Olive Picking - The Secrets to Becoming a Fit and Happy Octogenarian

Henrietta and Donald MAcKenzie

Henrietta and Donald MacKenzie, run an olive farm just out of Esperance town. After reading our request for odd jobs for charity Henrieta offered us work picking olives. Sounds interesting I thought. I couldn't picture what an olive grove would look like and I was interested in learning more.



Smoko at the olive grove; well earned homemade muffins and flask coffee...Mmmmm

We landed around 8am in the morning ready to work but when we arrived it seemed the couple had been hard at work already for a couple of hours tending to their horse, dogs and laying out netting around the tree in preparation for our arrival. After brief introduction over tea we headed down to the grove at the bottom of their garden.



With nets on the ground around the olive trees, we were shown how to rake the olive from the branches, allowing them to drop and be caught by the net. Henrietta and Donald worked with us all day, with full vigour and energy. It’s not easy work, arms up in the air raking at a height all day but every time I thought of giving myself a break I would look over and see Donald with his new knees pushing the wheel barrow I could barely lift and notice Henrietta powering away, putting my weak stamina to shame.



Can you believe he has just had new knees and beaten cancer?

It was surprising enjoyable work. Satisfying….like popping bubble wrap all day the olives would pop of the branches and drop to the net with a satisfying thud.



At the end of the day we three were knackered. We sat at the kitchen table over a cup of tea but Henrietta and Donald, like Ever Ready Bunnies were out tending to the animals then preparing dinner.



Anne loves to rake olives, it's the pooping as they come off the branch

Over a delicious home cooked Shepard’s pie Donald told us stories of his et setting life living in Europe, Africa and finally Australia. The couple have led such an interesting live; climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, building three homes from scratch and trying out various farming trades.



Henrietta and Donald were such inspiring people. I’ve never met an octogenarian couple so full of vim and gusto, joi de vivre and a lust for life. Retirement for them meant being as active and as busy as ever, producing Olive Oil for sale as others their age complain about daytime TV but watch it all day just the same.



Of all the days on this trip I think I learned more in the twenty four hours with Henrietta and Donald than with anyone else. I have witnessed a lifestyle for elders that I hadn’t come across before up until this point. I hope I remember to model my years on that on this amazing couple as I reach my eighties. Donald has managed to beat cancer and Henrietta is an extremely active community member, volunteering with the pony club among other interests. With an incredible past shared together they are of sharp mind, are of great physical strength and have a great deal of love for each other. This is everything most of us wish to achieve in life.



Gareth, just about to gather the olives in the net

As we said our good byes Donald handed us a signed copy of his book. Over the next few days we each read it with much interest. What an amazing couple, a pleasure to meet, an honour to talk to and a joy to work with.



With more wages for Book Aid we headed for the dreaded Nullabor.