Page 1! Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016

Wollangarra Number 100 Licola, 3858 June 2016

Ph: 5148 0492 Patron: John Landy, AC, MBE www.wollangarra.org.au

Greetings and welcome to If that’s all a young person Wollangarra Newsletter takes away from a week on Number 100! (And thanks for a Stage I, I reckon the staff waiting!) are doing a good job. But we see them take away a lot To those that eagerly await more than that, as a week at t h e i r i n s t a l m e n t s o f Woll weaves it magic. It’s Wollangarra news in this also probably why we’ve ran form, my apologies for taking so many full Stage II so long. But, may I invite you programs over the last year to put aside your fears that and half too! things were amiss, as Woll’s been ticking along just like it Now a lot’s happened since always has. Wollangarra Newsletter Number 1 - many younger In the past 18 months, since people involved in this place Clare and Raku typed their goodbye and farewell wouldn't have even been alive to know about it - Directors Report and canoed across from Tussocky including half of this years’ staff! (and a few on the with Tilly in tow for the final time, staff have come, Woll Council too!) In that first newsletter, Ian gone and new ones have come again; gardens outlined the initial aims of Woll, which included: have been dug and planted; fruit trees have fruited and been pruned; the sheep have lambed and they, “At Wollangarra, I want to take groups of young in turn, have grown-up and fed many mouths; people…back to a simple, down-to-earth, way of tracks have been maintained in remote mountains life, amongst a remote, small and recognisable areas; huts have been cared for; events have been community, where hard work, good honest fun, and organised and attended; wood has been cut, real practical purpose are part of every day. And stacked and used for fuel; Stage II’s have become where a real love and care for the mountains, and Stage III’s and Alpine Walkers have hiked many a the environment in general, is encouraged in every difficult track; But, at the centre of it all, close to a possible way, and is backed up by a commitment to thousand young people have headed up to Woll to get out and do something practical towards their experience meeting the mountains on a Stage I. So protection and long-term well being.” (Ian many of these young people have come away from Stapleton, October 1988) this experience with a good dose of perspective, like this young fella pictured. Chatting to him not Well, being here in this role in 2016 and steeping too long after this picture was taken, soaking in the back for a moment to soak it all in, I reckon Woll’s afternoon light with a view that seemed to go on doing a pretty good job of meeting all that! Thanks forever and holding a “letter-to-self” that he’d just to all that have been, are, or will be a part of this written, he mentioned a few things that he was special little place. I feel really privileged to have appreciating being out there in the mountains and a this position and to be a part of it all. Thanks Woll. few more he’d appreciate when he got back home. - Dan

Wollangarra Open Day 2016 SAVE THE DATE - Saturday 1st October A day to bring together the community of Wollangarra to celebrate what we do and to showcase that good work to new faces, in the spirit of practical purpose and good honest fun! All are invited. More details to come early Spring. Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 2! Meet the Staff Rita Gyffory - Outdoor Leader

Born in the faraway lands of Hungary, Rita has travelled the most out of all of us to be at Woll. Before arriving here, Rita spent two years traveling up and down ’s East Coast in her kitted out trusty van, visiting eco-villages and living on the road. She studied transpersonal counselling and has a fresh interest in delivering ‘rites of passage’. Rita has a love for animals and nature which shows through everything she does. She has a deep interest in eco-psychology, connecting people and nature through meaningful experiences. She is already wooing the young people through song, yoga or dance: Rita has a beautiful knack for engaging others in new practices. At Woll, you’ll find Rita whipping up banana cake, hand mashing a delicious cocoa smoothie, huddled by the fire or splashing with joy in the river. Rita brings a river of deep flowing wisdom down to the Wollangarra flat. If you would like to slow down your mind, find her. She has an awareness of your needs that goes far beyond “How are you?” A big believer in breathing, Rita is an oxygenated energy that oozes Woll wonder. - by Isaac. Mairead (Raidy) Murphy - Outdoor Leader Raidy, our gleaming matey, is a wondrous creator of song and soulful tunes. She first stepped upon the hallowed grounds of Woll for Tomato Bottling one year ago, and has never looked back. She comes to Woll with her cello and a deep care for rights, connection to country with a background in Indigenous Studies and a great love for community. She’s fun-loving, likes long walks on the beach and is deep into the bush. Since being at Woll, Raidy has been dedicated to her daily baptism in the River, though she is not religious. She also sleeps under the stars every night and is committed to giving awesomeness in the veggie garden here at Woll. Raidy is a committed crap stirrer, luckily it’s only of the humanure kind. Her dedication to the composting toilets is neck deep. She aces any task from Bronze Medallion to Chainsaw. She’s one the keenest beans that I know. She will take on the world single-handedly, if we let her, and she could do it too. Imagine an ant carrying a load six times the size of her body or a monkey thinking that she’s actually an octopus. She’s great for a deep heart to heart too. This is our Raidy, we love her dearly, living in the fast lane or slow, she’s a great all-rounder. Peace out. - by Rita.

