Bush Medicine

On the weekend, it was great to get back up to my friend Bella's place in the middle of the bush in Central Victoria. 

 

 

 For just over 24 hours I was surrounded only by bushland, sculpture, good friends, food and wine.  My car-pool buddies and I arrived mid-afternoon, which was the perfect time to take photos.

 

It was a gorgeous day and I absolutely love this place. 

 

(If it looks familiar, you might remember I saw the New Year in here.)

 

 

I love how unexpected things crop up in the landscape... and how good Bella is at creating beautiful things from rustic materials, and installing them casually around the house and grounds.

 

 

 She's also a whizz with cutesy colourful $2 shop finds.  This was the (outdoor) cocktail bar for the party on Saturday night. 

 

 

Kevin the (movement-sensor activated) Kick-boxer would sporadically show off his stuff and have a little rant.

 

The band room was previously a shed full of farm junk.  Bella transformed it into a nightclub!

 

The party did indeed go off.. with a live band, cocktails, fantastic food, a fire and a whole lot of laughs.  Nothing looked as tidy in the morning as it looks here.

 

Sunday morning saw us enjoying a breakfast that lingered into the afternoon, with some people swimming in the dam, some siesta-ing, some knitting ( I wasn't the only one, for a change!), some yabbying, dogs fetching a limitless supply of sticks... a bunch of city-folk soaking up as much bush-serenity as possible before the 2-hour drive back to real life.

 

And yes.... in case you were wondering, I continued my tradition of wearing wildly inappropriate  bush holiday footwear.

 

 

And as my head hit my own pillow at 9pm on Sunday night (and ...ahem...slept until 10am Monday morning...), I had this wonderful image of a peaceful, dry landscape, the scent of eucalyptus, and warm memories of good times and great people.

 

A tonic.