The parched bleakness of the arid Eyre Peninsula (South Australia) grates my subtropical senses. Rolling hills for hundreds of kilometres in each direction, once treed, are now bared to the plough in massive wheat and sheep farms. A brief season of sparse winter rain allows cereals to grow, but it is some of the most marginal farming country in the driest state in the driest continent in the world.
In these parts it is not uncommon to drive through huge swirling clouds of topsoil that blows away when the hint of rain gets farmers out ploughing. Instead of bringing rain, the winds snatch it up and send it east, perhaps to dump it in the Tasman sea or on New Zealand. No wonder that country is so lush!
So there’s somewhat of an Armageddon feel to these arid lands and a sadness from all the tree loss. And it’s not getting better, quite the opposite. With farmers getting only around $2 a kilo for wool, many are expanding their wheat cropping to make up for the shortfall. (They are calling sheep ‘land lice’ these days.) When the last traces of topsoil have blown, where will the bread on our tables come from? The rape of somewhere else?
Felchillo Oasis
In such an isolated area – it’s about 1000km west of Adelaide- one would despair of finding alternatives. But one man decided to take the challenge to create an oasis, inspired by permaculture principles and a new wife who longed for the tropical fruits of her homeland. If it could be done here,anything was possible… The result is a showcase of innovation that’s now open to the public.
Meeting Darryl one finds a ray of hope that can only be kindled by the challenge of adversity. Darryl was born on the 5000 acre farm that grew wheat, barley and oats and could carry just 1400 sheep. At the age of 14 he and his dad had ‘scrub rolled’ most of the property bare for cropping.
“It’s pretty inhospitable country. We get 10″ to 10 and a half” rain a year. Temperatures range from minus 5 degrees in winter, to 55C in summer. There are vicious hot winds then.” Darryl explained. “Not only that, but our soil is 75% limestone, with a pH of 9. The water that gets piped in from the other side of the peninsula has a pH of 10. I have to add hydrochloric acid, at one part to 400 or 500 to get it down to pH 7.”
Darryl was not destined to exactly follow in his father’s footsteps, although he is now responsible for running the family farm. He decided to broaden his perspectives at 19 and went travelling around the world. He took jobs where he found them,working in Sydney and in Greece as a tour guide for example. When he reached the Phillipines he met Ina, his wife to be. She lived a comfortable life there, so it was with some trepidation that he asked her to marry and come back with him to the arid lands of home. Very much the opposite type of country she was used to. But she agreed.
In 1984 he selected a barren, wind swept section of the farm to move an old house onto, to start their new home. His intention – to prove that paradise could be created anywhere. And what a challenge! The first priority was to create protected microclimates for Ina’s cherished vegetables and fruit trees. Outhouses were clustered together to break the wind and walled gardens sprang up. The local platypus gums proved of great value as windbreaks, adapted as they were to the conditions on hand.
Most buildings and structures were made from salvaged, second hand materials. Poultry and other farm animals were introduced and they provided valuable manures for compost making.
A feature of Felchillo Oasis is the Quandong tree plantation. Desert Quandongs, Santalum acuminatum, grow all over Australia’s southern arid zones. In springtime they bear beautiful bright red fruit that has a large ornamental seed. There’s enough flesh on the fruit to make tasty jams, sauces, ice creams and pies. The family are very much into value adding with the fruit and they sell quandong products at local fairs. Their three daughters also make jewelry from the seeds.
Quandong trees are root parasites, that is, they derive nutrition by hijacking the roots of other plants. Darryl grows them in association with legumes such as wattles, also with carob and white cedar (Melia azedarach), but only if extra nitrogen is provided to the host will it survive. He mulches them with local paramagnetic (high energy) rock dust. (This local pink granite is so exquisitively beautiful that it has been used in the construction of Canberra’s new parliament house.)
Some mediterranean fruits also thrive here, with a bit of extra attention. Figs and olives, in particular, do well with a bit of watering. Under a big weldmesh and plastic tunnel more tropical plants were happily fruiting. This is all under a low water use regime, as there is precious little water from the 3/4″ mains that must be shared with the neigbour’s 3000 sheep. Lots of mulch is essential for water retention around plants.
Darryl calls his propagating benches ‘water beds’, as the plants sit on a bed of damp sand in a tray. This strategy uses far less water than the usual overhead sprinklers.
Sharing the vision
In springtime the region is transformed with the blossoms of wildflowers. At nearby Streaky Bay there is a big oyster festival and it is the peak season for tourists. Darryl decided to plug into the tourist market in order to share his vision. A self-guided tour with explanatory booklet was developed and tea rooms established for visitor refreshments and the selling of quandong products. So now they regularly play host to busloads of school children, Church and old folks groups, and the occasional tourist. The quandongs look resplendent with their bright red fruit at this time.
“It’s great to see the looks on the faces of the visiting Aboriginal kids when they see the quandongs. Their eyes just about pop out!” Darryl enthused.
“People just love to see all the things I’ve done here. None of it was made just for them to look at. There are lots of all practical, functional and inexpensive ideas here put in practice. Innovative things that anyone can do.”
When I was visiting, one mild summer’s day, Darryl was busy creating a visitor specific enclave, landscaping around relocated portable buildings which he has converted to tourist and WWOOFer accomodation. A large function room was also in process of completion. This will cater for educational groups. Darryl is keen to spread the word on permaculture.
“I just wanted to prove that you can make an oasis anywhere, even in this difficult place. Elsewhere in the world I’ve seen people survive with far less. Australians are incredibly fortunate to have access to so much land.” Darryl would no doubt agree with the old Vietnamese saying that ‘a piece of land is like a piece of gold.’
© Alanna Moore 1999. First published in Green Connections magazine, Australia.