Sustainable Living/ Transition towns and the Future

Recently I spent all day in Woodbridge; a tiny little place about 15 minutes drive from Cygnet. The day was organised by a very enthusiastic and energetic sustainable living group to discuss where to from here. This coast is breathtakingly beautiful and attracts people looking for those things in life that are priceless - space, community, sharing, .... you know the deal....

Tasmania is decentralised. This means that the population is not all huddled in the capital, Hobart, but spread pretty evenly all over most of the state. A tiny place like Woodbridge can therefore be treated as equal to any other community in Tasmania. To me, who has always lived in Adelaide-centric South Australia, this is a revelation and is similar to European countries like France. People came from about a 15km radius around Woodbridge, mostly from what is known as The Southern Channel area.

Woodbridge has a small general store and that's its only retail outlet. But it has surprisingly large primary and secondary schools and a very well-equipped community centre. Another thing about this part of Tasmania which is different to my experience of Adelaide, is that there are lots of young families here as well as old farts like me; in other words, it is ripe for reaping the skills of both youth and wisdom! Lets hope the youth hop over to my place from time to time to help with all my projects.

I went just to listen ..... and of course I ended up with my hand in the air, wanting to be a part of several groups at once. Why is it I cannot help leaping about with enthusiasm when with like-minded people?? Anyway, the upshot is that I am going to be a part of organising the growers' group who have already made a great start in things like CSA (community sponsored agriculture), linking growers and consumers; helping run a school food garden; applying for grants to help to turn ideas into realities.... and so much more.

It was there that I met up with Babs again and she invited me around to see her garden. Wow..... and I thought my place was great; now I am green with envy! Look at that glass house and the raspberries she picked in about 5 minutes..... while I picked lemons from the other side of the glasshouse. I was so overawed with it all that I forgot to go on taking photos! But I did take several of Eden and the prettiest goats I have ever seen. Babs is going to be one of my new garden group and guess what? Four of us are starting this week, at my place..... on Wednesday!