Since Christmas I have discovered a whole new paradise! Tasmania, aside from the battles with extensive logging and such, is a wonderland. So far I haven't seen much of the country, just basically the central north lands, an area of rolling pastures, rocky picturesque mountain outcrops, temperate rainforests, and a very laid back peaceful vibe. Since Tassie only has 500,000 or so residents and a quarter of them are in Hobart, there is so much open space. Many of the WWOOF hosts seem to own a hell of a lot of land. I went straight to host #3 after one night in Tasmania, several hundred acres high up a mountain road. The air was so fresh, mountain views all around, and the family was nearly completely living off the land, with milk cows, beef cattle for sale, rabbits, guinea pigs, big veggie garden, fruit trees, grain growing and the rest. It would have been a good place to learn a lot, since they were really living it, but unfortunately we did not get along too well and after 3 days I was on my way to host number 4. And thank goodness, because Host 4 was a dream! A commercial herb growing family also quite high in the foothills surrounded by mountains and incredibly fresh air, but with a yoga/meditation/herbal medicine background and thus a bit easier to get along with! The work was very backbreaking, a lot of digging and raking and otherwise heavy labor (no herb harvesting or processing for me, unfortunately), but there were 5 other wwoofers to keep me company. We worked from 8:30 to 11:30, had a food break, and then worked 12-2:30. Then we all sat down for the main meal of the day, usually very healthy and filling. We had the afternoon to do what we pleased, so I did a variety of yoga, napping, hiking, playing yahtzee with the 13 year old daughter, swimming, hanging about, and whatever, depending on the day. The weather was very cold at first, and I suffered mentally a few mornings when nobody had started the fire in the cabin and I was trying to get together breakfast and get motivated for the day. But by the end of my week there the weather had turned hot and I experienced the UV strength for the first time. I actually got burned on my lower arms, which had a solid base tan. Never before has that happened! Even at 70 degrees, the sun feels very hot there, just like they say. I slept in an old bus (quite contentedly). The family had to go away on vacation so after a week there, I'm back in Launceston (town of 70,000 or so?) with two japanese girls I met at the farm. I rented a car for 5 days and am taking the two of them touring some sites around Tasmania (neither of them can drive here). Looking forward to spending more time with them as I haven't really spent much time around too many asians and they definitely keep me talking slower (due to their mediocre english) and being more polite than normal (due to their culture). Today we are stocking up and cruising the health food stores. Oh, speaking of which. I've been ingesting much dairy at the last two farms, all raw and organic, with no side effects. So perhaps I am not allergic to dairy but it is the chemicals and other ick that is found in commercial milk? Very interesting. Ta ta til next time, Love, Krista
