Swan Cove – Waterfront Island retreat
Slow down – FEEL…
The peace of wild things. The healing essence of nature. The rejuvenating effects of the salt air. Opening to vibrancy and innate vitality. And to an awe inspired life!
That’s what the brochure says of Swan Cove Waterfront Island retreat on Raymond Island. https://www.swancove.com.au
Workaway at Swan Cove
When I first heard about Workaway, a couple of months ago on Russula – the vessel – this place was the first to pop up when I installed the App. I was in awe of the pictures, and the reviews were all very promising. So I contacted Kirsten and applied for a spot at Swan Cove.
I will be forever grateful that she said YES. She lives in this cozy, wonderfully designed Tudor-style house, right on the beach of the Gippsland Lakes, surrounded by huge gum trees standing tall. The number of birds on her proporty is impressive and the cute kangaroos hopping around and grazing makes it a truly Australian experience!
I ended up doing a variety of tasks, such as looking after the chooks (chickens), tending the veggie garden, cleaning the two cute cottages, splitting and stacking wood, helping with baking sourdough bread, and working on some more creative little projects, such as creating a “Kundalini Spiral Garden” with some personalised painted rocks.
But this place was far more than a working spot. This was about love. About sharing. About slowing down!
Wild life
I loved having my morning tea with Kirsten while feeding the bright red and blue Crimson Rosellas, the colourful Rainbow Lorikeets, and the graceful pink Galahs. Sometimes a sulphur-crested Cockatoo would join us too. This big white bird, wearing its yellow crest like a crown, would take up all the space on the feeding platform.
While creating the “Kundalini Spiral Garden” I became friends with two Australian Magpies. The way they move is almost majestic – deep, dark black feathers combined with bright white ones. They would sit on one of the sticks and watch me closely, almost demanding that I keep moving so little insects would rise to the surface. The bravest one would look me straight in the eyes and came so close, that I could almost pet it!
Whereas at the woodsplitter I had other visitors. First one, later on up to three laughing Kockaburras would come and sit with me. Big, strong beaks, a fluffy somehow funny crown, waiting for big worms or spiders to come out of a big stump of wood. I loved every minute of it!
Kayaking and cycling
Some morning I would go for a swim in the lake. The feeling of being close to the numerous black swans and big pelicans is something else, I can tell you that! Kirsten offers kayaks for her guests to take out on the lake, so I made use of them too. One day a lovely friend Kaz came over and the three of us went for a nice paddle.
Swan Cove also provides bikes. Kirsten offered me the cutest bike ever. A blue and pinky coloured vintage style bike with huge wheels. Almost like the nowadays fat bikes. It became my way to explore the Island. To visit my dear friends on the mainland in Paynesville or to visit the Koala trail near to the ferry. There are over 400 Koalas living on Raymond Island! https://raymondislandkoalatrail.com.au
The Workaway-Family
I was not the only workaway-er at Swan Cove. Besides me there was a somewhat “grumpy” older man, called Andrew, too. He is an amazing hard-working guy with a passion for the Camino’s in Spain. What we had in common was our love for Spain!
Because of Kirstens personality, she is the most brightest, lovely person you can imagine, we soon became “family“. She would let me join on various occasions her chair yoga, Kundalini Dance or Vinyasa yoga classes. On a day of she would always come up with a plan to do or we would go places.
She went with Andrew to the wine bar, took me to Bruthen for an Aerial Yoga class, and to an interesting lecture from Samuel about his Project Interrupt. (This will be a separate post). The three of us went for a grand day out visiting a strawberry farm and a distillery where she treated us to a lovely lunch. Although… she’s a real Chef… so keeping up with her home-cooked food is challenging for any restaurant!
Andrew and I once went on an “afterwork bike-ride” – of course with picnic – to spot some koalas, and he even took me on his motorbike to explore the Bairnsday area. It’s interesting how people can grow together, even when you are very different from one another.
Through all the loving and caring energy Kirsten spread around her – we both developed a true sense of family. Every evening, she would prepare a delicious meal, and we would sit together talking about life over a glass of wine. Or we would watch a movie together while stretching our legs – much to Andrew’s annoyance – and having a laugh!
Time to say “Goodbye”
Today is my last day at Swan Cove. And I must admit, the last couple of days I have been carrying around a melancholical feeling. I have always been a “travelling soul with a hang for nesting“. And that is exactly what happened here. I found a new place, with the kindest host and a great fellow-workawayer. She made us feel at home. I created this little “nest” and became home-away-from-home.
I have been reading a lot here too. The Dalai Lama’s cat and The Art of Purring, both novels by David Michie. Great reads in the perfect setting. There’s so much wisdom in them. So much I was able to experience here at Swan Cove.
Then by the end of the day, we all want to be loved, seen and heard. And this is exactly what I found here. This will not be a “Goodbye“, but a “See you again“.
