It has always been our intention to get some livestock on this property. And chickens were at the top of our list, mainly because they could ease us into our journey of keeping animals, and also provide us with regular eggs, which we consume at a great rate, especially on the weekends. But we had some clearing and cleaning to do beforehand. And there were some questions we had to ask.
While the benefits of having chickens are apparent. There were other factors to consider too, especially in the country. We had heard that they bring snakes, which come for the rodents that eat the scraps, and foxes.
Although we didn't want to encourage any more snakes - or the deadly kind, we decided to forge ahead. While this place has at least three chicken houses, we actually decided to convert some planting sheds into a chicken coup. The other areas required a lot more work to restore - timber was rotting and more land needed clearing around the sites. Basically they were more ripe for encouraging snakes and foxes. And some of them weren't easily accessible. To get to one of the chicken houses you have to make your way through a bamboo forest. Not an ideal pathway for little hands to collect breakable eggs.
Once the temporary house was ready, we had to find out where to get some chickens. We were told to attend a nearby poultry auction. It's held on the third Sunday of every month. Serious buyers arrive early in the morning to get the exotic birds but that you can turn up from about 11am to see the more common varieties.
It was quite an experience. While we took some cardboard boxes along with us, there was no need as all the birds (and ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs...) were already housed. Each one was also numbered and they moved along tables as the auction proceeded.
We wrote down the numbers of the hens we were interested in but some of them went for more than $70 each. Apparently, some of the club birds are highly sought after by breeders. While we're not at that stage yet we did end up with a couple of them - Old English Game Wheaten Hens. They are not large birds and only lay small eggs - but they are quite beautiful, and a welcome addition to our home.
Afterwards we went to visit a permaculture farmer in a nearby valley. She breeds various chickens and we went to see what she had on offer. It turns out she had several varieties, although not all of them were ready to sell (as she has to wait until they're a certain age before determining their sex). While we found her through the school, she also advertises on Gumtree, which is a good way to buy chickens too.
We bought a laying Australorp (so slightly older than the rest), two pullet Barnavelder (dark feathers with a lace-like pattern on the tips) and a pullet Isa Brown crossed with a Barnavelder. The pullet chickens aren't baby chickens, and don't require that extra care, but they're not yet laying eggs. However, buying them at this stage means you will have them for a longer life, and are good for children as they can become a little more like pets as they watch them grow.
Before we started this process we also consulted what has become something of a bible for us, the book Practical Self Sufficiency by Dick and James Strawbridge. It has lots of advice and handy tips on all sorts of gardening - from inner-city courtyards to landholdings.
images the indigo crew
All too often life can feel like a little bit of a blur. Especially when children are involved. The days roll one into another and with the regularity of schooling and other commitments, there's not always a great sense of time passing, until the week before school holidays when all of a sudden you are reminded that things are going to change up again.
But there are bigger yardsticks. And these can catch you quite by surprise. We had one of those this past weekend. It was the school's Spring Fair, an event that played a big role in setting us on our journey.
After our European holiday in July 2015 we decided to investigate the idea of leaving the city, and living in a coastal or country area. The main idea was to be on a parcel of land, where we could change our lifestyle. But crucial to this whole scenario was the children's schooling. It was important that we could find a school that met many of our needs and ideals.
Not long after we started to investigate different areas, we learnt that one of the schools we were considering was about to have a Spring Fair. We thought this was be a good opportunity to attend and learn more about the school, see what the other children and parents were like, and get a general sense of the school community.
We were blown away. It more than surpassed every expectation. While the school was reasonably new, the grounds were beautiful - and thoughtfully designed. There were veggie gardens and landscaped paths and buildings made from straw bales. The children's work that we saw on display was impressive. And all of the fair activities were incredibly well thought out and executed with an eye to practicality and beauty.
The children were able to make floral wreaths and build boats. We ate delicious homemade food and drank memorable chai tea. And after visiting the fair we decided that we would move to the area so the children could attend the school.
A year has now passed and yesterday we attended the Spring Fair again. This time as parents of children who are enrolled. Our eldest son and daughter played with friends from their classes. We chatted to the familiar faces of other parents. And ate all that good food again.
But more than that we realised how much has changed in our lives since the fair last year. How it was a catalyst for our decision to make a tree change. And how many wonderful things that have happened since then.
The photos above are from when the children attended the fair last year.
images the indigo crew
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When you are busy living life, it's sometimes hard to see how far you have come. Especially when you are a forward-looking person who rarely looks in the rear mirror. But there is value in it, as I was reminded a couple of times this past week.
