New Beginings

So, a new year has dawned and I have promised myself that I will utilise this space to reflect and record this year with my glorious family.

There has been a call for much celebration this week with my sweet lad's first day at 'school'. Now I say 'school', as it is, strictly speaking, not actually a school. Rather a 'learning community' of 7 or so families who, for various reasons, are choosing to educate in an out-of-mainstream sort of way. Whilst to some the concept may seem outrageous, to us the idea of 'natural learning' makes perfect sense. The word 'child-centred' has been bandied around so much it had lost much of it's significance as a revolutionary way to think about a child's learning journey. That is, that the child is ACTUALLY at the centre of their learning, they are not merely 'filled up' with what knowledge it has been determined they require. They ACTUALLY decide what they want to learn and how they will go about learning it. Which is why, on my son's first day I was not in the least perturbed by the fact that he decided that he didn't wish to take a pencil case with the usual array of coloured pencils etc, but rather a pasta maker was what he thought would be most useful to him. While I scrambled to assemble the pasta maker, eggs, flour, a toddler, and lunch for three in what I reminded myself this was perhaps one of life's defining moments and the realisation of what we have been working towards for the last year and a half.

The rest of the day provided many more "I-can't-believe-we-finally-did-it' moments. Whilst we are still a long way from the community school we had envisioned in the early days (and that we continue to work toward), and the substantial government funding that comes with accreditation, for this moment, this vibrant group of young people, and their assorted carers, not only meets my family's need for a safe space to nurture our sweet eldest boy's learning journey, but fills my heart with immense hope and excitement at what is possible when people join together to build such a community.

I can't tell you the joy I feel seeing the faces of the young participants, knowing the trauma that is experienced by so many little ones sent to an institutional setting to do their 'work' as kids, is not going to be imprinted on their life script. Their first experience of 'school' is not one of bells and sitting on itchy nylon carpet, not-talking-when-the-teacher-is-talking and raising a hand to 'ask' (I mean really???) for something as simple as a bathroom visit or to sate their hunger. Rather these early days are ones of discovery, collaboration and play.... oh so much play!  Real play. The kind that bubbles up from deep inside and spawns creativity, full psychological and physical engagement and noise! Not the kind that has been carefully planned and rationalised using edu-speak, that fits neatly into 45 minute blocks of time or a rigid curriculum that satisfies the many political agendas that have become 'education' as we know it in this country. The kind of play that encourages a young boy to take a pasta maker on his first day of school.

I liked it. A lot.

Tasmanian Odyssey, Part 5 - The Tasman Peninsular

Our ethos on this holiday was to try and not do too much driving in one day with the kids. We'd limited ourselves to one to two hour trips and honestly, some days that was just too much for two little men who'd rather be running around or digging in the dirt. It was a nice surprise, however that when we planned to travel from Bicheno southwards, the boys were travelling so well that we got an extra hour down the road to the Dunnalley pub where we free camped for the night overlooking the spectacular bay toward Bruny Island. That meant that the next morning we were able to head off and reach the historic site of Port Arthur (or Poor Farter as coined by J!!) by lunch time. Now I really hadn't been terribly present in the process that led to us going to visit the ruins of Port Arthur and was a little under-prepared for how to frame the concepts inherent with the site to a particularly sensitive but curious 4 year-old mind. But we managed to answer his questions as best we could with-out pathologising the role of 'convicts' or fostering a fascination with the brutal methods of punishment systems of the 1800s. J seemed happy with our responses and I was surprised to see him thoroughly enjoy scampering around the old buildings, in and out rooms and up and down stairs. It was a little more confronting for M and I, as we moved around trying to empathise with the inmates of such a brutal regime and how this land, that has been so hospitable to us, was for them, torturous and enslaved them despite it's beauty.

We enjoyed two nights at a small caravan park on White Beach, where the view over Parson's Bay at sunset was just jaw-dropping.  Again we drifted off to sleep to the sound of the southern ocean lapping at the shore.

We fell in love with the rugged beauty of the Tasman Peninsular and it's relative remoteness. It's gentle rolling green hills and unrelenting cliffs that plunge into the icy blue waters.  I think it's safe to say both M and I  left a little bit of our hearts there somewhere amongst the contented cattle and pure white sand. And, as our holiday draws to an end, we are already hoping to return and explore more of this beautiful place.

