Willing workers on organic farms

We have enjoyed Wwoofers since 2007. These wonderful willing workers are usually young backpackers looking for the ultimate Aussie experience in the Outback. Although we do not consider ourselves 'outback' (living on the eastern fall of the Great Divide), the travellers enjoy their time here. It is still 'big' to them. 
Most of the girls are keen to ride the horses. They have all learnt to sit to the trot which our poor horses find hard work. We move the cattle a lot and it is easy work for a new chum with little stock experience.

Many Wwoofers come with valuable skills and we try to make the most of the opportunities. I like to complete a project with them so they have something to show for their visit. Many a fence around Huntly bears the signatures of a wwoofer team! Many contributed to building the sleep out too, which is now their popular alfresco accommodation. 

Meg and Mick visited in 2008 and built me a garden shed. Mick is a retired aeronautical engineer and liked everything straight, level and square (not a common formula on Huntly). We gave him cypress logs and corrugated iron to work with and he was very upset when the roof formed a series of beautiful waves. Meg helped me start my orchard and I am forever grateful for all her advice. 

Luc was not a wwoofer. Luc was French and came to stay after being referred to by Annick. Luc could ride, he and his horse always looked so comfortable together. He was a wonderful visitor, so willing and helpful and he stayed for months. The following Christmas I got an email from Luc telling me how boring was Paris and could he come back. How boring could Paris be? He wanted to work more with horses. So when he arrived I bought an unbroken horse for him to break in. It was beautiful to watch as the pair of them, MonAmi and Luc got to know each other. Luc would chatter in french all day long to MonAmi, until we protested. MonAmi had to understand English! Luc got lured back to Paris but we still have and relish our french trained MonAmi. He is a very handsome chestnut and very quiet and loveable.

In 2005 I was lucky to have Fanny here for 3 months. Fanny is the daughter of Val, a French Ag student who worked on our home property 32 years ago. 
    Fanny is also an Agriculture Student and chose to visit Huntly to do her project on measuring Carbon on the Farm comparing the regrowth area with the open area.
   Fannys first love is the horses and she exercised one every morning. Her favorited, Huckleberry, was totally spoilt!

When Val came out to visit Fanny, the three of us staged an expedition and rode horses into the Expedition Range. It was an exciting trek following the creek into the mountain, clashing with cleanskin cattle and convincing the horses it was worth pursuing.
    We finally set up camp late in the afternoon and when Val & I went for a walk, we discovered a wonderful aboriginal Art Site and some fabulous art work. There was fresh permanent water there, some big grinding holes and signs of fish. I think it will be a great escape if the world goes wayward. 
    Fanny is coming back again this year (2017) and we are all looking forward to her return, especially Huckleberry!

Having travelled extensively myself, it is wonderful having all the exotic visitors. It is nearly as good as travelling. I relive my own adventures at the dinning room table as I listen to theirs. One of the greatest pleasures the wwoofer brings is their unique home cooking. We have cherished so many new taste sensations from around the world. At present we have Nick staying. Nick is Italian and his pasta dishes are so good that this week we have set him the challenge to cook a different pasta sauce every night. He cooks pasta like I've never tasted before. He is so quick, he uses so few ingredients, yet each one is different and delicious.