Out of hours profile
time out
How's your work-life balance? Mine is a work in progress with much more free me-time now than fifteen years ago. Here is a little more about my down time.
My down time is filled with all that goes with life on close to 1200 acres.
Yes, you read that correctly.
1200 acres shared with kangaroos, wallabies, quolls, eagles, and other assorted wildlife.
A place where our vegetable patch struggles against winter frosts but bursts with summer produce. Where track walks, mountain bike rides and river swims deliver fun. Where our life-efficient home (off-grid power, tank water, thermally efficient) is steadily taking shape.
I am an out-door type of person. My youth-time love was in the ocean with body and board surfing, scuba diving, lifesaving and open water swimming. Water and I mix really well but that hasn't stopped me trying other non-water pursuits. I test my body and brain at yoga, rock climbing, caving, mountain biking ... loads of things, all of which I remain a complete amateur at! Throw something my way and I'll at least give it a try (except for bungee jumping). Sounds like I am a fitness freak but I am far from that. I feel equally at home in a tent or caravan as I do in a proper house.
A few years back now, my partner and I enjoyed a fantastic journey of 10,000 km in 7 weeks in our hybrid campervan in rural Australia (the outback areas of NSW, SA and Victoria).
In 2022, I trekked the Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley in Nepal.
The creative side of my brain has finally found its happy spot. For more than ten years I have been learning and practising the skill of wet felting and textile design. I felt clothing, hats, bags, accessories (e.g. brooches, corsages, scarves, gloves) and home wear including lanterns, light shades, vessels for vases, and table mats and coasters. I am learning pottery and ceramics. I also sew, knit and upcycle clothing. I've also dabbled in eco-printing, botanical dyeing, lead-lighting, and silver smithing but they didn't tickle my fancy like felting has. I tried spinning wool and dyeing yarn in my younger days but gave up when time became tight. It is interesting that I have returned to using wool fibres and silks some 40 years later.
I am a happy cook, recipe explorer and kitchen experimenter; the latter probably stems from my background in science labs.