Tasmanian Odyssey - Part 4, The East Coast.

So travelling around Tassie, when talking to other tourists, the inevitable question that always pops up is "have you done the east coast yet??". Heading through the East Tamar valley, with a quick stop at Holm Oak vinyard to feed the pig and sample their delectable pinot noir we made the winding pass through Weldsborough. At this point, I was seriously nauseous and with only a coffee and a couple of tastings of wine eating away at the lining of my stomach, so we opted to stop at the gorgeous Pyengana Dairy for lunch. And, Oh my, are we glad we did! With a ploughman's lunch for two we enjoyed pickled eggs, honey smoked ham, prunes-in-port, home-made chutneys and bread. It was spectacular! The boys loved watching the cows coming through for milking and we left with full bellies and an enormous chunk of cheddar to enjoy at a later date. Arriving in St Helens in atrocious weather we opted for the schmick Big 4 caravan park with an ensuite which was a bit of a novelty but a great relief to have a proper bathroom to wrangle the kids clean. We loved how St Helens combines the ambiance of the beach-side haven and unpretentious country-town so effortlessly. It's a shame we had such terrible weather while we were there and couldn't enjoy the amazing beaches of the Bay of Fires.

The bad weather followed us to Bicheno where we were hell-bent on seeing the penguins come ashore but were sadly disappointed. J so enjoyed our preparations for The Great Penguin-hunting Expedition he exhausted himself and fell asleep in M's arms while we were waiting for the sneaky little birds to come ashore to feed their babies, whom we could hear calling out from burrows throughout the foreshore. Alas, the goddess of penguin viewing was not willing to bless us that evening so we left Bicheno without realising that dream.

On the upside, we did discover the lobster tail chowder at the kitsch but super kid friendly, Sealife Centre and gorged ourselves stupid. Hmmmmmmmm Chowder!!

We also took the boys to the un-insiringly titled, but totally awesome, 'Nature-world' zoo. Nature-world is very active in the preservation of the Tasmanian Devil and had very informative displays and knowledgeable staff. We also particularly liked that there was not an over abundance of animals in a small space. And was certainly not your average aussie let's-pack-as-many-kangaroos-as-we-can-into-this-tiny-yard type of petting zoo. Two thumbs up to Nature-world!

Tasmanian Odyssey, Part Three - On the road from Hobart to Launceston

Leaving Mt Field, we decided to back-track and take the high-way just north of Hobart, straight through to Launceston. The little princes travelled well and we found ourselves staying in a free camp at Campbell Town for the evening. The Red Bridge Providore was serendipitously just across the road and we assembled a small feast for dinner in the park with some local ducks. I think, when I look back years from now, this will be the moment I will credit for falling in love with Tasmania. The crisp, clear late afternoon air and the golden light, make those last few minutes of the day seem to stretch for hours are nothing short of magical. In the morning we walked the main street, enthusiastically showed the boys the impressively large log that occupies pride of place in many a small town park in Tassie it seems, and set off for the short trip to Launceston. Initially, we were impressed with the size of the city, but upon trying to make a chiropractic appointment were aware it really is a large town, with only three chiropracters listed (all of which weren't taking new clients or feral tourists who haven't showered for far-to-long). We took the obigatory chairlift ride at cataract gorge, play at city park and fish and chips at the dockside before turning in. The next morning was dark and gloomy so we took advantage of the Queen Victoria Art Gallery and Museum with science centre and railway exhibit for the boys before heading off for Seahorse World. Whilst chasing a 19 month-old around a seahorse breeding centre with open-topped tanks with ladders attached, may not be considered everyone's idea of fun, I was really inspired by those little critters and facinated by their sweet little snouts and fat bellies! More wild-life joy was to be had that evening when we went wombat spotting and M was accosted by several angry wombats on the way to the loo, one of which was actually under the van. Apologies for the poor picture quality, but you get the idea!

