In October 2008 we bought a degraded block of land north of Wickepin in the West Australian Wheat Belt approx 200 km east south east of Perth. For the past one hundred years the land had mainly been used for running sheep with a small section used for cropping.
At 440 metres, Sacha Boodja sits on top of one of the highest hills in the district and affords magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Approximately half the land is Granite outcrop studded with old trees, mainly York Gum, with some old Jam Wattle and She-oaks.
When we arrived there where no young trees, no undergrowth, no top soil and the hillsides where heavily eroded, with a large erosion gully running through the block. Many of the remaining older trees where stressed or dying. Even in the middle of winter (the main growing season here) the land was bare, just rocks, and fallen timber with only the merest of green tinges to the soil.
in the beginning we defined the “road” with stonemen.
There was no house, no infrastructure, no water, no power and no road in. We were both in our early fifties and we had only enough money to buy the land. But we had fallen in Love. We could feel the land calling us, see its potential and had a vision of what could be. That Love and vision has given us the strength and tenacity to continue in spite of the challenges that such a crazy undertaking brings.
Now some 16 years later, the land is healing, top soil is rebuilding, earth worms are reappearing, erosion has stopped, rain water runoff is now only from areas of bare rock and roadways, thousands of tree seedlings have emerged, the understory is re-establishing and many native birds, grasses and flowers are reappearing.
All of this is happening in areas where the only human intervention was to remove the sheep, (we have since reintroduced a small flock to assist in the regeneration.)
We have also planted thousands of trees as wind breaks using a diverse range of native species and these are now establishing.
Much of Sacha Boodja is returning to forest.
We live in an area of minimal (and increasingly unreliable) rainfall with an average of 350mm p.a, most of the rainfall occurring during the winter months. With no access to scheme water, the collection and storage of water is our most precious resource.
So far we have installed two tanks, one 50,000 lt tank that harvests good quality drinking water from the buildings and a 135,000 lt tank that harvests water from the roadways via two micro dams for irrigating the vegetable garden and orchard and recently installed a bore for emergencies.
Many ceremonies and intentional prayers are flowing in all projects, into the tree plantings, the garden and every inch of the land.
We live simply here.
Nourished by rainwater, our veggie garden and chooks, with simple outhouse shower and open air bath, we are more or less always immersed in the elements. Being immersed in the elements we learn to listen to the voice of Nature.
It is not always easy or comfortable, but a great teaching in acceptance.
sachaboodja.com 