Tag: Community

How far down the rabbit hole do you really want to go?…

That is the question. My mind is finally settling into the subject, and I am starting to understand how much there is to know and how little we actually do know…It’s a reassuring feeling though. It carries a promise of great mystery around every corner and no opportunity to ever run out of things to learn.

The structure of the course seems to follow loosely the “Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual” book, but in reality it’s more like a tree. We pick up on a subject and then branch out to another one. Then we return to the trunk and begin branching again.

Today started with a refreshing walk (a long one, actually) from a friend’s apartment to the University of Melbourne, where the course is taking place. It’s amazing how many interesting things you see, when you walk! Like these bike rental stands located all around Melbourne. I’ve been in Melbourne for 4 days now, but I only registered what these stands are today. On my walk. Walking rejuvenates the soul.

The highlight of today was definitely Geoff Lawton’s lecture and knowledge sharing. The day was packed with information and you could literally feel the intellectual activity in the air. 85 minds thinking collectively about how to be better humans. That’s gotta have the ability to move mountains!

The most memorable moment of today was walking into the room (I was a bit early) and finding Bill Mollison seating at the desk. I didn’t expect it, and my heart made a little leap. Bill gave me a long look, I smiled back and took a seat in the second row.

The day has finally arrived for the 2010 Permaculture Design Course with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton. What lied ahead was a journey from Sydney to Melbourne to meet and learn from these two extraordinary Permaculture teachers. I suppose the natural thing would have been to travel by plane, but I chose the “slow travel” instead and opted for a train.

And so, at 7:30 am I boarded a CountryLink train and we were off.