Tasmanian Odyssey, Part Two - Mt Field National Park

Heading north, we skirted around Hobart and set the tom-tom for Mt Field National Park at the recommendation of the fungi-photographing lass at Grandvewe Cheeses. Stopping only long enough to take on some bakery items and a sense of never-wanting-to-return in New Norfolk we arrived at Mt Field Camping ground in the late afternoon. The office was closed but we were greeted warmly by the caretaker, who quite surprisingly given the remote/outdoorsy nature of the place, bore more than a passing resemblance to Sid Vicious. Instantly, we fell in love with the area, the textures of the moss and swamp grass and trees that have been weathered by centuries of harsh alpine conditions. The boys played endlessly in the tufts of swamp grass behind out campsite and discovered a hollow tree stump that provided hours of enjoyment. National Parks had created a terrific natural play-space complete with water-course, rocks and textural plantings of native grasses. The boys were in heaven! The next day we made the precarious 16km drive to the top of the mountain in search of a patch of snow to play in. Sure enough, we found a couple of icey patches that were yet to melt and easily accessible without taking on one of the walks actually 'up' to the summit. We all giggled like maniacs, pelting eachother with ice and, unfortunately, ever-so-nearly caused our children frost-bite due to lack of suitable clothing. But it was fun, and big boy's feet did eventually defrost.

The Tasmanian Odyssey, Part One - The Huon Valley.

So we arrived in sunny Hobart with the minimum of fuss, picked up our wheels/home for the next two weeks and headed south. Giddy with anticipation, in only the way you can be on the first day of holidays when you have the entire stretch of days ahead of you! The sun was shining and life was very very very good. Fast forward 24 hours, and you would have found us squashed into the back of the camper van whilst the boys bounced off the walls, silently mouthing "what the hell have we done??!!" whilst small bits of sleet were pelting from the heavens and bouncing off the windows of the van! Today, thankfully, the weather has improved and we have loved exploring this gorgeous place. We've petted alpacas, played in several parks in tiny country towns, visited a sheep dairy , drank wine and eaten cheese and all manner of lovely treats. Tonight, as we lay down our heads meters from the gentle waves that caress the shore of the d'Entrecasteaux channel

Moving Forward....

For a few weeks now I’ve been casting around, trying to define what I would like this space to become for me. I’m a little uncomfortable and unsure of where to begin. So I’ve decided that authenticity is the best place to start! Trying to articulate who I am and where I’m at in my life’s narrative, I hope, will be useful for me to reflect upon down the track and will act as an introduction to anyone who arrives in this space out of the ether!

My identity, as I arrived in my third decade earth side, I realise is quite a fluid, dynamic construct. Whilst culturally I acknowledge my anglo-saxon, Christian roots, I am on a journey of discovery where I come across, at each turn, an awareness of the dichotomy between spirituality and science, modern and post-modern thought and the very essence of what it ‘true’ and ‘right’. I’m a mother of 2 little boys who evoke such love in my being that I frequently feel like I’m going to break in two! I’m the lover of one man with whom I’ve shared the last 12 years of my life. Professionally, spent my 20s chasing aircraft (and more accurately, the passengers of those aircraft!) for a large commercial airline, passing that in for life with my boys and achieving a degree in social work, which I’ve almost realised!  My 30s have found me ensconced on a beautiful mountain in South East Queensland surrounded by the most amazing women from whom I have learnt the art of mothering. My days are spent nurturing my boys as they grow and flourish at a most alarming rate!

Recently, my journey researching progressive education for our boys and the subsequent undertaking of starting a community school, has had an unexpected impact on our family life. We now find ourselves seriously contemplating the direction of our existence.  More specifically, how we consolidate the intentional nature with which we try to live, and which we wish to impart to our children, with servicing a substantial mortgage on our middle-class income.  This is where we find ourselves, looking, dreaming, considering ‘other’ ways of living. At this point ‘other’ could loosely be described as ‘more sustainable’ – socially, financially and environmentally.  How do we do this? I’m not sure, but I’m working on it and will, surely, use this space to mull it over!

Next week will see us boarding a plane to the ‘apple isle’ of Australia – namely Tasmania – waaaaay down there in the south. Our little family of Queenslanders, born and bred, are packing every item of warm clothing we own to explore this little utopia of artesian cheese makers, organic produce markets and, of course, cold-climate pinot noir for 2-and-a-half glorious weeks!

This is where the story begins – so tune in for our Tasmanian Odyssey!