Wednesday, August 14, 2013
4 August 2013
1:08 AM | 
Posted by
John Tennock
3 August 2013 6:18pm
Another very mild sparkling day with the promise of a cold, clear starry night. We made and early start this morning, digging the trench around the garden plot before the day became too hot. Good progress made before cleaning up to attend a monthly community meeting. We haven't had much opportunity to participate in these over the years because we have spent so little time on site. We hope that an extended stay will allow us to be more actively involved in these discussions and other activities like working bees.
As the community membership has stabilised the meetings have become more civil the they often were in the early days. One reason for the change seems to be the increased number of women and families. There was a good turn-up and worthwhile discussion and decision making. Several new members were ratified, the conclusion of quite a long process these days.
By the time broke up it was close to lunchtime so it was back to our site for a delicious chicken lunch and a glass of red wine. Our neighbour returned from a morning surfing and, spotting us relaxing, came over to join us. It took a few more glasses of red before we had finished sharing our respective morning experiences. Apparently Crescent Head is one of the top surfing beaches on the east cost of Australia. The neighbourly chat ended with a trial run on his recumbent tricycle - quite an experience!
What was left of the afternoon was spent fitting some new kitchen shelves, briefly interrupted by a visit from another neighbour inviting us to his son's birthday party tomorrow.
It's quite a new experience having all these friendly neighbours. When we first stayed on our block the valley we are in, known as "The Bowl", was empty and we were the only occupants. Now it is more like an estate of acreage lifestyle blocks.
4 August 2013 8:50pm
I spent the morning digging another third of the 48metre perimeter trench around the garden plot to bury corrugated iron, on edge, as the bottom portion of a bandicoot-proof fence. I should finish it tomorrow.
Our neighbours have a son with Down's syndrome and we have spent the afternoon at their place celebrating his 42nd birthday. Most of the community turned up and it was a very convivial occasion.
It has been interesting to experience the social environment here now that we have made a longer term commitment to being here and are no longer regarded as visitors. In fact, we are among the long term members of the cooperative, having taken up our share fairly soon after it was formed over 10 years ago. It's just that we have not previously stayed for much more than a week or so at a time, and often with periods of over a year between visits. The members who attended todays gathering were a range of ages, backgrounds and family situations. The thing they all seem to have in common is an unwillingness or inability to participate in 'main-stream', competitive, career oriented, consumption-driven society. Some have extraordinary social or creative skills, others could be regarded as significantly disabled. However, it seems that we can all come together socially with an attitude of tolerance and co-operation.
Another very mild sparkling day with the promise of a cold, clear starry night. We made and early start this morning, digging the trench around the garden plot before the day became too hot. Good progress made before cleaning up to attend a monthly community meeting. We haven't had much opportunity to participate in these over the years because we have spent so little time on site. We hope that an extended stay will allow us to be more actively involved in these discussions and other activities like working bees.
As the community membership has stabilised the meetings have become more civil the they often were in the early days. One reason for the change seems to be the increased number of women and families. There was a good turn-up and worthwhile discussion and decision making. Several new members were ratified, the conclusion of quite a long process these days.
By the time broke up it was close to lunchtime so it was back to our site for a delicious chicken lunch and a glass of red wine. Our neighbour returned from a morning surfing and, spotting us relaxing, came over to join us. It took a few more glasses of red before we had finished sharing our respective morning experiences. Apparently Crescent Head is one of the top surfing beaches on the east cost of Australia. The neighbourly chat ended with a trial run on his recumbent tricycle - quite an experience!
What was left of the afternoon was spent fitting some new kitchen shelves, briefly interrupted by a visit from another neighbour inviting us to his son's birthday party tomorrow.
It's quite a new experience having all these friendly neighbours. When we first stayed on our block the valley we are in, known as "The Bowl", was empty and we were the only occupants. Now it is more like an estate of acreage lifestyle blocks.
4 August 2013 8:50pm
I spent the morning digging another third of the 48metre perimeter trench around the garden plot to bury corrugated iron, on edge, as the bottom portion of a bandicoot-proof fence. I should finish it tomorrow.
Our neighbours have a son with Down's syndrome and we have spent the afternoon at their place celebrating his 42nd birthday. Most of the community turned up and it was a very convivial occasion.
It has been interesting to experience the social environment here now that we have made a longer term commitment to being here and are no longer regarded as visitors. In fact, we are among the long term members of the cooperative, having taken up our share fairly soon after it was formed over 10 years ago. It's just that we have not previously stayed for much more than a week or so at a time, and often with periods of over a year between visits. The members who attended todays gathering were a range of ages, backgrounds and family situations. The thing they all seem to have in common is an unwillingness or inability to participate in 'main-stream', competitive, career oriented, consumption-driven society. Some have extraordinary social or creative skills, others could be regarded as significantly disabled. However, it seems that we can all come together socially with an attitude of tolerance and co-operation.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Our Goolawah Adventure - August 2013
1 August 2013 6:43an
This the first day of our proposed three-months of 'off-grid' community living.
