adventures in sustainability

In mid-November, we made our way to our third WWOOF spot at Ironbark Grange. I know this is all out of order, but now that we have our laptop again there's so much I want to tell you!

Living with the Van Velzen family helped me gain an understanding and appreciation of how getting back to basics and living sustainably can really help us live life to the fullest. They taught us so much ... I can never thank them enough for their kindness and hospitality! Our work consisted of working in the orchard and doing projects in their home (painting, cleaning, cooking, etc.)

To the left is a picture of the Van Velzen's home. It's a modern-style house built into the mountain. The house was constructed using high mass walls and floors, good insulation in the roof, walls and double glazing to cool in summer and heat in the winter.

The property overlooks the orchard and, on a clear day, you can see the Brisbane skyline. Amazing!

To the left is a picture of the family dalmatians, Max and Mike. They are the most well-trained dogs I've ever known. We fed and brushed them every morning. All you have to say is "bed" and they would both walk straight to their blanket and wait patiently for their breakfast to be fixed.

This is the "chook house" where the chickens and Madeline (the duck) live. One of our jobs was to feed them every morning and gather the eggs. Madeline's eggs were perfect for baking cakes because the yolk is about twice the size of one that comes from a chicken's egg. Robbie and I really want to have a few of our own "girls" someday.