Gemma Costello - Outdoor Leader Some of you might remember Gemma in the midst of the silly dance competition at last year’s city Bush Dance. Straight out of Broady, Gemma stumbled into Wollangarra World probably the most Woll way of all. Her interview was through dance at a Sal Kimber gig. She impressed us with her dance moves and wooed us with her butt bumps and mischievous grins. A whimsical juke box, Gemma can strum out any old country tune at the flip of a guitar pick. Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele; her fingers move like the clappers. Gemma is a wordly woman; she has lived in a valley in Greece, skied Japan’s snowy mountains in diamond studded jackets and played Rugby in Switzerland. Her humour is dry, like vita wheats that

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 3! have gone up and down the Crinoline. Whether it’s Kath and Kelling to the rotaloos, 50 pumps in the wash house or talking to Tambo, there is always laughter and that classic Gemma giggle. Gemma’s life embodied soy flat whites, a lost kitten called Ray Ray, mowing lush lawns plus following the lovely Liz Stringer gigging around. She was also occupied by a social work degree with a passion for LGBTIQQ+. Now you’ll find her sipping cups of chai, frolicking with Tambo, lighting candles in the breeze way and speeding around with the Woll Whipper Snip whispering "For life is like an ocean, that I’m yet to sail. And love is like a Mountain, that I’m yet to sail.” (A Liz Stringer quote that Gemma relates to.) A determined lassy, Gemma has a beautiful ability to be real and is never afraid of standing up to a challenge. She's full of sass, zass and class. Thank you Gemma for your wise, giggly and kick-ass vibes. Bring on the next 268 days! - by Claire

Gemma Tristan O'Brien - Program Manager The superb fairy Tristan has migrated from the streets of Adelaide with his knowledge of its close hills and their birds. His time was spent researching environmental biology and mimicking bird calls from behind binoculars. Growing up with his family and a big garden with chooks, the superb fairy Tristan knows of many environmental ways. He now is seen around Wollangarra with his calm presence, tending to the intricacies of pumps and tractors. Thorough in his work and caring in his ways, Tristan is a really good asset to the Wollangarra Woods. He is quick to learn and share and has a big heart for this place. Tristan is loved by the Young People, his humour and knowledge engages them wherever they walk. The superb fairy Tristan perks up at the slightest mention of Top Gun and will respect anyone who can quote it like the Koran. He enjoys his morning and midnight swims and his solo adventures, driving, bird watching or climbing. With a guitar in his hand as he serenades Tambo with classical melodies or with a cuppa as he lies in his hammock, Tristan is a happy wren. You may think he is calm and composed until you hear his freestyling beats and see his break dancing moves. Yes, perhaps he is more of a willy wagtail more than a fairy wren. We will forgive his South Australian accent and his mispronunciation of every word with an “a” in it (as he dances in castles) and say ‘what a legend’ and we look forward to this year with him! - by Raidy

Isaac Kervin-McDermott - Outdoor Leader Isaac is more than a double vowed five-letter noun. He is an experience not to be missed. So come one, come all. Roll up, roll up, come to Woll and witness our in-house skinny dipping, hitch-hiking shepherd. Isaac is a clown cartwheel followed by a whip crack. You’ll often find him in camp fire circles insisting that young people finish the songs they start or don’t start at all! Isaac’s top facial expressions are as follows; blue eyed-billabong-board shorts model (see right), the ugly egg flip glance, Eugene’s “Brown

