“Give me a home among the gumtree’s … with lots of plum tree’s … A dog or 2 and a bbq. Clothesline out the back … verandah out the front and an old rockin’ chair! ” (John Williamson – google it!)
How can it be … that this Monday we are leaving.
We’re leaving our Nannup farm-sit after almost 7 weeks of total bliss!
Each day I put out my intention to write a post and share this experience, and each day the sweet smell of the gums, mixed with the perfect tone of the bird’s song seduced me into a self-induced coma of complete and utter relaxation. Almost 7 weeks of it, lucky lucky us!
So how’d we end up out here – in the middle of the Aussie bush – a LONG drive from the seaside, and for almost 2 months? Well, when we arrived in Busselton, my sister flippantly mentioned that a couple of her close friends were off to Europe and we were looking after their property. I think she got me on the tail end of a few glasses of bubbly because I recall flicking my hand about and replying ‘yeah.. sure, we’d love that!’ Apparently that discussion dissolved in my mind as quickly as the bubbles in my mouth because, before I knew it, lunch was organised and we were off to Nannup to meet the owners. ‘Huh, did I agree to this? And 7 weeks, really? That’s a very long time away from our perfect porch, are you sure I agreed to this?’ Well … as it goes, I did as I was told and went along, and 5 minutes into lunch I was hooked. ‘but only 7 weeks?’
I left that day feeling so excited. There were chickens and ducks, even a goose. AND there was a dog! How perfect for us to have a dog to adopt for a few months – and she was just lovely! On that first visit the kids stayed relatively close, but I could see the scope for so much creative play. Bush bush and more bush, wide-open space!
I couldn’t wait for the day that we would arrive for our stay.
Each morning I hear the chitter chatter of my 2 darlings as they’re pulling on their gumboots, they’re off to the chicken pen, scrap bin in hand. A little later I hear them trumpeting down the driveway, chicken bin exchanged for a sword and shield, they’re heading for their newly discovered kingdom of ‘Merrybithia’ where dragons and goblins create havoc – but never fear – Princess Deni and Knight Jedi are here to protect the Kingdom of Merrybithia (which is about 15 meters up the driveway, a sharp turn right and head into the thick of the bush) My heart soars as I watch their little imaginations running wild and free. Each day they play until there’s no daylight left. They wander in, usually covered in mud – their hair littered with leaves and sticks and sand, their little faces filthy dirty – their eyes shining. And I look at them, the thoughts of baths and dirty laundry quickly evaporate into the overwhelming knowledge that this is what childhood memories are made of. They’ve never looked so gorgeous and I’m so so grateful.
To add to their adventure, they sleep in a little caravan just past where the cars are parked. It’s perfect, close enough to us, but far enough to challenge them a little. I must admit, I did wonder if they would exchange the caravan for the fold out bed in the office (in the main house) but seems there’s truth in the saying ‘safety in numbers’, and I think that goes for courage too – it gets stronger in pairs, lucky there’s two of them.
Everywhere I look I see beauty, and creativity, and fun!
This little piece of paradise is full of great spaces. Everywhere you look there’s little treasures peeking out of every nook and cranny. The main house is warm and cosy with bookcases lining the walls. A big slow combustion fireplace adds to the country charm. It certainly helps that the owners have their own unique style. It’s an artistic, interesting and eclectic mix of all things that go into making a piece of land and a house a home full of love and memories. And it’s lovely to be surrounded in this for a while.
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