View
0
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
Number 89, 2012
www.wollangarra.org.au
Ph 5148 0492
Wollangarra
Licola 3858
Patron: John Landy,
AC, MBE
A u t u m n N e w s l e t t e r
Stage III Trivia Night
Saturday 24th March, 7 - 11 pm. Brunswick Uniting Church, 211 Sydney Road Brunswick
Bring along your friends and family for a fun evening of trivia and games.
There will be a silent auction and lots of prizes to be won.
Look for the ‘Wollangarra Stage III Trivia Night’ event on Facebook or call us
for more information!
“A cup of tea without a biscuit is a missed opportunity," I was
once told. Well...we can be safe in saying that there aren’t too
many missed opportunities at Wollangarra. We could go even
further and say that not only do we get to enjoy tea with a biscuit,
but we get the joy of great company as well.
The Flat has been chock a block full of great company this Sum-
mer. January kicked off with six
new Wollangarra staff members;
Gabrielle, Meg, Lou, Hamish,
Josh and Paul. It’s exciting to
have these guys with us and we
thank them already for throwing
themselves in there and opening
their hearts up to all that
Wollangarra is and can be. We
love the different ideas and fla-
vours that each staff group
bring. So far we have been intro-
duced to cucumber jam, quirky
triathalons, plum cake and dul-
cet tunes from ‘The Shredders’.
The staff have also taken on the
challenge of putting zucchini
into almost every meal; I just
wish that they could disguise it a
little bit better at times! It has
been great getting to know them, sharing this wonderful time of
year on the Flat together, and loking forward to all that the year
will bring.
January has become a busy time on the Flat and up in the moun-
tains for our young people. Fruit Bottling brought in a huge mob of
fantastic company and, once again, no missed opportunities. It
was a weekend bustling with energy and giggles, focused yet re-
laxed. Not only did we bottle and store fruit, jams, pickles and
chutneys to keep us going through the year, but summery memo-
ries to look back on and sustain us through the long winter.
The outdoor kitchen renovations have made an awesome impact
to life on the flat. The privilege of building something and seeing it
evolve right in front of your eyes is a rare treat. I feel lucky to
know the story behind each of the materials used for this project
and also to have spent time with
each of the people that have been
involved in the building process.
Thanks for your energy and help.
Late summer and early autumn is a
time of training for the new staff at
Wollangarra. We are very fortu-
nate during this time for the myriad
of people that put their hands up to
get involved and even bring the
training right onto the Flat.
Thanks to all of those people that
have helped us out this year and
that are about to help us out this
year. We have enjoyed the many
visitors and the cups of teas and
goodies shared. Now we just need
to be sure to not let the Wollan-
garra wobbles take over!
We are incredibly lucky to be the caretakers of Wollangarra for
another year. There are not many places in the world in which
such special people visit so regularly and give of themselves so
generously. Whilst we may live very simply at Wollangarra our
lives are rich and all the better for having spent time here.
We look forward to seeing you for a visit this year and sharing a
cup of tea and maybe even a biscuit. - Lisa.
This year’s crew enjoy some sunshine
P A G E 2 W O L L A N G A R R A A U T U M N N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 2
Meet the 2012 Staff
Ten Things I Hate about Gabrielle Bridge
I hate the way she’s a country girl and comes from Yackandandah
I hate the way she looks after the sheep and likes to clean the verandah
I hate the way she abbreviates Yackandandah to Yack
I hate the way she swims nearly every day in the Mac
I hate the way she has freckles, and that her hair is red
I hate the way she grows so many luscious veggies in the garden bed
I hate the way she always sings so fast and so high
I hate the way she’s willing to give swift water, 4WD and chain-sawing a try
I hate the way she has the hots for Frodo Baggins and for Snape
I hate the way I think she will forever be my mate
I hate the way she is like a sister to me, and what a bloody good year it’s going to be
I hate the way all these things I say that I abhor
Are really things that I really, truly, from the bottom of my heart adore. - Louise.
Introducing Hamish Macrae
Hamish is something of a Wollangarra veteran, first visiting in 2004 as a young
person. Even though he may get lost in Heyfield his bush navigation skills are his
saving grace, as well as his excellent foot dancing abilities and musical talents.