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 4! sugar in your rice?” eye roll, the Sally “What are you eating now?” stare and the classic “Come on Sheep” look. Need a fence fixed? Ask Isaac. Need seven salted sausages eaten at 1am? Ask Isaac. Need a cryptic letter written in intensely messy handwriting from the voice of an animal? Isaac. UK accents? Isaac. Parkour off the homestead roof? He’s ya man. The first 21 notes of Dueling Banjos. Isaac Kervin- McDermott. With size 11.5 feet, don’t waste your time offering him sweet rice porridge for breakfast, give Isaac a vegemite cheese toastie! This old-school, Yarravillian displays a Broadmeadows–esque edge whilst wielding any sharp blade. Be it dressing hair, applying radial reducing chainsaw cuts to a fallen old yellow box, or ending the struggle of a dying sheep, Isaac has enough skills pouring from his luscious curly locks to keep a person, young, medium or big engaged for millennia. With a beautiful temperament and well regulated body temperature, Isaac handles his Woll 2016 job areas with ownership and pride. As for mentioned, Isaac is our resident shepherd. He has retrieved three flocks of run-aways already this year. Isaac has years of Wollangarra experience under his leather belt. It all began with a Stage I holiday program six years ago and since then he has racked up a billion courses. This makes Isaac not only stunningly good looking, but also an invaluable wealth of goodness for us newbies. If you can’t handle Isaac at his diddliest, then you sure don’t deserve him at his doodliest. - by Gemma

Claire Mosley - Outdoor Assistant/ Administration Assistant What can be said about this year’s Newsletter editor without being censored? Well, Claire is ****** if ever she is ****** whilst wearing long woollen socks & gumboots. With tertiary qualifications in teaching, Claire brings a wealth of knowledge for providing educative value into Woll’s courses. Mainstream teaching styles are not for Claire though, so she has been discovering other ways of enriching the lives of young people. Certainly it was no accident that Claire and Wollangarra were one day to meet! Having attended various events at Woll over the last year, Claire arrived with a strong sense of appreciation of the mission and the values that this community shares. Claire is no stranger to adventure, which is a key quality for staff here at Woll. She has even ridden her bike between Adelaide and Melbourne! At the same time, Claire is nurturing and kind and has been known to put together food bags for other staff when they go on solo expeditions. She can often be heard caressing the sky with the sweet tones of her melodic voice or seen writing letters, painting or lovingly preparing a feast as hypotonic aromas draw you into the Woll kitchen. Luckily, Claire also has a knack for being organised, which balances out the group. Often wobbly in the mornings, by afternoon you will see her dancing, singing and shouting! - by Tristan

GARDEN PARTY 2016 10-11th of September We know it’s a while away but this is just a heads up that the annual Spring Garden Party is happening this spring! A chance to give a big chunk of love to the Wollangarra garden to ensure oodles of delicious veggies for the months to follow. Give us a call (03) 5148 0492 closer to the date to let us know if you’re keen. Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 5! Staff Training

Staff Hike aid training, which we found to be an invaluable and empowering experience. So much so that Staff hike training took us to Burgoyne’s Hut, we all now jump over each other to attend to Hickey’s Creek and finished with touch up track even the most minor of first-aid situations! We work on the contour track to continue the 2015 thank Wilderness First Aid Australia, the Stage II’s hard work. Mittagundi Staff Team, ex-staff & friends of Woll We ventured up to the high country to get to the for attendance and help. - by Tristan Wellington High Plains, through McFarlane’s Saddle, down through Maroka gap, Riggal’s Hut Site, Nigothoruk Creek, Millers Hut and back via Mount Wellington. We adventured to Bryce’s Gorge to check out the gorgeous views from Pieman’s and Conglomerate Falls and visited old Guy’s Hut which was looking well-kept. We are looking forward to sharing these places with all the Young People this year! - by Raidy

Rest break at Dunsmuirs’ Hut.

4WD and Chainsawing If you're not up for a noisy time in the bush, stay clear of any chainsaw or 4-Wheel-Drive courses run by Russell ‘Whitey' White. The decibels are through the roof! “If in doubt, go flat out!” “Don’t put that (golly) clutch in!” “Leave your foot on the (blimey) break!” These phrases could be heard flying from the Troopy windows though the lands of Glenfalloch for three beautiful bumpy days. The cacophony didn't stop there as the Wollies and Whitey donned chaps, high vis, armed Bronze Medallion themselves with mostly MS281 Stihl beasts, files and attractive Australian standard protective "Just swim around them!” announced Jean, the head gear to begin the safe removal of fallen swimming master, as she pointed to an array of trees. We all sawed through the three days with locals bobbing up and down in the Maffra pool. perfect 30 degree angles on sharpened Jean was assessing our swimming, coaxing and chainsaw teeth by the end. The final day, which floating abilities at the local pool. we allowed for chopping boards and book We zipped up and down the pool; weeks of holders crafting, ended all too soon and it was imagining the Macalister as a lap pool had paid with muscly biceps that we waved farewell to off. We aced the floating test, the various Whitey. Thanks for everything! Come back summersaults, strange dives and saving anytime and bring us fish! - by Gemma techniques and successfully passed with flying colours! - by Claire

First Aid Our Wollangarra staff team experienced a dreadful spate of emergency situations at the start of the year including snake bites, flying fox accidents, rickshaw accidents and even a late night car-crash with multiple casualties. Luckily, these incidents were all simulated during our first

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 6!