Late in the week a friend came to visit and while walking through the grounds she asked if we had been taking progress shots. I had to think because it's not something that we've done consciously.
There are plenty of before photos, and many pics of the children using the spaces but not a lot of the property itself as we bring it back to life. The one exception would be the treehouse as this was one of our first projects.
She remarked that it might be a good idea because to her eyes we had achieved a lot in eight months. However, from our perspective our work is only a chip in the mountain of what needs to be done, and the vision we have for this place.
But her words stayed with me because she is right. And it is something I've also been told in relation to my work. It's important to stop and acknowledge the small victories and steps along the way. When there's a long to-do list it's easy to get wrapped up in what lies ahead and not pat yourself on the back on for what you've already achieved.
Perhaps because my friend's words were fresh or because it was a good day in general, but over the weekend I experienced moments of gratitude - a word that I tend to associate with America and talk shows and self-help books. It's not a word that we use comfortably in Australia, which is more of a buttoned-up country when it comes to emotions and feelings. There's a reason why "She'll be right" is almost a national motto. And "no worries" is one of our most common expressions.
But just as there is value in acknowledging small victories, it's equally important to be thankful for them too.
Over the weekend, after we opened our gates to a group of interesting and diverse families for a child's birthday party, I had a moment of feeling, "life is good". This year we have created a home, cleared land around some of the other buildings and made connections with a new world of people. We might not have climbed the tallest mountain but it was time to wave the flag from where we were.
image the indigo crew
When we first started talking about moving to the country we had a long list of ideals. Wouldn't it be great if we could grow our own fruit and vegetables, get fresh eggs from free-range chickens, maybe even have bees to capture our own honey. We also spoke about other more practical ideas. We could put solar panels on the roof to go off the grid, and live off rainwater. It turns out that we had no choice with that last idea.
Most places in the country live off rainwater. The property that we bought has four tanks capturing water and when one empties, a pump moves water up the hill to a header tank which supplies the to the taps in our house.
When we first moved in we knew that we had to be careful with our water supply. We only flush the toilet when absolutely necessary. We try not to hand wash dishes and only use the dishwasher because it's far more efficient. The children always share a bath or bath water.
We've been on a steep learning curve with our water supply since moving to this valley, even though it's a water catchment area. The first month we had torrential rain almost every day for a month. We were flooded in within weeks of our move.
But then we had about six months of virtually no rain. We've had to buy water three times now, the most recent last Monday.
Of course, the day after the water truck arrived we had a week of almost non-stop rain.
Since we first ran out of water we are extra vigilant about how we use our water. When rinsing out dishcloths in the sink, I often have a vessel underneath the tap so that I can pour this on our parched plants outside. When water is left in a drinking glass, I tip it into one of the indoor plants rather than down the drain. Even when using soap on my hands I turn the tap off while lathering it up. Every little bit helps.
We have a lot to learn and are investigating more options - tanks, pumps, filters - but it is our hope to not have to buy in water again. At least not so many times. Because there is something wonderful about knowing that we are using only what we need, and finding a way towards some sort of subsistence living.
image the indigo crew
The month of March was marked by the arrival of visitors - both welcome and unexpected. The former were friends - almost local, although they live closer to the coast - as well as some international visitors, who have been travelling around the world with their family of six. Both families had four children apiece and made for a fun albeit slightly rambunctious day. These are the visits we remember though - when the house is full, there's food and special treats aplenty, conversations are somewhat snatched but cut to the essence of what's important in life, and a walk down to the creek becomes an adventure. We see our home with fresh eyes.
Unexpected visitors also provided us with a new perspective on where we live. After the flooding rain of January we experienced two months of virtually no rain. The extended summer kept temperatures warm and the humidity high. And snakes came out searching for water. We have seen at least three different varieties in the past month - a diamond python, a tree snake and potentially a yellow-faced whip snake - although we're still learning to identify our slippery friends. One of them was found in our living room and had to be captured on a makeshift hook attached to the end of a broom handle.
We also came across an injured bird that had flown into our living room window. The children delighted in creating a temporary home - made out of a cardboard box, lined with wool and filled with berries - where it could recuperate. The four-year-old was initially devastated though when it was well enough to fly again. Although she's since told me several times that she's happy that it flew away. We spoke about the bird wanting to return to its family and friends.
The tree house has continued to be an ongoing weekend project with the children. The platform was completed last month and since then we had added a safety rail and fence. Our visitors helped us to collect sticks and they were cut to size and attached with twine. We've also added a more permanent ramp and the children enjoy spending time on the deck, playing and eating meals.
