Living in the Future - Cae Mabon

The Dream.......
This wonderful shared space in Wales is so much larger than mine. However, I can see at least one or two similar quaint retreats being built at the Gum Tree Garden Studio.  The areas are cleared, leveled and tentatively marked.  Trenches for the shed are well on the way and I'm just waiting for the blisters on my hands to heal so I can continue the creative journey.

Since 2009 there have been  a number of day visitors and campers enjoying the free retreat while still in it's raw state...... and many, many enthusiastic offers of help and requests to set up ones own project.  Sadly......even though I really enjoy the visits and enthusiastic company..... only four volunteers have actually worked beside me over the last 3 years with hours barely totalling a days work.  Perhaps as the project takes shape some of those promises will be kept, but I do wonder, at 70 years of age, if the dream of a Koala Corridor and  free Nature Retreat will ever be completed in my life time...............the journey continues.

Grunting Koala's and Foraging Quails

I've been spending a lot of time out at the Gum Tree Garden over the last few months.  Usually arriving just in time to see the sun rise and take some photos.  Then it's time for billy tea and toast on a stick...and maybe some bacon and eggs.... over a camp fire before going for a walk to see if I can find any Koala's sleeping in the tree tops along the road.   While flocks birds are in abundance along the road I am yet to see a Koala.  The rest of the day is spent...chipping the long grass, dragging logs into position to create swales to slow the rush of water from the road, and cutting paths through the undergrowth down to the creek.

One can see the mist lingering in the distance as the sun rises

I camped out at the Gum Tree Garden Studio recently and you can imagine the disappointment when I found that I had left my camera's memory card in the computer.  I missed shots of glorious crimson sunsets and wild life that did not seen to have any fear of humans. 

Two little helpers .... a very large magpie that I have noticed quite often when I working out there and an exquisite little quail..... followed me around as I chipped and raked the soil exposing yummy grubs.  The quail was very friendly coming within only a few feet as he scratched away.  This little fellow had a black cap, a rust bib on the chest, and a rust and black stripes across the eye....the rust stripe over the eye ended in a kerchief effect on the back of the neck.  The wing feathers appeared to be a greeny brown with white speckles and the under feathers were a black and white speckle.  I haven't been able to find an image to match when searching the Internet, so if you recognised this little bird I would love to learn more about him.  I do know that he may have a nest in the long grass, so I am clearing with the greatest care.

I never realised how noisy camping within a Koala Corridor could be.  Each night there was grunting and squealing as the Koala's clambered over head during the night.  One appeared not to like my tent and walked along one side making rhythmic grunts.........one long grunt followed with three short grunts.  He then walked along the back of the tent repeating the sequence of  grunts.  Next morning they were gone, but evidence of their visit was everywhere in the form of almond shaped droppings, including in my washing up bucket that I had carelessly left under a Gum tree.  They seem to be visiting my block quite often now judging from the age and abundance of  droppings.

Bandicoots are also abundant and were heard snuffling around the base of my tent, just under the tent fly...scratching on the ground sheet.  A quick bang on the side of the tent wall sent them on their way.  New Bandicoot holes were every where next morning and one needed to walk with care.  It reminds me of the old Disney cartoons that showed Gophers filling Donald Ducks garden with holes.

The stacks of  pulled African Love Grass are growing.  Some are now 2 metres high and I need to consider how to dispose of them.  The grass is explosive when put near fire so I am very wary of burning the stacks.  This would need huge fire breaks to be created, notification of neighbours and meet all the requirements of the Rural Fire Ranger before a permit is issued.  Carting it to the tip will be very time consuming and also runs the risk of some seeds escaping and spreading the grass pest even further.  At the moment I have thrown old pieces of carpet over the top and hope it will compost down into something more manageable.

I am very excited with the  increased wildlife visits.  It makes the pulling of the thick impenetrable tufts of grass very worth while.

Scavenger Hunt

I need some basic comforts while I tackle the task of developing my Gum Tree Garden Studio, regenerating the creek area and planting for the Koala corridor.  Perhaps a bush shower,  an outhouse for the Porta Loo or perhaps even an Enviro Toilet, and a rain water tank.

Tufts of African Love Grass

An ongoing task will be the management of the African Love Grass that is crowding out any Native species that may be struggling to emerge. So a shed to store my tools would be nice and a shelter of some sort ...for relaxing and painting....even if only temporary.

I have been collecting all sorts of bit and pieces, but still there is not enough to complete any of the projects.

Shed kit and cement brick cubes

 For the outhouse/change room I bought a small 70cm x 150cm Absco shed online and found a camping toilet frame from the Op shop for $4.00.  It's ready to be set up as soon as I have a firm foundation.  My idea ,so far, is to use some cement cubes ...(the ones with holes in the middle - above)... one at each corner and centre of the longer walls....and perhaps in the centre of the shed floor.  Then fill the cubes with quick setting cement and fix the shed to these.   A cement slab is out of the question because of cost and poor vehicle access.

Pallets and Wooden Lids

 For the floors I have scavenged some hardwood pergola boards from my neighbour..... and four large pallets and wooden lids from our local Freecycle.  The block slopes down to the creek, so setting the sheds up a little will allow the water to get away.  I hope to pick up more pallets and lids for other structures like a bush shower and small fenced areas that will protect the native plants.

Bush Shower at Bestbrooke Camping Area

I found a lovely example of a  bush shower in the Bestbrooke Farm Stay camping area just outside of Warwick.  As one can see it is a very simple design and easily adapted to the rustic effect I would like to create.

Interior of Bestbrooke
Bush shower

So far I have collected A large blue drum to serve as a temporary rain tank, a bath tub, a tiny hot water system to store hot water either from a solar batch heater .....or an even simpler black hose solar collector on top of the shed roof.....(you can find this one on Green Power Science You-Tube).

I also pick up some nice Colour bond sheeting ready for one of the other sheds or a bush shower.  The tyres in the photo - above left - will be filled with rammed earth and used to manage erosion.  One can just see the hardwood pergola boards that I hope to recycle as the bush shower floor.

   

The next step will be the fences...I can not plant any natives until I have something to protect them from the neighbours cattle.  I managed to find one or two Star Pickets each trip to the Tip Shop and  have about 20 now in varying lengths..some I am using around the home garden for now.   Corner posts could be cut from the dead trees that were felled this time last year,but there won't be many  as most of the trees were eaten out by white ants and can only be used in landscaping, path edges or for creating swales to slow erosion.   Apart from that I haven't been able to scavenge much for fences....yet.

The search continues....