Mangana Mission Mail- August 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

our good fortune continued with the arrival of Mike from Scotland at the end of July.

Mike has been in this great brown land for almost 1 year and was looking for WWOOFING work to assist with obtaining a second years Visa in Australia.

He arrived whilst the lovely Laeticia was still here with us and as "Cosmos" determined, his home town was Edinburgh Scotland- just where Laeticia was moving for her next years university studies. He was able to assist her with places of interest, good suburbs and contacts to assist her on her quest. It truly is a weird and wonderful world that we live in!

Mike the Mangana Barrista at Work!!!

Whilst residing in Melbourne for the past few months Mike had worked in a restaurant and his Barrista skills were gladly accepted with a daily express at lunchtime.

Mike the Bushranger of Mangana

Mike entering the Mangana Vortex!!

During his 3 week stay at Mangana Mike was involved with many jobs and projects including the clearing of gorse,reeds and tussock grass from Stage 2 of the vineyard, fencing the new extended house paddock, rotary hoeing of the garden beds, fire wood transporter and splitter and most importantly trail blazer with the new paths around the property. The work was at times challenging however the results are amazing!

Mike and his Mangana Hoe !!

Mike is also an amzing musician and he was involved with the establishment of a new Mangana Mission tradition : The Friday Night Pizza and Jam Nights. This involves local musicians from the village coming to the Mission to share Pizza, laughs, a drink or 10 and play music,every Friday night. Thanks for your great input Mike and the tune that the Blues harp loved!

Mikes solo jam !

It was a true pleasure to share our lives with Mike as he had a ready smile, great work effort, fun to have around and most importantly loved to wash dishes and was a dab hand in the kitchen! We await your return to Mangana!!!!

Guest Book Comments:
Well guys,my time here has been truly something else! I've been a gorse and tussock grass assasin, fencer (not the sword kind), rorary hoe driver,gravel shoveler,rock carrier,river creator (the most like God that I have ever felt),lumberjack, barrista,chef,flood chaser,and the rest that I have forgotten due to so many good times.And all in 3 weeks!
Thank you so much for making me feel so at home in the Mangana vortex.It can be a scary place what with the mayors stories of ghosts and UFO's and the way time and phone reception dont exist. In reality of course it is paradise.
A paradise created in the unique and brilliant minds that are yours, Andre' & Kate, and made a reality by your hard work and belief and the help of us wwoofer's. I must say I'm ,pardon my French, pretty fuckin proud to have been a part of Mangana Mission and I'm sure that a wee part of it will always be with me. And I'll of course have to return to see the finished paths and the amphitheatre! I've got to come back for ManganaStock! It'll be massive.I'm gonna tell everyone I know and we'll all come om a musical pilgrimage ans it'll be like the original Woodstock only smaller and instead of Hendrix we'll have Jason who's just as mesmerising.
anyway! And Kate will be there on her keyboard and you'll be there on the blues harp and picolo trumpet(when its fixed) and the mayor!!! bashing out tune after tune until 3.00 am. Wouldn't miss it for the world!
So good luck with the music and the pizza and self sufficiency ans love and light and making your dreams a reality.The world needs Mangana Mission!!
A million thanks
Mike X
PS Tell  Jason and the Mayor I say farewll for now M