Hamish spent most of last year as a leader at an Outdoor Ed camp in Scotland,
preparing him well for the potentially wet and cold conditions of the Australian
Alps. - Meg.
Who’s This?
She was born in the Charlton Bush Nursing hospital, to parents David and Jenny. She grew
up on a crop farm with three brothers.
She has lived a wonderful life full of different experiences, people, places and jobs all around
the world.
She can be found early in the morning practicing yoga or late in the afternoon strolling along
the riverbank.
She begins projects and finishes them, like destroying stinging nettles around orange trees
even when her hands go numb.
She loves learning new songs on the guitar and although she hasn’t played for very long she
picks things up quickly. She loves a mini session on the harmonica too.
When she has a task to complete she gets pretty focused, but if there is something to laugh
about, she lets out a huge contagious belly laugh to be heard from all around.
You can talk to her and ask her questions, she’s a good listener and can share her experienc-
es too. She is pretty content here at Woll and she reckons she’s gonna enjoy this year.
She is…Megan Cossar. - Josh.
Paul Nichol
Paul, our new Stage III facilitator, has ven-
tured to Woll this year from a very diverse
and interesting background. From riding
his bike around Australia to freelance out-
door-ed instructing and walking the Aus-
tralian Alps Walking Track, Paul has had
some awe-inspiring experiences through
which he has become a very knowledgea-
ble chap. He is full of get-up-and-go and
quirky ideas but is more famous for his
ability to give tips about almost anything
(check some out on page 7). Within a few
weeks of being at Woll he has already
rigged up a lightweight bed-frame on
wheels that we call ‘Paul the Great’. However this practicality
can also exert itself in pretty extreme ways.
Paul’s habit of cutting off any tiny thing that
doesn’t necessarily ‘need’ to be there, like tags,
excess straps and buttons is bordering on insane.
His poor pack is ridiculously bare, with almost
every attachment sacrificed in the name of being
light-weight. Paul has an uncanny ability to see
the simplest way of going about something. The
amusing peculiarity of Paul’s contraptions and
actions is also reflected in his sense of humour.
His array of different accents is pretty impressive
and he whips them out fairly regularly. Paul has
an eye for improvement and no doubt he’ll give
a lot to the Stage IIIs and Woll this year. He
comes accompanied by his fluffy black dog Hodgy. - Gabi.
P A G E 3 N U M B E R 8 9
Meet the 2012 Staff Josh Tucker—a top bloke
Born and bred as a local fella from Maffra, he has completed his Outdoor Education degree at Bendi-
go and worked up north in outback Queensland within Aboriginal communities. He worked for pro-
grams such as ‘Beyond Billabong’ and ‘Billabong to Beach,’ helping young Aboriginal people to im-
prove life skills to allow them to make better life choices and motivate them to have a positive life.
Josh is a man who anyone is happy to strike up a yarn with, as he has a great
sense of humour and team spirit. He can just about always put a smile on
your face and when you hear his cracker laugh from a distance, you can’t help
but join in with a good chuckle. - Paul.
Louise King
“Louise? Why would anyone in their right mind hire Louise?” I hear you ask.
Good question! We’re not sure!
Maybe it’s because since tagging along on a Burgoyne’s Hut work party back
in ‘09 she’s been a keen-as-mustard Stage IIIer, joining the committee as the Young Person Liason and attend-
ing loads of events. Maybe it’s because she loves her chooks so much that she sings them lullabies and hangs
up her dresses in their coop to scare away the goanna. Maybe because she introduces games like ‘Jungle
Speed’ and ‘Round and Round the Big Fat Pony’. Maybe it’s the inspired spontaneous song-writing skills.
Maybe it’s because she arrives full of ideas from a month at a community centre in Africa. Maybe it’s the dis-
tinctive laughter that can be heard from Licola, if the wind is right.
“Fair enough, I guess” I hear you reply. “Enjoy your year at Woll Louise!” you add. - Hamish.
