Hello!!

So we left a wet, flood ridden north (with cyclones and highways getting cut off because of the weather!) to the bush fire south! Arrived in melbourne on the saturday that the fires began - we flew over the smoke, ive never seen anything like it in my life!

We spent a few days in the city, really nice place with great markets and cheap food. The best was a vietnamese restaurant where we ate ourselves to a stand still on amazing food for a couple of pounds.

we watched in horror as the fires grew, sunday afternoon brought the smell of smoke in the streets.

By tuesday we had decided what to do with the next few weeks, we are going to wwoof (willing workers on organic farms). You work on a farm for four hours a day in return for free bed and food.

We organised one farm but unfortunately they had to evacuate because of the fires so a second option came to the rescue. Brigette - the wonderful ruler of the roost came and picked us up in the city and drove us the 2 hours out to mirboo north to her hilltop farm with 150 alpacas, 20 chickens, handful of cows, dogs, cats, orchard, veggie garden, damn, geese and a beautiful rebuild of the house going on!! Not to mention the koalas, parrots, wombats and kangaroos that come to visit.

Her husband keith is mad as a hatter and a 16 year old son charlie (to cool for school) finishes off the brood. The farm is manic with something always on the go - from an alpaca getting stuck to babies needing fed.

We have painted, waxed, picked fruit, cleaned barns, moved herds, dug holes, cooked, cleaned and had an amazing time in between.

There are another two woofers here - a quiet french sophie and a crazy but great cook japanese majicko.

We are having a ball - kezz in his element with tool kits and wood cutting machines and tractors! Mo puts her ipod in and sings whilst carting alpaca poo or painting the water tanks.

The view is stunning, 40 kms of gippsland hills which you can watch the sun set over whilst sitting on the wooden veranda - dreams are made of this!!

Thats all for now - no skype so send emails

Saw a bush fire in the distance today but we know the fire plan if it gets any closer. Quite exciting as it would be all hands on deck to try and save the animals and get the house ready - we would evacuate before it got too close.

Chow x x x