Dereel Spokes Newsletter

1. How long have you lived in the area and what brought you here?
Since 3 months before the 2013 fire. Now over four years.  I came back to Australia to spend time with my parents after spending many years abroad. And I came to Dereel after they died to live in the bush and be more self-sufficient.

2. What’s great about living here?
The community – it was a surprise.  I didn’t expect to find that here, but have found a stronger sense of community here than any place I have lived before.  I love the country, gardening and my chickens.

3. What do you feel passionate about?
Self-empowerment – it is one of my key values.  I worked as a polarity practitioner to help people uncover their passion and how to get it going. I think it is the missing step to wellness. When we know what it is we want in life we are more able to access the energy to make it happen. And energy is the key to health.  I have been involved in alternative health for some time – approaches that enable us to more easily take care of our own health and that of our children.

4. What do you find joy in doing?
I enjoy gardening and working with people as a practitioner & just generally.  It’s very important that we do what we love.

5. What is your current pet project?
Sorting out my property, figuring out how to make it more self-sufficient in terms of vegetables and fruits and continue to make it conducive to folk wandering around and enjoying the garden.  At some point I would like to hold retreats here, perhaps around energy healing, meditation, polarity yoga, maybe arts projects too.

6. What community groups are you involved in and why?
I join different groups to meet my fellow Dereelians, to help support their growth, my growth, to learn and develop friendships.

The Walking Group – for fitness

Dereel Men’s Shed – to learn how to work with tools

Community Gardening group – to learn how to create beauty and food!

DCHI – to help the community grow and strengthen

CERT – I’ve been in the health profession for some time and want to make a contribution

Meditation – to increase depth of connection in all directions and inner peace

7. Tell us about your best community experience.
In Dereel – the fact that there is a community and I feel connected to it.  I feel connection to place, some of my ancestors worked in the gold fields. After the fires there was a lot of spirit generated.

8. How could you see more of this happening in Dereel?
By getting people more involved in the different activities that Dereel does offer at present. The work that DCHI is doing is important in getting more things going. It would be good to see more classes offered here and a shop would be lovely.

9. Describe a future vision of Dereel that you would like to see.
I would like to see the centre more active and the gardens up and blooming and more access and use of the lagoon area.

10. What would we do as a first step to realise that dream?
Continue to create activity and interest, to create opportunities to meet and interact, support, serve and receive. Everyone brings something of interest and the more we can share with each other, even if it is only our time, the richer we become as a community.