Upperstone-Chaotic Tranquillity, an oxymoron that works in the Howarth household

Anne, Phil, Hamish, Hew, Narelle, Willow
Chaotic Tranquillity, an oxymoron that works in the Howarth household
We arrived at the Howarth household before anyone was home, only just making it through the mud on their remote driveway after a few wheel spins. Kevin was the first to arrive back home after work and he was quick to put the kettle on and make us feel at home in this nice peaceful country house surrounded by lush green hills and fruit trees. A tiny minature frog I found near my USB port We found out the Howarth’s were experienced WWOOFing hosts and had had a good twenty odd people staying with them before us, representatives of many countries, and now, with Gareth, even Wales. After a quick cup of coffee, an explosion happened at the door and Kevin’s wife Narelle, their son Hamish, 15, son Baxter, 8, and baby Hew, 18 months charged through to the dinning area in a frenzied detonation of shouting, questioning and running around and chasing. It seemed to be of little consequence that we were in their space, they simply pelted around us. From the moment the family were through the door the quiet was broken never to be heard again. The children buzzing around demanding attention, food, drink and answers. We stayed with the Howarth household for three nights. Narelle taught us about their unusual fruit trees and bushes, we tries for the first time a custard apple and a pomello. She taught us the fundamentals of a permaculture garden, everything growing together finding a niche in amongst what is their, large plants and trees providing shade for smaller plants. The soil is so rich here that everything grows, throw a tomato out of the window and hey presto you have a tomato plant baring fruit in amonst the passion fruits and herbs. Willow, Hew, Hamish and Nurelle
All the plants here have a purpose, if they are not for eating then they are grown for medicinal or practical purposes, nothing is here to adorn the garden with flowers merely for their beauty alone. Hew means business
No rest for the wicked
We spend time raking leaves to allow the grass to grow, pruning trees, removing unwanted trellises, cleaning the chuck pen, dowsing goose poo, playing with the children and passing over Hew to the boys whenever he got a little stinky. On an evening we were introduced to Australia’s answer to our Ray Mears in the big bush scout Les Hiddins.

We watched an episode of his program learning of some of Australia’s founding history and about the bush tucker Burkes and Wells missed out on through lack of knowledge.
Next we were treated to Billy Connolly’s tour of Australia, a favourite man of mine who paints a true picture of Aussie life in the cities.





Narelle and Kevin’s oldest daughter, Willow, 17 and baby Hew have 16 years between them so they are constantly dealing with hormones and baby tantrums at the same time. It has been a while since I have lived in a household full of children and it was refreshing to play hide and seek and get honest answers from heads not filled with answers others have placed there.






Back to the house and Baxter was running around high as a kite as usual, he is a hyperactive child and Nurelle gives him spoonfuls of oil to calm him down. She says there is a noticeable difference in his behaviour if he drinks coke or if he doesn’t take his oil. What I couldn’t understand is that he was constantly eating sweets full of blue food colouring! Willow and Hamish
Baxter was a vivacious bundle of trouble, a Dennis the menace in disguise and in constant need of stimulation. He provided moments of laughter for us all and gave Gareth hours and hours of exercise as he demanded to be picked up, hugged, swung round, chased and found.

Here are examples of some of the animal and insect I was introduced to in Upperstone.
A steelblue ladybird One of the gees which produced the poo I constantly had to dowse Some sort of flying leaf like insect Some sort of blue wasp or bee