Good spring rains and a warm summer have encouraged the wildlife to come out and play. Wombats, kookaburras, snakes, fish, butter-
flies and a goanna all call Woll home. It seems the only ones who
don’t want to stay are the sheep who keep our fencing skills up to
scratch. The garden and fruit trees have been bountiful, providing
colour and nutrition to many meals—tomatoes, zucchini, squash,
beans, beetroots, leeks, corn, plums and nectarines. The zucchinis
tend to hide under the foliage, sneakily growing into marrow mon-
sters! Apples and pumpkins are coming in now and we’re preparing
beds for winter planting. There were many contributors around the
flat during the Fruitbottling weekend: blackberry busting, flood water
diversion, fixing the Tussocky ford track, wood collection, water-
proofing gear and a summer weeds blitz in the garden. A few good
men also worked on the outdoor kitchen renovation, erecting the
mainstay beam and wall posts. Wollangarra and crew are humming
and looking forward to our first course of 2012. - Meg.
Around the Flat
Sponsor a Sleeper It's more than 22 years since Ian Stapleton set up Wollangarra, and all of a sudden we've got a great deal of maintenance, repairs and
renovations to undertake on the buildings.
Our current project involves extending and renovating the outdoor kitchen. The walls will be constructed using railway sleepers, in
keeping with the Wollangarra homestead. Our next project will be a renovation and extension of the tool/wood shed. All this work
will require 400 sleepers, and we need your support to get them! Help us out by choosing one of the sponsorship levels below, and
making a donation by cheque, money order or direct deposit.
Sleeper Sponsorship Levels:
Single Sleeper Sponsor: 1 Sleeper - $15
Bronze Sleeper Sponsor: 10 Sleepers - $150
Silver Sleeper Sponsor: 30 Sleepers - $450
Gold Sleeper Sponsor: 50 Sleepers - $750
Details of the Wollangarra Donations Account are on page 5 of this newsletter.
After having our destinies restored to us from the unforgiving hand of V/Line region-
al train services, a delicious lunch in the Heyfield park, the rambunctious ride in the troopies and the heartfelt civilities sent out to the inducting Stage IIIs as they left for
their hike, we, the Stage IIs of January 2012, stood awkwardly in the front paddock, collecting freckles in the hot afternoon sun. As my eyes met those of my friend Isaac,
we both knew what was coming; we were shocked to our very cores; what wonderful, nay, incredible luck we had! Here we were, with six other Stage IIs, all of whom had
either come to Wollangarra for the very first time, or were new from Stage I. They
were impressionable, and ready to faithfully do anything we asked, trusting our prior knowledge and charm. It would be an easy week.
Ha! Just kidding, we don’t really think like that. Needless to say, we were still excit-ed. New Stage IIs, a new year, new leaders, new challenges, new scars, new smells,
new accomplishments, and ever-more elaborate and inappropriate puns and campfire songs. Coupled with a few familiar faces which came in the form of Dan Abikhair
and Power Ranger Wayne, it was going to be cool.
The hike begun at Macalister Springs where we camped, so we could then explore Mt Howitt, and the Crosscut Saw. Track work on the path which led up to the Devil’s
Staircase Lookout was done with the sort of intensity and motivation of which I have never seen in new Stage IIs, and was quite inspiring. Reaching the summit of Mt
Howitt in an afternoon just proved that this group were ready to tackle anything. We were joined by an array of visitors: a chance encounter with Shaun and Six (local
Stage IIs) and their mothers, who set the pace for the walk in; Power Ranger Wayne
aiding with our track work activities on the second day; and a local supporter accom-panied by his six-year old son - the latter of the pair made us all feel very unfit, as he
ran the whole way along the Crosscut Saw. We had the traditional Thursday Night Dinner at Thomastown, a great car camping area equipped with its own watering
hole, whose ice cold mountain water has always gone down well with exhausted, dirt-incrusted Stage IIs as they make their slow journey back to Woll at the end of this
annual January hike.
All in all, it was a brilliant week, and one of the best I have experienced at Wollan-garra. I would like to thank the usual suspects - they know who they are, but especial-
ly Dan, Anneke and Tom who were nice enough to help out. I already know that 2012 will be an exciting year for everyone involved in the Wollangarra community,
and I wish you all the very best. - Hannah Lee.