THE CITY BUSHDANCE (THE HOP) 2016 7pm, Saturday June 25 @ Fitzroy Town Hall Come along to a wondrous evening of bush dancing! There will be daggy dance competitions, great music, scrumptious food, mulled wine of course... all in the name of raising money for Wollangarra and Mittagundi Outdoor Education Centres. Bring your mates, bring your kids, bring your dancing boots! Don't forget to book your ticket... remember last year? Go to http://www.trybooking.com/HNOL and get in early! Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 7! What’s On The Flat? First it was the lace monitor, and now the sheep are doing it too! Although the lambs are nearly mutton, they are still small enough to fit through the chicken flap and into the chicken pen! Unless they are just practicing their reverse Houdini act, what cheek! Eight sheep actually did a Houdini on Isaac and disappeared off the flat for about a week before he had to go and fetch them. After a whole morning of calling “C’maaaaaaunnn sheep!” under rock, over river and round mountain, Isaac Shepherd, warrior, returned with blue eyes glistening behind his dusty, sweaty face, displaying a great mornings hard work! He found nine sheep, not eight. We got an extra one back for his good efforts. When we asked him how he returned them he couldn’t tell us. I think it must have been his deep connection to the sheep that led him to them and their deep connection to him that inspired them to follow him home again. I think they missed him Sally the Goat devouring another as much as he missed patch of blackberries. them. Claire Bear, our maestro food orderer, asked for one bag of cumin and received 25kgs! Damn, cumin. Get your daily spiced porridge ration at Woll. We have had a complete vegetable sound system in our garden. Lettuce, spinach, basil, eggplant, cucumbers, beets, giant zucchinis, rocket and a plethora of pumpkins which seem to be slowly taking over the entire flat. Oh, and not to mention the delicious bounty of tomatoes which has come to an end. They could barely make it out of the garden without being munched on. Gemma’s top tip is to brush teeth prior to gardening to prevent temptation. Sally the Goat’s favourite flavours this year have included sunflowers and artichoke flowers fresh from the garden. She accompanied her eating habits whilst casually leaning on the fence and falling clumsily with sunflowers in her mouth. - By Rita Stage I News Wowee. Six groups of Sacred Heart Girls have been initiated into the ways of Woll in the last few months. I could also say that the six Wollies have been initiated into the ways of Sacred Heart. During their time, each group delved into the bush, hiking in and around Burgoyne’s Hut and Hickey’s Creek. The girls did a stellar job walking in the mighty heat wave in the weeks leading into Labour Day Weekend,and earnt a decent amount of Macalister swims along the way. Amidst the heat, a range of seeding, planting, chook-tractoring, saw-dust collecting, cooking and singing was accomplished. The leaders learnt about Justin Bieber, braiding hair and songs about big booties and whips. Our first Holiday Stage I passed too quickly!. A small group of Newbies ventured out to lake Tali Karng to enjoy a range of misty, sunny and cloudy days. We have also enjoyed the company of a group from Plenty Valley and two groups from The Peninsula School. We look forward to the next Holiday Stage I with much excitement! - By Rita

