Friday 23rd December 2022

First of all, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are now well settled in on the farm and adjusting to the life style - it is quite different to our normal orderly life. Things, including meals seem to happen when they do - rather than any planning!!

Life has not been all rest - we have been pretty busy as well helping to sort out various things. Pete has re-oiled a table an Merle has been very busy doing lots of washing - you can put it in the washing machine, when finished out onto the outdoor clothesline and then an hour or so later it is all nicely dry.

It has remained very warm here - in the mid 30's, but has cooled off a bit lately.

We have had a few outings, one to Lake Eacham where Merle and Jan went for a swim in the lake - highlight of the swim was Merle having her legs nibbled by the fish.

Tomorrow we are all heading off to Port Douglas for 4 days over Christmas and will be meeting up with friends up there - should be good.

Jan & Graham have some overseas workers on the farm at the moment, from Germany and Belgium and today France. Seeing as how they were all a long way from their homes  - especially the Germans we decided to buy them something to remember - so what did we get - well a Stollen Cake ( traditional German) - it went down very well.

I have included a number of photos of 'life on the farm' - they are what they are!

Views around the farm from the house

 Two of the three family dogs - they look tough, but are all actually really soft - unless they are provoked

Pete meeting one of the many 'locals'

Oiling the table - note the legs ( no not the table ones)!

Part of the tea-tree oil distilling machine

The water filtration system, utilising water from the lake (dam) and power by solar power.

The farm dam - 1 hectare

The family horses

One of the farm cattle - there are about 15 at the moment

The entrance to the farm

Grand-daughter Hannah picking a lime from one of the many many lime trees in the orchard. Limes and eventually distilled tea-tree oil with be the main products from the farm - which is an Acredited Australian Organic Farm.

Lake Eachan

Merle, Jan and Hannah taking a dip.

Jan sorting and packing limes

Jordan 'resting'

More to follow - watch this space.