging bull ants
Lovely tofu dinner snuggled down with my crochet.
More country traveling talk-Uluru and the power of it

Day five
Maybe move cranky Mumma hen back into the main chook pen
Into town for a coffee and a famous berry donut