The yurt has landed!

The truck arrived early (Well done, Richmond Transport). Unfortunately, so did the wind, which blew its lungs out all day and made handling the parts of the yurt extra challenging. Friends turned up to help unload and store away the rolls of thick felt, the curved trellising, the painted spokes, the huge "wheel" that forms the centre of the roof and the covers; traditional and waterproof/modern. The greatest challenge, as you'll see from the photos, was lifting down the "wheel" from the roof of the truck, where it had been strapped for the journey down from Nelson. We roped it up and eased it down after having moved the truck to a sheltered place out of the wind. There were plenty of us holding onto ropes and giving advice and once we had the heavy thing on the ground, it just a matter of carrying it up the hill and into our forest garden, where once reassembled, the big yurt will serve as a meeting place for our community and a venue for music, dance, meeting and whatever else any of us can imagine. It's a very exciting prospect and while there's work ahead, putting it all back together, there is a community here willing that to happen. Here follow some of the photos taken during the day.

We're up on Youtube

Our most recent production, "Forest Garden - Autumn" is online now and if you'd like to take an 8-minute look at what our garden was like last month, make yourself a cup of tea, click on this link and (I hope) enjoy.

Global recognition for little old Riverton

I've just now been sent the link to the work of Craig Mackintosh, Permaculture Research Institute of Australia editor, featuring our forest garden. Craig visited us a month ago, interviewed and photographed Robyn and I talking about our projects and filmed me on a walkabout tour of the forest. I'm very happy with the results and feel it represents well what we are doing here in our wee town. If you have a few minutes to spare, I invite you to click on the link to the PRI website and enjoy a wander around our garden.