P A G E 4 W O L L A N G A R R A A U T U M N N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 2
Staff Training
Our training over the last couple of months has included a bit of everything! A staff hike included burning sun, closely
followed by a pretty decent snowfall around Mac Springs
and Conglomerate Falls. We learned 4WD stall recoveries and not to ‘pussyfoot around like you’re giving your Nanna
a lift on Sunday morning’ with Russel White. We got into flattering wetsuits to learn about the behaviour of swift
water with Murray Tucker. We all headed up to Mittagun-di to learn our 1st Aid stuff with their staff, including Woll
alum Denno Bainger and Lucy Kervin-McDermott. There
we learned to run through DRSABCDE, including the AVPU scale to check LOC, SAMPLE history, OPQRST,
RICER therapy, to take HRs and RRs, survey the MOI, administer CPR, check CSMs, including SCTM, do a
BEAM lift and an FSA, check TOTAPS, diagnose UTIs, write PTRs, and give NSAIDs, and we are now fully quali-
fied WFA-ers. Around the flat, Chad and Lisa have been
introducing us to all our job areas. Now we totally know what we’re doing, ask us anything!
- Hamish.
January Stage II
Clockwise from top right: relaxing on Mount Buggery; hikinh
though an actual snowstorm!; amazing views on the Crosscut
Saw; Lucy shows off her scenario-wounds.
Stage III Induction
P A G E 5 N U M B E R 8 9
Sunshine, laughter and a great group of people...what more could you ask for when be-ginning a new chapter of your Wollangarra journey? Or should I say the opening chapter
for the three Mittagundi girls coming across. Our hike was a great way to get a feel for what Stage III and Wollangarra is really like. To establish that contrast and connection
between home, Woll and all that lies between. Throughout the journey to Woll we learnt about many things, including how to read the
clouds to see a) if there was a weather front coming in and b) to know how quickly it
was coming. We also learnt about everyone in our group and a bit of their background, where they are from and what Wollangarra really means to them. During our afternoon
at Burgoynes Hut we finished off the work of mortaring the window and door frames along with a relaxing float in the Macalister! We ended our induction with a de-brief in
the Mac and then made the final steps into Wollangarra, freshly inducted (Thanks Lu-ca!).
We would like to thank plain old borin’ old Paul, Denno, Cass & Karlee for being awe-
some leaders even though unfortunately Denno couldn’t walk with us. And another massive thank you to Karlee for the beautiful wake up calls - they are definitely not
something that we will forget in a hurry! And now the much awaited knowledge of who these inductees are: John, Jacob, Mae,
Maddie, Lydia, Luca, Bruce (Brooke) and Rhiannon. The Woll experience will stay with us! There may be a long time between visits but we
will always come back to Woll no matter where we end up. Once a Wollie always a
Wollie. - Rhiannon Hughes.
Sunset over a newly furnished Bourgoynes
Friends of Wollangarra,
We are currently in the process of extending the outdoor kitchen to accommodate a new commercial kitchen and large food storage
area. This will help us to comply with increasingly stringent OHS and food handling regulations and increase our capacity to cater for
large courses and events. But more importantly, it will mean we don’t have to store all of our bulk food in the office!
The major cost for the outdoor kitchen extension will be for a new stove. A Collins slow combustion double oven, the same as the one
in the homestead kitchen, will set us back $12,500. These stoves are made in Australia by a family run
company in Bairnsdale. To cover the cost of the stove, we are seeking 25 $500 donations. If $500 is a
bit much, we will gratefully accept smaller donations. Every little bit counts.
If you can help out, Wollangarra will gladly accept a donation by cheque, money order, or direct de-
posit. Here are the details of the Wollangarra Donations Account:
Bendigo Bank BSB: 633 108
Account Number: 108 986 746
If you are making a donation to the Stove Fund, please inform Will Ford by email
wford85@yahoo.com.au or phone 0421 817 631 to be included in a special newsletter article once we
have reached the fundraising target.