Work on the house itself has been on hold for the most part while the treehouse was being built. However, in the past month the magenta fireplace surround was painted white and a hanging rail was added to the girl's room, as well as a cupboard converted into a temporary wardrobe of sorts. Over the Easter weekend a wall was built in the place of a hanging curtain behind the bed in the master bedroom. Modest changes that make a difference to our day-to-day living.
We are fast learning that there is always maintenance to be done on a property. No sooner had we moved in than we were issued with a notice to clear under the electrical power lines. As a lot of the bamboo had grown out of control, removing tracks of it was the first stage. We then employed the school gardener to trim some trees too. This turned out to be a good exercise as afterwards he was he able to walk around the property and identify various trees and plants, giving us a quick lesson in what is native and what should be scaled back.
One benefit of chopping down trees is that we now have a small supply of firewood for the upcoming winter. While it is still warm during the daytime, the evenings can get cool and so we decided to test out the fireplace. We have never seen the children bathe and dress for bed so quickly.
The end of the month posed some challenges. Our water supply is derived from rainwater tanks - three of them at various points along our hill. Pumps feed the water up to the house and when one of them died a couple of weeks ago we tried to get it serviced, were given a different pump that didn't work, and had to cart water up the hill in containers. Then the hot water system itself failed and, finally, we ran out of water completely. It was a sharp lesson in the importance of water, and how much we are beholden to nature and its inconstant ways.
But every morning we are treated to watching the mist lift off the surrounding mountains and the view from almost every room provides with the most wonderful, calming vista. And we can open our front door and the children can run, play and explore. That is why we moved here, and embarked on this journey. To find freedom in the everyday.
images the indigo crew
If January was noteworthy for its non-stop rain, then February followed up with a month of non-stop sunshine. Summer arrived, and it was most welcome. It meant that we were able to get outside and explore the property. When friends and family visited, we could take them up to the fruit orchard towards the top of the block. We were able to get busy in the garden. And a treehouse for the children started to come to life.
The property is quite overgrown. It is easy to understand why it has become this way. We are on 26 acres and it's a big job to keep the grass and weeds in check before even starting on making improvements. However, every weekend we try to get outside and make some small steps. (As well as bring some greenery indoors when we can.) And when we are outside, the children want to be there right alongside us.
Of course, there are distractions along the way. Happy ones, sometimes. Such as the day we spotted a turtle trying to cross the road on the school run. We put it in a bucket with some water, to save it from getting run over, and placed it in one of our ponds.
The improved weather has meant that we have started to build a treehouse. It's something that has been put ahead of improvements to the house itself. It is to help the children become involved in the transformation of this property. And, of course, for them to have a safe outdoor space for them to play. Whenever work is being done, they are right there - counting screws, drilling holes, climbing down the rope ladder to rescue tools that have fallen below. It has fast become their happy place.
However, we have made some changes inside too. It is not until you live in a space that you get a sense of what works, and doesn't. What can be improved. We decided to create a larger living area and move the dining table to another part of the open-plan downstairs section. Instantly it made the house feel more like a home. All the boxes (filled mostly with books) went upstairs to slowly become unpacked.
And another white wall was added. We managed to paint several of them before moving in, but time was against us to get all of the feature walls neutralised. Primarily, the exercise has been about reflecting light back into the space. Even though we have a north-facing view, the stained timber walls absorb a lot of light and can make the space feel more enclosed that what it is.
On the final weekend of February a new ramp was added to the treehouse and salvaged floorboards went down. Almost straight away the children ran up with brooms to tidy their space. It was wonderful to see them so house proud. And it was a great way to end the month.
images the indigo crew
It has been an eventful week at Treetops House. The start of another new chapter for the children, attending a nearby school. On the first day we encountered all sorts of hurdles along the way. A cow had escaped from a neighbouring farm and we were cautioned to drive slowly as it walked right past our car. A little further down the road a goose was crossing the road and closer to the school we had to stop for a tractor. If was there any day that highlighted how our lives had changed, this was it. The school run will never be the same!
To celebrate the end of the preschoolers' week, we stopped for milkshakes at a local scenic spot. There is a sign for platypuses. But we have yet to see any. The same for wombats, which are also supposed to be common in the area. However, we have been woken many times this week by a possum on our roof. We found it's hiding place too - in a cavity above the boot room. Now we need to find a way to encourage it to move on.
