Camels, wild horses, crystals, fires, cattle and ranch life in Australia

G`day All,

I am currently on a beautiful cattle ranch where the owner practices holistic management. Random impact grazing would be another term for it. It is quite the science. One more people would be wise to look into and follow.

A rainbow showed up on the morning of our departure.

A good omen.

Herding the cattle.

This not a "running of the bulls" scene. It is an "I am feeling very lazy today. It is too hot for us to move ALL the way over there to graze. (Really not that far!) I think I will stay in the shade."

Oh no you won't. lol. The grass truly IS greener in the other paddock. You'll see.
And they did. lol.

There are large geodes and crystals all over, including LARGE statues of Goddesses (mostly Tara), and are very in tune with nature (of course! They farm... lol). There is a wonderful spiritual energy that runs deeply here.

The owner is a wonderful man with genuine kindness. He strives to make your experience here beautiful and goes out of his way to help you appreciate the land, understand it better and make your stay a delight. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to be welcomed into his home and learn about this place. It's just incredible.

He even gave me my first motorcycle lesson the other day. Yeah... I'm going to have to practice. A lot. lol.

3 horses greeting each other. Aren't these creatures just wonderful? Horses are lovely. Lovely, lovely.

It took a little bit of goading as Attila was worried the horses would kick or bite him.  Well... he IS the tastier of the two of us.... (for those of you who know the "cannibal/deserted Island quip"... yeah... Why is it always ME who gets thrown to the lions first to protect the tribe?)

You should see the cows... they are so happy and healthy. You can tell they are well fed, nourished, loved and taken care of. They roam freely over the hills and meadows and frolic with the wild/free horses that are also roaming around freely here. There is even a one humped camel if you can believe it.

This is the one humped camel waiting to get brushed down.

The local beekeeper brought over a pale (no joke - a pale!) of the most delicious honey! Yum! There is also a lady who gets the locals pure, natural milk. (For those who enjoy dairy) No hormones, no antibiotics... nothing. 



There is Jeanette who lives and works at the ranch and has many talents, and Ted who is a neighbour that often came to keep me company while I worked away in the sheds. Kevin's children are very polite and conscientious as well.



There were two Italian girls staying there at one point. They were hilarious. The day they left they packed (stuffed to the rims!) a large van with what seemed like "everything but the kitchen sink." And the piece de resistance? A bona fide scale. I couldn't believe they were carrying around a scale! Talk about watching your weight! Ha!




We even had a lovely English couple staying for a few days. They did all sorts of things... so much so that I felt lazy in comparison! lol. Many excellent books were recommended and discussed, as were various topics.  They brought great industrious and intellectual energy with them.  I hope to see them again in the future.

Last night was clear and I could see so many beautiful stars. I was sleeping in a cabin, (which should really be called a chalet as it is absolutely stunning and not rustic at all) on the top of the highest hill in the area.

This is Barney, the family's pet wallaby. He comes and goes as he pleases, he even has his favourite spot on the couch. Instead of a dog, there is wallaby. He's great.

I spent many hours outside looking at the stars, in total awe and wonderment of mother nature. The moon was bright and full of love, frogs were singing their happy songs and the wildlife was hopping and flying by all around me. (Wallabies, eagles, goannas, water dragon lizards, hundreds of beautiful butterflies, tropical coloured parrots, owls and more).

We take the motorbikes down every few days to the "garden/orchard" where there are the most delicious peach and avocado trees. Do you know how expensive avocados and fresh peaches are? Yes, I know you do... even here they are at least a dollar a piece. But we just pick them right off the branch... it's fabulous. I loved that about Europe and Asia too.. how you can fruit ripened ON the tree and the flavour is just out of this world. It is incomparable to anything else.

I am here for two weeks doing a work exchange. I work on the ranch doing whatever they need, as well as pitch in for cooking and cleaning, afternoons I spend working on a website for them. That was what they requested from my particular set of skills. The owner wanted to be able to make his own changes in the future so I opted for a template design, rather than one from scratch.  It's still a work in progress but you can check it out here: http://www.koolombakh.com/.

In exchange I am here for free to enjoy the natural surroundings, learning whatever I can/am interested in and spend time with the locals. Though mostly I spend my down time alone walking the hills and hanging out with the cows and horses.

Mornings I get up early to walk amongst the hils and watch the sun rise. The air is fresh and clean, the skies are always doing something interesting with dancing clouds and it's just very peaceful... the vibe here is calm and relaxed. Often times I can`t help but feel like breaking out in song; "the hills are aliiiivvvvveeee... with the sounds of muuuuussiiiccc... la..la la la.... " Yes, I realize that sounds cheesy, but there it is. I love my morning walks in the hills. It's spectacular!

Though you DO have to stop on the ground while walking to scare the snakes away. There are many spiders about the size of my palm but not very venomous, just unpleasant to be bitten... though there are some creatures that will kill you if you're not careful.

