another exciting month is drawing to a close and the improvements keep coming!
Early in the month the phone rang whilst I was up in the fields and Kate took the call. It was from a young lady with Permaculture training looking for a place to stay for a week or so.Kate had a long chat to her and advised me when I came back to the house that Penny from Queensland was arriving the next day.She told me that she sounded nice and had offered her a place to stay, as we had an opening before our next helpers arrived.
Penny was good to her word and arrived the following afternoon during "Spa Time".There was a flurry of activity as bodies were made respectable for our new guest and a 2 week adventure began.
Penny is a young lady who has embraced an alternative lifestyle, working for her food at an organic vegetarian restaurant in Melbourne and living in a share house in Collingwood.She has recently returned from a 6 month adventure in Nepal, India and Thailand and had decided to "chill out" in Tasmania for a few weeks.After getting bored camping at the very Southern Campsite in Tasmania she decided to give the Mangana Mission a try.
The next two weeks were filled with fun, laughter, good food, eating weeds and of course the daily work.Whilst Penny was here we were able to prepare the orchard, move the fence, dig up the orchard garden beds and plant a wide range of fruit, berry and nut trees for future years crops.By this stage Penny wanted a well earned change so she undertook painting the internal house doors,baking bread,preparing delicious meals, making chutney and helping to keep Kate well entertained.
During her stay we did the mandatory North East Coast Tour including St Mary's, Scamander,Beaumaris, St Helen's and even a visit to Priscilla at the Pyanganna Pub in the Paddock.On her second last day here she undertook a challenging hike up to the top of Ben Lomond with Justine and Francois from France our latest Helpers.
Penny also has the honor of being the first person to sleep and reside in Scotty's Cabin up the hill.It was a great experience including the nightly visits from the local wildlife!
We were sad when the day came for Penny to pack up her car and continue her adventure. She was planning a few more days in beautiful Tasmania before catching the ferry across Bass Strait to her friends in Melbourne.
Hopefully Penny shall return to Tasmania and grace us with her knowledge and presence in the future!
Guest Book Comments:
"Dear Kate and Andre'.I can't begin with words to show my thanks and gratitude for your kindness,generosity and playfulness which I have really bloody enjoyed since I've been in Mangana.What a beautiful place (and pair) to share time and laughs (and of course beautiful meals() in. I have loved working with and spending time with you both. I hope your dreams all come to fruition and the Missions vision becomes true.Good luck with all of your plans, especially the vineyard and smoke patch as we all know how important wine and smoke is to good health and happiness. Andre' your energy and excitement have been a pleasure to experience, and Kate your sweetness and humble honesty has been an absolute joy! Big love to you both and good vibes always! I'll be back sometime to share with you again and those thistle's won't know what hit them!! take Care beautiful people.
XX Penny Moye. That aussi bumpkin.Love (19th March 2010)
Sunday the 14th of March was another fateful day with the arrival of Justine and Francois from France. Kate and I were yet again in the spa after dinner awaiting a late pick up of our new guests from Fingal at 8.50 pm.
Our dear friend Wayne arrived to ask us if we were waiting on the arrival of some new helpers. Our response was "of course" however they will not be arriving on the bus for a couple of hours. Wayne then advised us that Justine was sitting in Fingal awaiting the return of Francois from Launceston on the bus. We quickly dressed and drove into Fingal to collect her and bring her back to Mangana at dusk. We fed her dinner and passed the time until it was time to return to Fingal and collect Francois.
During their time at Mangana they were true dynamo's, starting work in the fields at 8.00 am and really putting a good effort into their work. The first few days were involved in cleaning up the orchard, helping put in the bridge over the stream, moving and replanting reeds, cutting out blackberries and moving the strawberries from the vegetable plot into the new orchard.. Where only a matter of months ago was a forest of Gorse now houses several apple, crab apple, plum and nut trees as well as many variety of berries.
Once that the orchard was complete the focus turned to the front vegetable gardens with weeding and mulching to do as well as the removal of the last remaining cage and rotary hoeing of a number of beds. Francois enjoyed working the rotary hoe ( as all French appear to do!)
Justine also threw herself into artistic pursuits with the painting of the table and chair up in Scotty's Cabin.The final couple of days were taken up with filling in what had been the cool store and then concreting the top to keep out the moisture from the library.Justine let her artistic juices flow and created a mosaic with slate pieces on the top of the concrete slab!
The last 5 days saw Justine and Francois borrowing Kate's care and having a tour around this beautiful State. Their itinerary included Mole Creek Animal Park, Mole Creek Caves, Cradle Mountain, Lake Saint Clair, the West Coast and more.
The last 5 days saw Justine and Francois borrowing Kate's care and having a tour around this beautiful State. Their itinerary included Mole Creek Animal Park, Mole Creek Caves, Cradle Mountain, Lake Saint Clair, the West Coast and more.
Guest Book Comments :
Usually it is necessary to spend time with someone for to know if you appreciate him or no.But it was so simple with you,5 minutes after I met you I know that the 10 days in Mangana Mission will be a really good experience.And it was!
I am so impress about your generosity.
It was wonderful to spend time with you, to laugh, to share good meals.I like your simplicity, and your love of life.I hope the best for you and your projects.Thank you so much (Justine 24/3/10)
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