July 2014 Update

Well, we thought we would have formed the co-operative by now but between solicitors and bureaucrats we are still going :( Never mind, we have taken matters back into our own hands and are continuing on !! 
In the meantime, jobs continue to be done. We have enlarged the campground in readiness for our coming October event " Old Skills for New Times". It will be a fun event with a blacksmith, basket makers, spinners, Music, bees, edible weed walks, orienteering for kids and other kids' activities and more!!. 

We have also bought some 5m Bell tents which comfortably sleep four, plus 2, 6x3m marquees which we will use at the Oct event but also then will use for group accommodation.  So if you know of any groups that might like to have a bush camp in our beautiful environment, let us know!!

June was chilly but fine and sunny during the day, just perfect for our Solar Cooking  demonstration with Stan and Jane Caldjer. Stan gave a great presentation all the different styles of solar cooker you could use and some inspiring places where they are being used, for example in Africa, where the women not only have to walk a long way to collect wood but face the danger of attack on the way. Solar cookers save them time, effort AND improve their safety. Great outcomes! He then showed us how to make a simple fold up cooker that you can take anyway. In the meantime Jane cooked us a super damper and cake courtesy of  the free energy of the sun ! 

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At the solar  cooking event there happened to be an ABC reporter in the audience who was doing a story on off-grid solar so he came back to talk to Doone and the next thing we know we are on the ABC news on Television and of course the feed on the internet. This generated quite some interest in Bindarrabi so we have been busy answering those enquiries which included a researcher from Oxford!! anyway, Doone is a star and was asked for an interview in Business Insider. You just never know what the day is going to bring !!
Here are some links to those articles: 
 http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-scientist-who-shunned-the-power-grid-answers-8-common-concerns-about-going-completely-solar-2014-7
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-08/qld-providers-trying-to-block-solar-from-grid-groups-says/5579874
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-08/doone-wyborn-self-sufficient-property-bindarrabi/5580358

Solar lighting at our campground

Doone and our stand-alone solar tracking system.

After a mild May and June, July brought us record frosts, 11 in a row!! More than the locals could remember for decades. Well, we certainly know what survives frosts now, not much that is sub-tropical.:) We had been growing sweet potato as a weed suppressant under our solar panels so after the frost had killed off the vines it was obviously time to harvest. 3 lovely bags full and plenty left to grow the next crop.