A Magical Off-Grid Life in the Australian Wilderness

On the verge of summer, everything is dripping in golden light. The weather warms up very quickly, and a magical feeling of awakening of all creatures descends by the water. On these hot spring days, I begin my day with a swim, before moving the sheep to a fresh field. The refreshing water prepares me for the hot day ahead. We are two sisters, Julia and Anastasia. And this is our home in Bundgalung, in the Australian rainforest. We learn how to grow food, take care of animals and one day. Living self sustainably. Living with the Earth has made us adjust the way we think. We are taught to respect the land and not to own it; To respect her, learn from her, and take care of her. We have learned to exist within the systems of nature. As one with snakes, goblin, trees, weeds, insects...and take care of them as if they were our own family.

  While we live here, we have an obligation to nurture and nurture the Earth as it cares for and nurtures us. It has become a ritual to climb this tree almost every day and sit among the ferns on its huge leaning trunk. I feel so peaceful here, listening to the summer frogs, watching the dragonflies play on the tulip grass, and the kingfisher dive to catch fish. Now it's time to move the sheep. Greeting each of these naughty fluff balls always makes me smile. These animals are all part of nature's meaningful systems. We care about them, they care about the Earth and the Earth takes care of us. Everything is circular and comes down to love, care and respect. We are all a small part of something much bigger than us. Our little interactions with each other and nature mean more than we could ever imagine. We always know where to grow fresh fruit because the sheep scurry around so fast to nibble on any fallen fruit!

  This helps us avoid fruit flies, because with the help of sheep, there is no fallen fruit left on the ground for the flies to multiply. On the way home there is a huge guana! It's the biggest one I've ever seen. They are these big, amazing, and terrifying lizards. Although they are very scary, we have learned to live with them and understand that they are just as much a part of the natural system as everyone else. They've been here forever. The koraung must have a nest in these trees and try to pounce on the gauana! The nature is incredible... I'm going to run through a goanna tree but there is only a small path so I'm going to run as fast as I can! On my way home through the rainforest, I noticed the most amazing green tree snake climbing a tree fern. They have no fangs or venom and cool off all day as they play in the trees or warm themselves on hot rocks.

  The black succulent has been ripening since we picked it last week. It's the creamiest fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding, it's my favorite light breakfast treat. Every week we try to plant a tree. It feels like a special way we can give back to the earth. We are very grateful to our pioneers whose support helps us do this. I got tired after digging the hole, so I lay down and cuddled up with the ducks. As the afternoon falls, a massive storm rolls in. This is the land of the Arakwal and Menjungpal people of the Bundjalung nation. Renewable living, farming and sustainable farming practices owe their roots and theories to indigenous knowledge - and have been practiced by indigenous people around the world for many years. We acknowledge the traditional guardians of the country in which we live, and acknowledge their continued connection to land and water. We thank them for protecting this rainforest and its ecosystems since time immemorial.

  There is such a big storm right now! Looks like there will be a hail! So we've got all the ducks away, and now we're just trying to keep the goats away! The next day after the storm, the earth is very grateful for the rain. At this time of year everything is pretty dry so we really appreciate the rain. After that, the grass instantly turns bright green, the air is fresher and the leaves of each tree look much lighter. Everything seems to be growing, and your new olive tree will be very happy! The mulberry tree is very heavy with fruit. They are very tasty straight from the tree, and at this time of year everyone in the neighborhood visits the mulberry trees, gathers the fruit to bake pies or the children sit in the branches eating and playing. When we see neighbors, they often have bright pink spots around their smile. Scout and duck sweet momma loves berries very much. They also wear funny smudged lipstick this time of year!

  Goats love the leaves of the mulberry tree so we give them a special treat too. They nibble on it all day long. They are rich in protein and nutrition and act as natural worms! I'm going to try fermenting these cilantro seeds, maybe into a pickle, or maybe into sauerkraut. Not sure, we'll see. Maybe Cloud will eat them all first! The tomato garden is pretty full at the moment! They are very juicy and fresh. I'm going to the studio to sew, but first I make fresh pasta for lunch, from zucchini with tomato sauce and rosemary. So I actually started sewing ages ago, and then when I started making the duck house, I didn't have time for that, so I left it. And now I have half finished on top and I'm so excited because it's really beautiful, and I can't wait to finish it! It's already over! Only a few more seams left and then I'll get back to it. It is made of old embroidered tablecloths and bedspreads that are all hand-embroidered, and its details are very beautiful.

  But they had little stains and things like that so I'm remaking them. This is from a very good quality old bed sheet because it is one of those old ones that used to be great. And then this, I think I'm going to use this old tape from the 70's and it's so pretty. Thanks so much for watching and joining us on our journey. And a special thanks to our customers whose support means everything to us