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 8! Stage II News

The January Stage II program was a fun and rewarding week filled with great people doing fantastic things. Living in a diverse community for a week with other like-minded folk is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Sharing an adventure together was a great way to make some awesome new friends. As soon as we arrived at Woll we got right into it! We tied up tomatoes in the garden, made hummus in the ODK and had refreshing swims in the beautiful Macalister River. The majority of our program took place along the , where we worked with Parks to clean up the campsites along the river. This involved picking up rubbish, cleaning fire pits, and making camping a more enjoyable experience for the next group of people. The week was very hot, giving us the chance to have many swims in the Wellington River. We picked blackberries by the water-side and cooled down before getting back to work at the next campsite. It was great getting to know the leaders and fellow participants alike, learning about previous Woll experiences and adventures. It was wonderful to see the transformation of what was once a group of strangers coming together as a community of friends. This Stage II was an amazing, rewarding week which brought out the grateful, positive, fantastic sides of everyone involved. - By Leonard Curmi (Stage IIer). The April Stage II headed up to the Wellington High Plains with the goal of working on the Gillios Track down to Lake Tali Karng which was becoming overgrown. Two groups headed out in amazing autumn sunshine for the Nyimba Camp-Nigothuruk Creek area, tools in hand and packs on backs. With Rita and Gemma away for the week doing their first aid course, two helpers - Hugo and Clemmie - came to the rescue to bring a bunch more shenanigans to the group, alongside the staff. Tiles were laid to help Parks Victoria monitor the very rare Alpine She-Oak Skink, shrub and scrub was cleared back along Gillios Track to allow easier access for walkers to the remote, but stunningly beautiful Lake Tali Karng, tricks were played on each others campsites, and there was even a concerted effort to clear-off the overgrown Spion Kopje summit track. However, eventually rain, mist and a cold front caught up with the group and with it went the chances of a view too! The intrepid young people trekked out for a final-night roo-lasagne feast prepared by super- hero Monica Nitz, The April Stage II crew work it for the who was keeping camera. t h e h o m e f i r e s burning along with hubby-handyman Ross (thanks for fixing all our gates Ross!) and a good ol’ Macalister swim session. Thanks Stage II - another top-notch week in the mountains with ya’s! - Dan. Upcoming Stage II Programs July 3rd - 8th September 25th - 30th December 11th - 16th (Macalister River Gorge) (Moroka Gorge - waterfalls!) (Mt. Howitt - Mac Springs) Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 9! Stage III Page Stage III Calendar Dates For more information please go to the Hut, Cope Hut and Fitzys’ Hut before arriving at Stage III section of the Wollangarra Mittagundi for the festivities of the Pioneer Skills weekend. Along the way we climbed Mt Website or here: Feathertop, engaged in the customary alpine http://wollangarra.org.au/calendar frolic, and ran into friendly faces in the mountains. Dates Event For each of us, the trip was a significant learning experience, a mixture of inspiration and June 25 Stage III AGM and challenge that mountains reliably provide. committee meeting Together we witnessed impressive rainfall, sun, wind, fog and all weather conditions in-between; June 27 to 3 July Crazy Crinoline as well as the sun rising over an ocean of fog, (C)rumble Crew wedge-tailed eagles gliding from the June 27 to 8 July Skills and Builds (at Woll) mountaintops, and extraordinary shooting stars. - by Sarah Milford September 25 - 30 Jolly Sailor Pirate Work Party (Near Grant) April Stage III - Tour de Skink December 9 - 16 Gatta Gallop An elecltic bunch of Stage III, Woll staff and helpers headed up to the high country to give December 11 - 16 Stage III Induction and Parks Vic a hand in setting up a monitoring Flat Week program for the rare Alpine She-Oak Skink. After setting up camp near Guys’ Hut, the crew January 23 - 27, Stage III Flat Week headed up to the Howitt Plains to start the 2017 methodical task of dropping roofing tiles out along transects in likely habitat zones. After January Stage III gallivanting across snow grass plains for two days, the job was done and so we moved on to the next job on the list - moving gravel to fill in erosion spots around Thomastown. Well, let’s just say a flat battery and some miscommunication were minor hiccups, but we’ll be back another time to finish that one off! Plenty of Ninja was played, a super-cold dip in Shaws’ Creek at Thomastown was had, and quite a few new people got to experience either their first Stage III, or first time into the High Country, or both! Sorry for the lack of pictures from this trip, but Sophie made a pretty awesome video of the it all which you can find on the “Stage 3 Mountain Work Parties” Facebook page. Long live the January Stage III was spent walking from skink! Harrietville to Mittagundi across the Bogong High Plains. We met at Coburg station and drove to Next issue we’ll have articles on the Alpine Walk, Harrietville (via Bright for a swim in the Ovens Stage III Trivia Night, Tabberabbera Trackwork River) to stay at the Whittaker’s. The group was Traverse weekend and committee happenings, led by the trusty team Nico and Amy, and so stay tuned - but lot’s has been on for Stage III! included Fergus, Joshua, Lachlan, Charlotte, Oscar, and myself. We were backed up by Bob, who supported us by bringing encouragement, wisdom and treats (like bottled fruit) to Cope Hut. Before heading up Bungalow Spur, we started the hike at Ian and Liv’s, where we shared stories, laughter and food. From there, we spent the next five days walking through the mountains, going via Federation Hut, Weston Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 10! Births, Deaths & Marriages Da Sheep We sadly bid a final bah bah bah to 2 beautiful wooly lambs and 1 dashing dorper. They grazed the Woll flat much longer than I and to see them go brought salt to our eyes. One taken by tumour, the other an unexpected heart attack and finally a snake bite. R.I.P our furry fuzzy friends.