Just returned from 15 minute (each way) walk to communal toilet. Not a bad morning constitutional which I expect will have significant health benefits. Nevertheless, we will be putting a fairly high priority on commissioning the 'wheelie bin' composting toilets we have been storing for several years. The communal toilet is a commercially available composting system that was required, along with a water tank and camp-kitchen, as part of the 'primitive campsite' permit that was required for the cooperative to get started. No doubt this discussion about 'black water' management will be a significant part of our experience here.
We usually make it a two-day trip to get here and arrive in daylight but with the trailer full of stuff we have brought this time we decided to make it in onbe day, so it was dark when we arrived. Our little cabin is wired for 12 volts and, fortunately a friend had loaded us a 50 A/H 12 volt gell-cell battery so we quickly had light (This is 'off-grid' living?).
Just made a cuppa using our butane powered camp-stove, and breakfast will be on the way soon. Cooking arranegements will evolve.
2 August 2013 07:03am
The first rays of sun are peering through the trees. I have just returned from my morning constitutional with the sun colouring the eastern horizon, the dips a valleys in the bush wraithed in mist and the morning chorus of birds filling the air. Responding to the calls of nature takes on a whole new meaning in this environment. Even going outside to relieve myself in the middle of the night is a breathtaking experience on these dark moonless nights and the only light as a million brilliant stars.
Most of yesterday was spent unpacking and setting up, including some new intrastructure like a TV antenna that allows us to watch TV on the lap-top computer (very low power consumption). The camp kettle has been commissions so most of our water boiling can be done with the abundant twigs and we have erected our hexagonal, mosquito-screened 'yurt' as a social/creative space.
Anne has been busy organising all our 'stuff' inside our tiny 3m x 3m house, has marked out a garden plot and built a brick fireplace to allow some outside cooking and reduce our use of gas as much as possible.
2 August 2013 12:31pm
We spent most of this morning measuring up for our proposed house extensions (a 3 metre wide verandah around 3 sides), and marking out a plot for growing stuff where is can be protected from kangaroos and bandicoots. Looks like we will finish upo with a fenced plot about 8.5m x 15.5 metres with corrugated iron set into the the ground to prevent the varmints from digging underneath. We have been accumulating corrugated iron and fencing wire for a few years and havle almost enough to do the job. Anne grilled a lovely steak on the brick stove she has built.
This the first day of our proposed three-months of 'off-grid' community living.
Just returned from 15 minute (each way) walk to communal toilet. Not a bad morning constitutional which I expect will have significant health benefits. Nevertheless, we will be putting a fairly high priority on commissioning the 'wheelie bin' composting toilets we have been storing for several years. The communal toilet is a commercially available composting system that was required, along with a water tank and camp-kitchen, as part of the 'primitive campsite' permit that was required for the cooperative to get started. No doubt this discussion about 'black water' management will be a significant part of our experience here.
We usually make it a two-day trip to get here and arrive in daylight but with the trailer full of stuff we have brought this time we decided to make it in onbe day, so it was dark when we arrived. Our little cabin is wired for 12 volts and, fortunately a friend had loaded us a 50 A/H 12 volt gell-cell battery so we quickly had light (This is 'off-grid' living?).
Just made a cuppa using our butane powered camp-stove, and breakfast will be on the way soon. Cooking arranegements will evolve.
2 August 2013 07:03am
The first rays of sun are peering through the trees. I have just returned from my morning constitutional with the sun colouring the eastern horizon, the dips a valleys in the bush wraithed in mist and the morning chorus of birds filling the air. Responding to the calls of nature takes on a whole new meaning in this environment. Even going outside to relieve myself in the middle of the night is a breathtaking experience on these dark moonless nights and the only light as a million brilliant stars.
Most of yesterday was spent unpacking and setting up, including some new intrastructure like a TV antenna that allows us to watch TV on the lap-top computer (very low power consumption). The camp kettle has been commissions so most of our water boiling can be done with the abundant twigs and we have erected our hexagonal, mosquito-screened 'yurt' as a social/creative space.
Anne has been busy organising all our 'stuff' inside our tiny 3m x 3m house, has marked out a garden plot and built a brick fireplace to allow some outside cooking and reduce our use of gas as much as possible.
2 August 2013 12:31pm
We spent most of this morning measuring up for our proposed house extensions (a 3 metre wide verandah around 3 sides), and marking out a plot for growing stuff where is can be protected from kangaroos and bandicoots. Looks like we will finish upo with a fenced plot about 8.5m x 15.5 metres with corrugated iron set into the the ground to prevent the varmints from digging underneath. We have been accumulating corrugated iron and fencing wire for a few years and havle almost enough to do the job. Anne grilled a lovely steak on the brick stove she has built.
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