No shorts or open toed shoes here... no matter how hot it gets. Even a trip to the bathroom at night requires you to make noise. Most of us are trained to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb any other sleeping folks... not here.. you HAVE to create vibrations so you don't get bitten by a surprised snake as you move about outside.

Well, I had better put my long pants back on and hard shoes and socks... and get that walking stick out as I have to go out to the bathroom now to brush my teeth.... ahh... the production...... lol.

A few days ago we did a bush burning to get rid of the old, stale grass, naturally fertilize the ground and allow for fresh new grass to grow. The cows will enjoy it, but that was some intense heat generated.... I've never before seen hills alight with fire like that. It was... strange to think this was a deliberately man made fire.

"Baby won't you light my fire..."
Remember that song? We were singing it. lol

Kevin and I watching the fire burn over the hills.

When I saw this "ring of fire" I instantly thought of "Mordor" from Lord of the Rings.

The evening entertainment; Kevin and the Italian girls sat with their beers watching the fire run it's course while the sun went down. I took photos intermittently.

There is a lot of "common sense/old world wisdom" that locals are in tune with which most city folk (including me) would not think to do. Simple solutions to all sorts of isses that are free or inexpensive and work. Many variations on fencing and ways to lock gates for example. It took a few tries before I finally got the ones we frequent the most down. No need for fancy schmancy machinery and logistics. Just common sense in most cases.

And as many of the fences have a current running through them, I was careful not to touch the ones I wasn't completely certain weren't live. It would not do to get electrocuted. My parents would not be pleased.

I got a wonderful tour and lesson on crystals by Kevin, the owner of the ranch. He has quite a large collection. It was really lovely. One was even from Budapest.

Sunrise from the chalet at the top of the hill.

Sundown from the same spot. Notice the clouds above and the mist below.

The colours are gorgeous.

It`s been raining torrents for two days straight. We kept waiting for a wee break in the rain so we could go out and move the cattle to graze on a different paddock, but it never really happened. Finally we had to do it as it had been put off long enough. So we put on some leather jackets and went out to move the mob (cattle) in pouring rain on the motorbike. Wow we were soaked... but it was pretty fantastic. All the rain had increased the water level in the creeks as well as the tide and riding through them was definitely not the as same during a dry day! lol.


The next day we hit a large rock in the river and the bike turned over throwing us both off.  So much for keeping the last of my dry clothes from getting soaked. lol. Luckily neither one of us was hurt. Wet we can deal with, damaged bodies are a different story, however.

Every time I see the cattle start moving in their herd and pick up their pace I instantly think; "running of the bulls." ... and you would too if you saw them. Today they were really running and nearly jumping to get across the rushing waters of the heightened creeks.

I just couldn't stop breaking out in smiles thinking how I never could have imagined the day I'd be riding around country hills on a motorcycle goading hundreds of cattle through the paddocks. Me. The city girl. Yeah. I loved every minute of it. Ha! 


A few days later Kevin drove me out to the coast to show me some of the land in the nearby areas. What a difference... beautiful beaches and coastline. There are even dolphin in the waters.

Today was my last morning at the Ranch. Kevin took out his hot red BMW and we sped around the coast with the top down. It was a fabulous way to get to the station and very nice of him as it was definitely out of his way to go to the rail station one town over.
I'm going to have to learn to drive standard. That's next on my "skills to learn" list.

Two weeks ago I was deep in the forest of a national park/nature reserve. Wallabies were eating their breakfast just a few feet away from me eating mine. lol. The wildlife is different, beautiful, interesting and often dangerous. There truly is a "wild feel" to this place and it forces you to respect it in ways most people are not accustomed to. It is not the same kind of "wilderness wild" you would find in Canada... but almost a Jurassic Park type of 'wild' with things "lurking" all about you. lol.

Lots of happy "moos" from the countryside.

Yvette

Ku-Ring-Gai National Park, cayaking, wannabe kangeroos and monster spiders in Australia

If I had the money, I would have purchased a pod for the plane ride over. You know the kind... where you can actually lie down and sleep. lol.  Either that or work on those teleportation skills I've been meaning to get to.

I got to Sydney in the morning. Attila and his g/f Ashley met me at Central station. It's like Union station but significantly larger. He told me to meet him by the Christmas tree. I got some strange looks from the personnel when I asked where this supposed Christmas tree was located, but eventually I did find it and them.  

The coastline around Pittwater. About two hours North of Sydney. This was a nature reserve.

We walked around for a few hours catching up and seeing some of the sites. Sydney Opera House (of course) the lovely Botanical Gardens, (also my favourite spot in the city thus far [Attila's too]) China town (I felt right at home) and some of the downtown core.

Australia is a very interesting mix of both East and West. You see tropical plants and wildlife all around you, along with pine trees and other North American species. One moment you get the sense you are in South East Asia, then Europe or North America.

