Life has been so easy for the last two months. A farm seems the right choice not to get rusty : there is always something to do! After a short search on Workaway (our favorite site for volunteering in Australia), we select Porongurup Dairy Farm north of Albany. Nic, Scottie and their little boy Emerson are also in. Let's go !!

The farm area and the Porongurup
The farm area and the Porongurup

When you have cattle, fences are essential! And as the paddocks are a few hectares minimum, it quickly adds up in miles ... We start with two days of fencing with the rounded peaks of the Porongurup observing us. We help milking the cows and ewes, in the morning and evening, and even, one day, shearing the sheep (we collect the shorn wool to pack it in a ball). The fire ban is lifted and all the piles of old dead trees are burnt to clean the land.

The farm and its occupants: sheep and cows.
The farm and its occupants: sheep and cows.

Among the more "domestic" activities, we arrange the new veggie garden: irrigation system set up (not so easy, we are not used to this since it rains enough in Belgium) and a fence to hold the hens, sheep, dogs and Emerson away from valuable seedlings. On the artistic side, we varnish the door and repainted part of the facade. At DIY level, we build IBC raised beds that will self-water in summer (for more details, watch this video ). And, last but not least, we sometimes take care of Emerson. This allows us to practice some of our classics like "Old McDonald has Got a Farm" or "The Ipsy Bitsy Spider" in French, Italian and / or English, race in the yard and solve puzzles, read children books, pet the dogs, make animal sounds ...

On the left, Emerson. Have you guessed who is on the right :)?
On the left, Emerson. Have you guessed who is on the right :)?
We play with Emerson, we pet the dogs and ... we obviously work.
We play with Emerson, we pet the dogs and ... we obviously work.
Crack and Miller, half farm dogs (it depends on the day) half house dogs (they love a good scratch).
Crack and Miller, half farm dogs (it depends on the day) half house dogs (they love a good scratch).

During our free time, we climb some Porongurup and Stirling Range peaks. Attempts were sometimes aborted when a venomous snake takes the sun in the middle of the path (it did not want to move so we preferred to turn back) or the police closes the area after the disappearance of a hiker. What we really appreciate with volunteering is to be part of a family ... We join them at the farmer's market in Albany on Saturday morning and enjoy the beautiful beaches of the city. We are invited to a sculpture exhibition in the dark and two surf lessons. We share the supa Sunday morning breakfast. We also broaden our English through board games and with new expressions such as "bomfuck nowhere", very useful in Australia ... Time flies, we are having so much fun. It's already time for us to return to Perth to pick up a very special delivery ;)

Stirling Range, with peaks just over 1000m (600m climb). An eagle. A small chapel lost in the Mt Barker countryside
Stirling Range, with peaks just over 1000m (600m climb). An eagle. A small chapel lost in the Mt Barker countryside
Surfing at Ocean Beach in Denmark with Nic and Scottie (some dolphins came playing in the waves with us). Emerson is having fun on the playground.
Surfing at Ocean Beach in Denmark with Nic and Scottie (some dolphins came playing in the waves with us). Emerson is having fun on the playground.