Garden, Travel

DAYLIGHT FADING

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Shadows on legs in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Dylan setting up the tent in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Sitting on the river bank at dusk in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Nest in a tree in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Sunlight fading as Dylan walks the river in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Silly shapes in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Wandering the river bank in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Tree trunks and river stones in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Curving branches covered in moss in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Reading in the rocks by the river at Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Fisherman Dylan in the river in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Preparing wood for the fire in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Setting up a support for the bush buddy stove in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Boiling water in the bush buddy in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Hanging up clothes to dry in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

Carving wooden spoons with an axe and knife in Lerderderg State Park, Victoria

 

The tent glowed cruelly at 6am and a crow barked a laugh, a most inconsiderate neighbour. More slug than butterfly I wriggled out of my cocoon, with koala eyes and a bed head to match, my appearance proudly declared me not a morning person.  The field had been deserted the night before, a goat, rope and picket gaily dragging behind, starred, chewing, just daring me to tell the interns she was free. Tilda Swinton in animal form, I find goats beautiful and alien, their rectangular pupiled eyes are a little bit intimidating.

Brought up on a delicious diet of Beatrix Potter and Brambly Hedge, picking raspberries for breakfast was almost too charming to bear and at that moment I could have shut up shop and left the city for good. The rest of the group gone, breakfast at Melliodora was delightful domestic, David pulling apart Su’s mothers electric hand mixer that had finally given up, WOOFERs and interns buzzing about, making herb teas…it all just seemed so lovely and so do-able. If my future family could live like this it would be perfection.

After that how could we go back to the city so soon? Clinging to the weekend by our nails, half way home, we camped our last night in the Lerderderg State Park. Gorgeous bushland, gurgling river, shadows, crackling fire and complete isolation. As the night settled in we quietly pined for the human company we had left behind and were ready to return home.

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Garden, Permaculture design

LESSONS AMONGST THE POPPIES

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David Holmgren showing the group around his zone 1 vegetable garden at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

Mark from Purple Pear Organics at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

David Holmgren amongst the poppies in his vegetable garden at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

Mathias listening to David Holmgren at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

David Holmgren explaining the water plan in the vegetable garden at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

The tricycle chook tractor at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

The huge orchard trees at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

Tour around Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

Geese at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

David Holmgren pointing out the different animal fodder trees at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

Thr group listening to David Holgren explaining his site design for Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

The treehouse in the ild pear tree at Melliodora, Hepburn, Victoria, Australia

 

We packed our car full of Germans (as is the custom when heading to Hepburn for some Advanced Principles David Holmgren style) and set off, but not before taking a little detour to the airport to pick up a stranded Permaculture Pilgrimager (I told you it’s not a religion!!). Fashionably late as always we filled up on soup and set up tent in a dark paddock, my head nodded as I tried to cram in the last 10 pages of David’s book, 4 to go I succumbed to sleep.

The Advanced Principles course is well worth the trip, but as always my head was fairly bursting with knowledge at the end of the first day and I am still digesting it and working out how to apply it to life as I know it. Some people have all the luck, oh to have David Holmgren brains!

Whilst fascinating, the photographic opportunities at the primary school hall were not so scenic so I’ll leave you with some snaps from around David’s place at Melliodora. I won’t recommend the chook tractor tricycle as its inhabitants came to a sticky end at the paw of a Hepburn fox, but I promise if you visit Melliodora you will be dreaming of a tree house in ancient pear tree for years to come.

 

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