The move to the country has shown us a side to this girl we didn't know existed. We knew she loved animals. But turns out she has a fondness for all creatures. While we were cultivating the soil for the vegie garden, she spent about 15 minutes playing with a millipede on her hands. This past week when the girls went down to the mail box, there was a frog inside. After it hopped away, she managed to catch it and held it in her hands, not wanting to let it go.
The star charts are in use again, and for his most recent full card, the seven-year-old asked for a typewriter. Instead, I let him use mine and ordered some new ribbon. He has started to write letters to one of his Sydney friends and his new teacher, as well as a new story. One day he typed the alphabet while his sister sang along. It's like having Hemingway in the house, hearing the clack-clacking of the keys.
The four-year-old has shown an interest in chapter books. She had found one of her brother's: The Boy who Climbed Into the Moon by David Almond - and we started to read it at a random spot, based on the illustrations, which she enjoys. We have read a new chapter every night since.
A big project began this week. The building of the children's treehouse. We have a long dream list of features for the property but most of them will require time to work out the lay of the land. However, we decided on a spot for the treehouse - within sight and sound of the house. Even though it is only the scaffolding that has gone up so far, the older two spent hours climbing along the framework and just sitting on the beams.
It has only been about a week since we planted the start of a vegetable garden but already the lettuce and rocket has doubled in size. The taste is much stronger than what we're used to, which makes us wonder what happens to the lettuce we usually buy for it to have such a "watered down" taste. These leaves were put to good use in wraps at lunchtime.
Kangaroos were spotted on a neighbouring farm during a Sunday morning walk. We see a mob of them on one hill about a five-minute drive from our home, but only one or two on other properties. This trio was spotted less than a kilometre from our place.
images the indigo crew
January was a wet month and we felt the full force of living in a water catchment area. Two weeks after moving into our Treetops house, and the night after receiving our first visitors, we were flooded in. It was just myself and the children as their father was in Sydney continuing work on our former house. And when he tried to return home he wasn't able to make it through the flood. As it happens he had hired a car for a few days but it was was only a hatchback and not able to pass the deep water. At one point another driver in a 4WD diesel ute with a snorkel tried to get him through the floods but after crossing several sections, they reached a point where the water was fast-flowing and up to the windscreen. They had to turn back and he spent the night in a room above a pub in the closest town while the children and I were low on food supplies. As it happens, that day we had run out of milk, eggs and cheese as well as bread. We hadn't bought any as we were expecting him to bring them on his way home. That night I scraped together a meal and we read a stack of books from our Christmas advent book calendar and hoped the news would be better in the morning.
We woke to a blue sky and I was excited to hear cars on the road below. But when D tried to come through a section about 5km away, it was still flooded. So he had to loop around to another entry point. Two-hundred metres in front of our driveway though there was another stretch of water that was too deep to cross in the hire car. He was about to walk through as it wouldn't have been more than waist height, and was still water. Fortunately, someone came through in a 4WD and drove him through. We had never been so happy to see him walk up the hill towards our house.
That day the sky cleared and slowly the waters receded. We started work on our herb garden, and later went for a drive to see how our neighbours had fared in the flood. Along the way we spotted a turtle crossing the road. It was incredible to watch. Moss and ferns were growing out of its shell, and as soon as we got close, it retracted its head. We moved it to the side of the road so that it wouldn't get run over by a car. It was another strand of experience that made us realise that we certainly weren't in the city anymore.
While we had a few good days of weather, it seemed to rain most of January. The children found many ways to occupy themselves, though. When we first moved in they spent hours playing with rope - rigging it up onto the ceiling beams creating swings with skateboards, making a pirate ship and later when I hung a rope ladder for them they spent hours every day swinging from it. They also built a teepee from bamboo in the garden. More strands were later used to create a tent in our son's bedroom over a bed that he helped to assemble. And the skateboards have seen much use over the long stretch of slate that runs from the "front" to the "back" door - this is not a conventional house.
Towards the end of the month we explored some of the local beaches - including Umina and Pearl Beach. We also visited Somersby Falls - a beautiful spot. Often when we drive through the surrounding countryside we stop and buy fruit and vegetables from roadside stalls. And we always have an eye to see how other properties have utilised their land.
On the flip side, we saw a snake slither past our front door - moments after the the four-year-old had stood at the front door with it open, waiting for her dad to walk up the driveway. However, we (hope and) believe it to be a harmless yellow-bellied brown snake.
One highlight for all though was getting a new sofa. It is our first new piece of furniture for the house, and first non-secondhand sofa. When it arrived the children spent hours turning it into a fort. It feels as if we are slowly making this place our own. A new chapter is dawning.
images the indigo crew