Robbo Picture a fiery skinning West Australian sun red like spring time callistemon bursting over the ocean deep. That was the brilliant colour of our dear lost friend Robbo. The scarlet robin. In our lives for 24 hrs, in our hearts forever.

Orpheus Your eggs nourished us and young people through omelets and frittata. We will miss your magic and mysterious ways. Keep on cluckin! The Lemon Tree (near veggie garden) – Fungus and ring bark death due to over composting dump.

Josh and Lou's Wedding Josh and I met and fell in love when working together at Woll in 2012. Four years later, we got married under a beautiful gum tree next to Valencia Creek, just down the road from where Josh grew up on a bush block in Briagolong. We were surrounded by our motley, loving community, including those we had the pleasure of working with in 2012: Gabi Bridge was my bridesmaid, Hamish Macrae witnessed our signing of the marriage certificate, Lisa O'Donnell read a passage of 'The Education of Little Tree' during our ceremony and Paul Nichol and Aly made endless, yummy pancakes on the Sunday morning. We were blessed to have Al Macrae as our celebrant. The weekend was perfect in every way. We'd love to thank the Rose family (Gary from Briag Bush Band) who let us use their paddock for the wedding and for the amazing bush dancing music! Our year at Wollangarra shaped us strongly as individuals and as a couple and our wedding was an incredible celebration of all those things, especially, the love of the bush, the love of working together simply and the love of bush dancing with wonderful, generous people. Thank you and may people continue to fall in love with each other and the mountains at our special Wollangarra. - By Lou.

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 11! Health Tips from Tambo My day begins with 3 - 4 downward dogs and 1 – 2 doggy squats. Following my much needed stretches I lick the closest ear for 2 – 3 minutes. I like to include interval training throughout the day. I begin with 3 aimless laps to no-where in particular. During this time, I check on the sheep and gauge their fear levels, bow to Sally, test a couple of mattresses for comfortability rating and suss out where all the other ears (especially Claire’s left) and noses are. Following this I zip down to the Macalister and swim around 4 - 11 laps depending on how my body is feeling. I give myself a short rest while my human brothers and sisters begin their busy days. To shake it up I generally lie in a range of places across the flat. I also like to throw in a few jumps on fence posts, fences or tree stumps. Sometimes even a human! I like to take it slow in the evenings, I might nibble on a bone or some leftover roast lamb fat or a handful of dog kiblets. I usually wait till everyone else’s asleep before I rest my head. I always make sure I get a solid sleep to maximise my energy the next day! – Tambo

Fruit Bottling There was much anticipation about this years fruit bottling. Back to back with our first Stage II, we had a hearty crew of Stage II’ers, Monica and Francis (A.K.A Chutney Queen) and many other eager faces. The Outdoor Kitchen erupted into a potion den, with a production line with choppers, mixers, bottlers and of course the punny pact of punners. If you listened carefully enough, you may even have heard the whispery discussions about what really makes the best Chutney. At the end of the day we had churned out 149 jars of preserves, 42 jars of jam, 44 jars of pasta sauce, and 132 jars of chutney. Totalling 367 jars. The wonderful Bradys got onto the ripening apricot tree earlier in January and created 24 jars of jam, 29 jars of preserves plus 12 jars of plums and 13 jars of chutney. Combined, we have a pretty epic stash to munch on preserved peaches and strawberry jam in the depths of winter! (Not to mention that there were over 100 people at Woll over that weekend! - editor).

ANZAC Day Weekend Workparty With over 35 turning up over the long weekend, we powered into a ton of jobs about the flat. From gardening, to fencing on the bottom flat, duck pen building, waterproofing ALL the tents and boots and painting in the Outdoor Kitchen, plus there was also a Stage III group in the mountains! A big weekend!

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 12! Calendar Dates

For more information please visit: http://wollangarra.org.au/calendar

Dates Event Further Details June 25 The Hop! Bush Dance fundraiser in Melbourne June 27 to 1 July Holiday Stage I Stage I Meeting The Mountains

July 3 - 8 July Stage II Stage II Helping The Mountains September 10 - 11 Garden Party Get your hands satisfyingly dirty! September 19 - 23 Holiday Stage I Stage I Meeting The Mountains September 26 - 30 September Stage II Get your forms in, this will fill up quickly! October 1 - 2 Open Day Weekend Our biggest event of the year! October 29 to 1 November Melbourne Cup Weekend Much better than watching horses run, Work Party we promise. December 2 - 4 Folk, Rhythm and Life! Festival - Eldorado. Woll runs a fundraising BBQ there & needs a hand. December 11 - 16 December Stage II Get your forms in, this will fill up quickly!