Alpine Walk
Anyone who’s driven from Wollangarra to Mittagundi knows it’s a long, fuel-guzzling
five-hour trip! In April this year, a group of young people from both centres will be do-
ing the same, but with only their boots to carry them, and only porridge, Vita-weats and
hike curry to fuel them!
Maeve Nunan, Arran Brady, Jacob O’Donohue, Jack Garton and Ellie Ware will be
leaving behind showers, phone reception, comfortable beds and microwaves for 11 days.
As well as all the amazing country they’ll get to see, and the friendships they’ll develop,
they’re doing it to raise money for Woll and Mitta, so how about giving them a sponsor-
ship?
Can you pitch in for a new outdoor kitchen stove?
Like this but bigger!
Fruitbottling 2012
P A G E 6 W O L L A N G A R R A A U T U M N N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 2
Here’s a puzzle that‘s been bending our brains recently:
Three Stage IIs have just had a brill weekend at Fruitbottling. They catch the bus from the front gate to Traralgon, which costs them
$10 each, $30 altogether. The bus is late, so they complain to Paul, who gives them a $5 refund. They decide to take $1 each, and give
the driver a $2 tip. So they paid $10 each, minus the $1 change: $9 each. 3 x 9 = $27, plus the $2 tip = $29. There were originally 30
dollars...where did the other dollar go?
I felt a little under the grill But people told me it was quite chill
So I took a breath and let it out It was Fruitbottling, what’s to worry about?
Stage I, II, III came by the busload For a journey down the fruity road
People came from miles away
Some even drove for all of that day But when they arrived there was always a smile
A happy nod, a chat for a while It didn’t take long for the beginning
Nothing really started without the singing Hud, hud, hud, hud, we started the day
Everyone felt stretched and was cutting away
Some worked lunch, jammed, or pickled Others manned the fox, gardened or sickled
The ODK was surely a highlight Seeing that beam lift to a height
The valley went dark, no stars came out We flocked to the campfire and sat about
The guitar got plucked, a voice so sweet
Round the campfire, we felt the beat I wonder what the young people will feel
Eating zucchini pickle for a mountain meal One of the 510 jars that we made
Will they taste the sweat and love inlaid? I tell you what, I feel it myself
I’ll be thinking now when I go to the shelf
Of the fruitbottling of 2012. - Josh.
A Wollangarra conundrum
Anti-clockwise from top left: some of the vacola crew;
chop chop chop; morning warm-ups; affixing the lids;
snags for everyone; most of the 2012 Fruitbbottling
crew; serving up the grub; fruit picking on the flat.
P A G E 7 N U M B E R 8 9
Paul’s Tips · Technique is important to save those joints in the long term. Walk with soft
feet, like the cat - don’t shock load your knees, and let your muscles absorb all the impact with a bit of spring in your step.
· If you’re planning to do something at Wollangarra that would usually take about an hour, allow three instead.
· When planning a trip always start with the people and the dates, this is a must, the rest will just happen.
· For a slopey camp site you will find the good old foam mat is a lot more grip-
py than one of those fancy new fangdangled inflation mats, and the foam mat is warmer, cheaper and just as lightweight. If the insole falls out of your shoe, cut up
your foamy to make a new one! When it comes to price the old foamy can’t be beat. The only drawbacks are that it’s a little less comfy when on hard ground, and the
foamy is a little bulky - but you won’t ever find it goes flat on you. · Hat flaps! If you haven’t heard of hat flaps then don’t worry because you
soon will. Hat flaps are the latest craze when it comes to outdoor gear, fashion or
protective clothing in the mountains. They can be
made out of the lower half of a thin op-shop shirt. You put
an elastic draw-cord in the bottom seam and hang it
from your head to keep the
sun off your neck ears and face.
· I also recommend sun gloves for walking in the
mountains. These can also be easily made from old shirts and the likes of.
· Never count on it not raining in the mountains.
