Help with gardening and a rainforest rehabilitation project in Upper Coopers Creek, NSW, Australia

  • Favourited 43 times
  • Last activity: 19 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Do you want to experience community living in a stunning hinterland setting?

    Our project is an amazing landscape and community farm in the heart of Upper Coopers Creek, nestled between the Nightcap and Whian Whian National Parks in the Byron Bay hinterland.

    The farm was the first in the region and extended all the way to Federal village.
    According to the traditional owners,the farms history extends back to indigenous times when the swimming hole was said to be a birthing place and the big flat a meeting ground for the men.

    For over 25 years the farm and its residents have been striving towards community development, organic food growing, sustainable land practices, land rehabilitation and self reliance in general.
    Over those years the farm has seen many seasons, many people and many changes.

    The landscape has been transformed from 3 weed species in 1996 to an integrated ecosystem of native rainforest (20 acres), bamboo forests (5acres) and intensive agricultural areas of flat managed land and dams (15 acres)

    The essence and the strive however remains and more than ever the farm tries to redefine itself, a process which is ongoing. We intend to learn from the past and to apply this gift to our future.

    we are a small group of people and families, trying to survive better by living together. Supporting ourselves, growing more food and maintaining our orchards, bamboos and rainforest is a big focus. We are also looking at reintroducing farm animals to compliment our organic growing, which is just starting up again.

    In the last few years we have been working on our water supplies (fires and food growing), improving our energy self sufficiency, sustaining our infrastructure of dwellings and resources and maintaining the farm in general.

    It was a tough few years with fires, hail, floods and virus. But we are still here!


    As life goes in circles, so has the farm seen many changes.

    FOOD
    Currently there is only one little veggie growing area on the farm. A number of residents are keen to grow more food and we have now additional water from our newly lined farm dam. Acres of intensive food has been grown in the past, mainly vegetables and garlic, and we also grew commercially Hemp, but only for one season. We have a number of tractor implements an almost new 32HP tractor and a new 2ton mini excavator.
    We have a number of new pumps, a new water/fire trailer and most irrigation fittings ready to be installed. Looking for keen market gardeners interested In a co-venture. Sean who finally moves to the farm in November will bring some animals and general farm spirit!

    Our great orchards with over 700 fruit trees are well past its prime, many have died and what’s remaining is under-managed.However we have been slowly revitalising the old trees which are left, adding more bananas (which were wiped out by the bunchytop virus 10 years ago). In the past, we have had horses, rabbits and chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigs, goats, a cow and some dogs and cats (which officially are not allowed on the farm!) Most of the animal projects failed due to predators and disease, but some members are trying it yet again, learning as always from our mistakes. Over the years we had various ways of compost making, many different systems experimented by some 3000 earthlings trying to live the old ways. Summing up we are ready for a new start in growing food!

    INFRASTRUCTURE
    Our infrastructure is ageing but maintained and we have some great dwellings and tools here on the farm.
    Resources are organised and plentiful and we have a fantastic workshop, equiped to run the farm and machinery

    We are aiming to set up a 8 KwA solar system which will supply most of our energy need around the main house and workshop.

    The outbuildings, our geodesic dome and the various other structures sustain a small hamlet and as such we are trying to establish a village hub for our valley.

    Another business we are in developing is tiny houses on wheels constructed from our reclaimed timbers and bamboos. We are currently building a big shed for those purposes.

    BAMBOOS:
    We hold around 100 mature bamboo species which create a buffer between our top 20 acres of agricultural flat land and the 7 gullies which form the Upper Coopers Creek escarpment. On the northern side of the creek are the fabulous Qonding cascades , a huge swimming hole with 7 little cascades.

    We are also keen in media projects, website development and community development in general. We have tons of data and good computer systems.

    At the moment there are not many people working on the farm and we are clearly in need of manpower. But there is no rush, so step by step we are rebuilding, maintaining, renovating, and slowly expanding and finalising the infrastructure needed to sustain the hub we are creating.

    The farms vision is to offer our land and infrastructure to the creation of a village hub, for our group of friends and family and our wider valley community. This is what this place has always been, indigenous and frontier heritage and as of late 25 years of alternate community culture and living together.

    Due to Upper Coopers Creek topographic situation and its relative isolation, with only one little road leading into our valley, we endeavour the creation of a “one-stop shop community hub”. We aim to provide various goods and services, whilst bringing together a team of professionals and volunteers. The farm tries to attract participants to develop co-vertures like tiny houses building, mechanical repair services, market gardening, bamboo resources and building materials, Venue and workshops, Landcare and Bush regeneration, Market gardening, Nursery services, Food drying

    Furthermore we see a need in the valley for coordinated emergency relief work, transport, food and emergency services, care for the young and old…as well as Repair, maintenance and building services.

    A big vision, may be you want to be part in it.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    This is not just an ordinary farm we are a multiculturl hub, a small hamlet of 25 people from all walks of life and all corners of the planet. We eat a fair bit from the farm and a lot of our food is Asian cooking as Mod is from Thailand originally.
    we have a number of communal structures like our 54 sided geodysic dome, there are 2 communal kitchen areas and we have occasional pizza nights and parties, which we would loke to make more regular again. We try to keep drugs to a minimum, practice nonviolent communication and we are a pretty easy-going group of people. we are quite determined and have a vision for this place and its future. We welcome everyone who is open minded, honest, and fun-loving. You can learn and share with us from mother nature which surrounds and guides us.

  • Help

    Help

    As we are a small community on 40 acres we have got a whole range of activities and work needed.
    general building and maintenance skills are always needed, we always always have also something which needs fixing in the workshop. we have a huge workshop here for woodworking, working with bamboos and mechanics. we are are in the process of building tiny houses for the farm, there is tons of gardening projects and a huge rainforest rehabilitaion project in its 25th year!

  • Languages spoken

    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent
    Thai: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    there are a number of accommodation options here on the farm, all are usually self-contained, there are also tons of great camping or caravan spots, depending on how you travel. We also got 2 amazing forest cabins for our volunteers. We like it clean! however welcome to australia, so you will share your space here and there with the occasional animal, lol, but nothing to worry about, we just live in nature!

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    As we are a group of people there are a number of vehicles here on the farm so catching a ride into town or to the beach is easy to arrange. we have an internal messenger group for share riding. the environment around the farm is stunning with a stack of great hiking opportunities. The famous Byron bay and its beaches are a 40 min drive, mullumbimby is our next biggest town, 25 min, lismore is 30 min, by car.
    The northcoast is a wonderful area to explore and in the 150 km radius are dozens of national parks.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    since a few months we have starlink which has greatly improved our internet speed. its available in all communal areas of the property. we only have phone reception on a couple of spots on the property

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    we got some great spots as private or as convenient as you might like

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 324644816863

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