January 6 - 8, 2017 Mittagundi Pioneer Skills Mittagundi’s Open Weekend. Come see Weekend and Bush Dance the other half of the story! January 23 - 27, 2017 January Stage II T.B.C. January 26 - 29, 2017 Fruit Bottling Weekend Filling the larder with the summer fruits! Wish List We are constantly after bits and pieces to keep Wollangarra functioning. If you would be kind enough to help us obtain a few of these items we would be forever grateful!

• Chickenwire with smaller hole diameters (keep • Star pickets - lots! goannas out!) • Coloured cardboard for making cards • Small drill bits • Head torches for the gear store • Paint brushes (1/2 inch, 1 inch, 4 inch width) • Hiking Boots Mens Sizes 6,7,8 • Rake Hoes x 2 • Old style metal seat belts x 2 (for the Fox) • Hacksaws x 2 • Plastic-headed leaf rakes • Young People for Holiday Stage 1 Programs! • Solid dry bags for hike kits • Candles • 2 inch ball valves • Small (1L) metho bottles for hiking • Home and garden plumbing gear • Linseed Oil for tool handles • Passata Jars and Lids for Tomato Bottling 2017 • “G” Clamps • Letter writing paper • Telstra Rope (100+ metres) • Coloured paints for outdoor use • Dog and Chain (fence tensioners) • Single-bed fitted sheets for the bunk rooms • Fencing gear and tools • Someone nearby in Gippsland to agist six of our • Bootlaces (long) 2015 lambs while they fatten up for the freezer, • Solar Dehydrator before next summer there will be lamb in it for you… • Neatsfoot oil • Someone to seek a donation from an Australian • Guitar Strings and Tabs tool wooden-handle company in time for next years’ Woodchop, as they’re expensive! • Potted up mediterranean herb cuttings Fruit tree donations/donations for fruit trees • Rechargeable AAA batteries • (speak to Dan) - especially citrus. • Hatchets Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 13!

