A Super September
We have been busy on numerous fronts since our last post.
BUSH TUCKER AND GARDEN PROJECT
TheBush Tucker Trail and sensory garden project funding has come to an official end, although work will continue with volunteers.
Over the last eight weeks, we have employed 8 local people on this project and we have seen significant progress. The trail now has steps in the steeper sections and a new wider plank bridge will be going in soon. Our sitting circle -for quite contemplation or small group activities now has seating and is in the process of being planted.
Our Shade house has been completely rebuilt allowing more light for all of our plants and more space for them as well. We are set up to carry on with propagation and hope to get this operational.
Newly designed shade house
Large numbers of plants have been already planted and we have many more to go. A group of students from South Grafton High School visited and helped out with the planting last week.
South Grafton HS students helping out
Canbea Creek Regeneration
We have also begun work to prepare planting the drainage line / ephemeral creek that runs through the property. During wet periods, this drainage line becomes very wet and will even run over the road during flood times . Kaz Collins has taken this project on and while it is a long term project, we can already see a significant difference. We will be woking in stages, and would welcome any others who would like to help out. We will be planting the first section once we have a some rain .
The amazing Kaz, brushcutting up a storm!
Wagtails’ First Birthday
Our wonderful Cafe, Wagtails, celebrated its first anniversary on October 4th. For many locals, this has become a delightful spot to get together with friends and family and we are seeing an increase in visitor numbers as well.
While, we are not making a fortune, the Cafe is turning a profit. From all accounts, this is quite rare in the industry after only one year, and of course the number of people volunteering time is partly responsible for this.
We are hopeful though, that over time ,we will be able to employ more paid staff. We are finding that when we have events at the Canoe Centre, the Cafe is able to capitalise and increase its income
Harvest Moon Festival
The Harvest Moon Festival recently held at the Canoe Centre was a wonderful success. While we might have hoped for a few more people, the event was excellent. The people attending the festival were very respectful of the location, and it was a happy and entertaining event which was attended by many locals.
There was an enormous amount of planning that went into this project and we were helped greatly by the team of Jane Burley, Rob Burley, Chris and Marty Johnson. Our committee members Neil Chater and Rick Buckmaster were part of the planning group. Those of us who manage the office were also extremely busy during this period. As mentioned before, we had a busy weekend at the cafe, with Alex J cooking up a storm the week before and extra staff and volunteers helped out.
We are anticipating a bigger crowd next year, but an easier task for organisers as we have now been through the process once.
A big thank to all the locals who volunteered , helped out and attended the festival. Thanks also to the sponsors who made it possible. We also had another unexpected volunteer - Troy Cassar Daly- another local who offered to play a set at no charge. We squeezed him in to our dinner break time and those of us fortunate enough to attend were treated to a masterful performance of songs which told stories rooted in our own region and community. Thank you Troy!
On the Sunday following the festival, we were very pleased to celebrate the official unveiling of Glen‘s Creek Road resident Kim Healey’s Mural, Jagun, which has given an stunning lift to the front of our building. Kim, a Gunbaynggirr / Bunjalung artist designed and created the artwork.