March 24 Stage III Trivia Night
April 1-7 Stage III Hike/Work Party
April 2-6 Holiday Stage I—Meeting the Mountains
April 2-14 Alpine Walk
April 8-13 Holiday Stage II – Helping the Mountains
May 25-27 Work Party Weekend
June 9-11 Wood Chop
Calendar: March—June 2012 Need List
Duct tape
Wooden spoons
Shoe goo
Tent pegs
Star pickets
AA and AAA batteries
Mulch for veggie garden
Roofing nails
Railway sleepers
Permanent markers
Water bladders
Rat bait
Winter vegetable seeds
Pillows and single fitted sheets
Woodchop 2012
An event at which we chop wood.
Come up on the Queen’s Birthday
weekend, the 9th and 10th of June.
Bring your friends. If you don’t have
any friends, bring your mum!
Paul models his practical, flattering mountain fashions.
Have a look on our website for more work party dates.
If undeliverable, please return to:
Wollangarra
Licola 3858
Surface Mail Postage Paid
Australia
Print Post Approved PP 381667/00516
Tom, Anneke and Dan for leading the Jan
Stage II
Andrew ‘Foss’ Ellis for help leading up to
fruitbottling
Simmo for the work on the ford
Laurel for making heaps of pickles
Danni for helping with the chutney
Jake for supervising the swimming & stir-
ring the loos
Clare and Danni for all the great work on
the garden last year
Linda Nichol for the guitar
Ivan for chocolate and coffee
Robin Ford for the lovely ‘welcome’ flags
and corrugated iron
Conrad for a nice pair of boots
Timbertop for donating loads of useful gear
Sinead & crew for babysitting and getting
lots of jobs done
Brady family for the babysitting weekend
Mittagundi crew for hosting us during the
Wilderness First Aid training, and Lizzie,
Mez, Dan and Tim for wonderful cooking
Tim Benne and Neil Ritchie for brilliant
First Aid training
Murray Tucker for the Swift Water Rescue Training
Russel ‘Whitey’ White for teaching us the
capabilities of our troopies
John Colpo for ODK stirrups
Ian and Olivia for a lovely dinner
Tess and Will for heaps of Fruitbottling
help, and work on the new ODK
Al and Clare for bottling loads of jam and
cooking lunch
Tim Collins for two weeks of ODK work
Dylan Burns and John Brady for being part
of the vacola crew
Nicola Woodward for the fruit-chopping co-ordination
Brad and Jenny Woods for ODK work
and chutney brewing respectively
Al Katrivessis for manning a wheelbarrow
Ella and Bronwyn for delicious baking
Dave Cadogan for timber and corrugated
iron
Everyone who came to Fruitbottling for a
fun, productive weekend!
Thankyou to…
What a hunk of spunk!
12 Uses for a Giant Zucchini With a particularly good season for zucchinis this year, we’ve had to get creative to get through them all. Here are our suggestions for
that extra wheelbarrow of veggies you find hiding in the corner of the garden.
1. Club the Wollangarra Bunyip with one when he tries to steal chicken eggs.
2. Leave them in the unlocked car of a friend (or stranger).
3. Put one in a pram dressed like a baby and walk it down the street.
4. Use one instead of a log in a crosscut saw contest.
5. Fill the Wollangarra staff with joy at the very sight of them - a great gift.
6. Who needs a pumpkin at Halloween? Carve out one of these big boys.
7. Use one instead of a sheaf in a sheaf-tossing contest.
8. Hollow out the middle and take one canoeing down the Macalister.
9. Cut one into strips for a gentle and moist toileting experience.
10. Use one instead of porridge in a porridge-eating contest.
11. Lift our gigantic zucchinis each day, and you’ll soon earn a spot at the next
Olympics as a champion weight lifter, zucchini javelin thrower, zucchini shot put,
or in the synchronised zucchini wheelbarrowing team.
12. Oh and you can also cook them: on the barbie, in a pot, roasted on a stick in
the fire, in the oven, preserve them as a pickle or a chutney, make zucchini jam,
zucchini slice, zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini, zucchini dip, zucchini nutrient water, zucchini fritters, zucchini leather, zucchini choco-
late cake, zucchini pasta, zucchini soup, zucchini salad, zucchini smoothie, zucchini wedges, zucchini frittata, zucchini pilaf, zucchini
scones, zucchini chips...
Recommended