Woll is looking for someone to undertake an environmental management plan for the Tussocky Flat Tussocky Flat, on the other side of the river from Woll, actually has more land belonging to Woll than the Wollangarra side! Traditionally the home of the Directors, we’re looking to create a guiding plan for it’s long-term management. Years ago, one was created for the Wollangarra Flat and this is still used and updated regularly. This would ideally suit a u n i v e r s i t y o r TA F E s t u d e n t o f l a n d management or environmental sciences, looking to deepen their knowledge of creating environmental management plans, working with stakeholders and who’s just a little bit keen on Woll (because you get to spend more time up here working it all out!). Bonus if you get to use this as an assignment! Areas that the plan will need to address includes “Tussocky” - the small house on the Flat, fire management, weeds, erosion, waterways, pest animals, timber harvesting and the large area of land going up the spur that will be managed for conservation. Give Woll a call (03) 5148 0492 and have a yarn to Dan if you’re keen. Thank You To… Chryp, Paul and Thommo Whiley - Hay, plant Neil and James Ritchie from Wilderness First cuttings, hospitality, flat help, gathering from Op- Aid Australia - training the staff & bad medical Shops heaps of bits & bods that we need, puns. organising the fixing of Wazza the tractor &various Lucy Fallon, Claire Hazlewood, Sam Wilcock, trailers, everything else & years of help on Woll Laura Hogan and Morgan Roney - cooking during council, now stepping down. (Well, maybe Thommo Wilderness First Aid & being excellent actors. wasn’t on Council…) Whitey (From Forestech Training) - Training the Aleks Svazas - Long-term council member legend, Wollies to use a chainsaw & 4WD safely, bringing now stepping down. us fish & having a mad Mo. Wayne, Bev and Kirsty McCallum - Fire training, Mittagundi Staff - For their company. delicious meals , storing our meat & dog advice Dannica Shaw - Hot Cross buns & organising Timbertop and Deno - Gear store donations Stage II & III activities with Parks Vic. (Boots & Stage III tents). Jake Ginnovin - Fencing expertise. Jodie Steel - Thermals & woollens donation (plus mad skills on the financials). Richard Bold - Blacksmithing demo & wicked skills at Fruit Bottling. Monica and Ross Nitz - Fruit Bottling Expertise, running the Flat during April Stage II & managing Olly Wright - Woodside Beach house for a the massive Alpine Walk Dinner evening. weekend & heaps of time into Woll web stuff. Francis (Chutney Queen) Grundy - Fruit Bottling June Medew - Hand knitted mittens for the Gear Expertise & updating the Fruit Bottling Bible Store. John and Hazel Brady & kids - Fruit Bottling Lachy Train - Building stylish styles, owning Kuta expertise, babysitting over New Years & doing a ton & being ok with being constantly roped into fencing of overdue Woll jobs. jobs every time he comes up! Mossy and Rory Brady - Cubby house Ralph - Fixing the gas stove & weather warnings. extraordinaries. James Black (Stage III) - Making peg bags & Family de Kersmaker - Babysitting Tussocky over general handy skills with the sewing machine Christmas and doing fire prep work over there. Gary (Scratch) from Maffra Poly & Pumps - Family O’Donahue - Babysitting Woll over Chrissie Fixing the pump whilst under the pump. Paul Nicol - Swift Water Rescue & river crossing “Conradical” Conrad Mckee- Red couches and training. 4WD safety gear donations, doing a ton of Tussocky Flat & house work & taking Isaac & Raidy Jean Kemp of Kemp Aquatics - Bronze on a crazy Crinoline Mission. Legend. Swimming assessment fun times. Suz Christenson - Staff conflict resolution training. Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016 Page 14! Thank You To… Anthie Emmanuel - Staff mental health training. Andrew “Foss” Ellis - amazing help with our first Amber and John - Babysitting. course. Lucy, Steve and kids - Babysitting. Hugo & Clemmie (now known as Clugo) - Being a huge help over the busy April holiday Lachie, Oli, Adam and Marlo - Visits and programs. laughs. Nic Heggie, Finn Bowles, Sarah Morgan Roney - Making rad hankies for Herkess - Helping on programs over the the staff (& making sure Isaac keeps his last few months. room clean!) Audrey Caillot - Our awesome French Jamie Caffrey - leading the way on the friend who came for a few days & stayed recent ODK building efforts. for a few weeks! Michael “Six” Caffrey - Alpine Walk Ros Skewes - Helping us out over three Leader 2016. Huge amount of time programs & being a hiking machine. towards those young people. Amelia and Mardi - doing work Aiden Ellens, Alex Keeble, Bernadette experience with us & being a big help. Nitz, Emma Ward and Seren Owen - Undertaking the Alpine Walk & associated Blair McCallum - doing a big weekend fundraising. Legends. on the saw over at Tussocky. Everyone - that donated to the 2016 Alpine Bob and Dulcie Andrew - an amazing annual Walkers: thanks for helping other young people get donation that arrived just in time to get us through a into the mountains! costly machinery breakdown - thank you so much! Mittagundi - Getting the Alpine Walkers off to a Carrillo Gantner - A donation in memory of his good start & Andy for backing the walk up. mother, Mrs Neilma Gantner, one year passed, who was herself a regular donator to Woll. Neaves—Mirams Family - Delicious treats, letting us take over your lounge room when we visit. Heyfield Lions Club - donation towards the Outdoor Kitchen building fund, being ongoing Heyfield Resource Centre - Being our electronic legends! “office” & letting us use your internet, printer, copier, laminator & fax machines, & letting Dan stay in AM and KM Gibson - donation - thank you! there until ridiculous o’clock getting admin done. Pete Abikhair - donation, hospitality, Tambo-sitting. Josie McLachlan - Being an amazing Woll 2015 Tim Smith - letting us stay at his place for a few Business Manager & handling the bulk of our nights whilst in Shepparton for driver training. massive ATAP (Australian Tourism Accreditation Nico (and Sarah) - babysitting whilst we went to Program) application - which is a really huge thing! The Crossing pre-Woodchop & sticking around into Josie, Simmo, Tommo and (F)Inny McLachlan - Feb 2016 to help train this years’ staff. Keeping Dan sane by offering a place to relax and Lucy Fallon - sticking around into Feb 2016 to for having platypus in your dam. support this years’ staff. To the mystery person - who left 30L of Olive Oil Tess Salmon - making lots of polar fleece warm in our letter box. Ta. gear for the bunk rooms and gear store when we Laziza Hawkins - Oil-skin Japara donation (it fits needed it. like a glove - Dan). The Wollangarra Council - for always having Matti Lanigan - Jam donation & great chats Woll’s back. Sam Wilcock - Help leading the Jan Stage II

Wollangarra Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2016