Full moon from a lookout at Ku-Ring-Gai national park.

Attila got me a very refrehsing fruit juice to welcome me to OZ. It was indeed quite nice.  After hanging out at the harbour for a while, I said goodbye to them and headed back to Central station to grab a bus North. I had booked a week at Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. I figured it would be good for me to have some down time closer to nature for a few days.

It took a little over two hours to get to Pittwater, which was the specific area in which I was staying within the park. Once you get off the bus, you then need to get on to a ferry to get you across as the place is only accessible via water.

A starfish by the beach.

This is the Wilunga trail and lookout. It is the highest point on the Island (4 hour walk) and allows you to see all around the Island.

I had arranged a work exchange with the owners of the place; I spent the mornings cleaning and helping them with chores in exchange for free accommodation.  This was great because it was sunny all week and I was able to make good use of the facilities and area.   The week was spent being both in and on the water and in the bush.  I went kayaking, swimming, bush walking (hiking in the wilderness) went on photography jaunts at all hours and spent many evenings chatting with other guests and learning about the surrounding foliage and wildlife.

About halfway through my week, I got invited to take part in a sailing race. This was really wonderful as I had never sailed before.  The most important part of my job was to not get killed by getting hit in the head with the boom when the winds changed and the sails swapped from one side of the boat to the other.   A French engineer, Charles and I were the only inexperienced sailors so the crew were great at explaining some of the terminology and various elements involved. Constantly checking where the wind was coming from and going, looking at the water conditions as well as where the other boats were at any given time, strategizing the best way to get ahead (and not capsizing) - wow... I have a whole new appreciation for this pastime.

I am sitting on the side of the boat weighing it down as it turns sharply during the race. It probably looks like I am sitting there leisurely relaxing.  I am not.  I am gripping the line to keep from flipping out the side with my legs in the ready position to scurry to the opposite side when the winds or direction changes again.

At a slightly more relaxed moment!

This was the view from our breakfast place in Pittwater. Those frangipanny flowers are very aromatic. The wallabies quite enjoyed coming by throughout the day to eat them.

Scenery from one of the bushwalks.

The coastline surrounding the Island is packed with boats of all kinds. It's quite lovely.

The wildlife is truly incredible to observe. Wallabies having breakfast just 10 feet away from where you are eating yours, parrots flying about with feathers ranging in colour from tropical green, red, yellow even white and black.  You've got goannas (aka: big ass lizards) sitting out sunning themselves. They are about 3 feet long without the tail and about 5 feet long with.

Even with the sunblock (and frequent reapplication) and wearing longsleaves during the hottest part of the day, I still managed to get a tan. (*ahem/slight burn*)

After spending several minutes nibbling the frangipanny flowers, this wallaby bounded away.

Some of the guests included a Swedish diplomat, a lovely Spanish girl who made tortillas one night, a French engineer taking a years break from working in Switzerland, a Belgium lady who sold her house so she could spend the next 12 years travelling the world, many families from Sydney who come up to the place as a weekend retreat, as well as a couple where one was from Holland and the other a Canadian whose brother happens to be a very well known chef in Peterborough. What a small world.   They invited me to come and visit them in the Blue Mountains when I return to Sydney.  I think I will.

Kayaking for the first time in my life.  Going out was great, but getting back was tough as the winds had picked up, the water was choppy and I was not nearly strong enough. lol. It took me nearly two hours on the return, yet only about 25 minutes to paddle to the little deserted beach you see below.

Friday I caught the ferry and bus back into Sydney where I met Attila once more. We spent a few hours catching up, then my friend Ruth came to meet us.  Ruth and I met in Barcelona seven years ago and this is the first time we've seen each other in the flesh since that time. I am currently staying with her and her husband Carlos - who is a lovely man from Spain and also made us tortillas last night! Yum!  We made a feast of a dinner together and spend that first friday night talking late into the night catching up and discussing all sorts of things.  It's been great seeing her again. 

On one of my bushwalks I had the company of some of the other guests. This spider was just slightly smaller than the size of my palm. (And I am not a petite gal with small hands!) I remarked at how large it was, only to be told that this was not the largest. Gee, I wonder what constitutes a large spider here?

Last night we had another dinner party this time inviting Attila and a friend of theirs. We all pitched in making different things to eat and had a good time chatting.  Later I escorted Attila back to the station. Since the train wasn't coming for another 40 minutes, he suggested looking for an ice cream shop. It was nice, he invited me for gelato - it was the first sweet dessert-like item I've eaten since I got here.

Tomorrow morning bright and early we are catching the country train link to Taree. It's about 6 hours north of here.  We are going to be working on a cattle ranch for a couple of weeks then meeting up in Sydney again afterwards.   

Should be an interesting experience!  I'll tell you all about it when I return.
Cheers from Australia.
YF

ps.  Anyu, Apu, (mom, dad) see?! Attila and I have NOT been eaten by sharks. So things are looking good.