The last days have been nothing short of amazing. The 11th Annual Australasian Permaculture Convergence has been one of the best experiences of my life. Almost 700 people form all over the world descended on the small, rural town of Turangi, New Zealand to learn, share knowledge and work to build a brighter future for planet Earth!

The convergence was packed with many amazing speakers, workshops and lectures on topics ranging from things like seed saving and composting, all the way through to fermentation workshops and how to build your own sustainable houses. One of the speakers that I found most valuable was Dan from Seed Head Design, who spoke about Food Forest Gardens. As many of you know, I am currently embarking on a project to turn my family 1/4 Acre into a Food Forest and so many of Dans lessons were worth their weight in gold for me!

As amazing as the convergence was, one of the most valuable experiences I had out of the trip was visiting Awhi Farm, Turangi’s own permaculture haven. Here at the farm, teams of WOFers work year round to grow paradise on earth. It was amazing to see the principles of permaculture come to live on this beautiful 10 acre property.

The farm is a haven for experimentation, epecially in sustainable building design. Many of the structures that you find at the farm are unique building tests as bright, young minds set themselves to the task of building techniques for the future.

The kind people at Awhi let me try out their composting shower, which is nothing short of incredible! Here, piles of compost are used to heat water which provides a really hot shower for up to 10 minutes. Once the water has run cold, it takes only 15 minutes for the compost to re-heat the water.

Above, you can see the piles of compost at work. The structure behind the compost heap houses the shower. This really is one of the coolest outdoor shower ideas I have ever seen put into practice!

Awhi Farm truly brings the principles of permaculture to life. It is the ideal blend of old and new technologies and most importantly, it is home to some of the friendliest and most loving people on earth. If you’re keen to see more photos from my trip to the farm, you can check them out on my facebook page.

To top it off, the perfect way to finish the weekend was a visit to one of the most spectacular volcanic areas that the North Island has to offer. The Tongariro Crossing! At just under 20kms, this is a perfect 1 day hike. It’s a must see if you are ever in the National Park area of New Zealand!