hcv's blog

If We Build It, They Will Come - Construction of the Native Bee Motel begins!

Submitted on Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 10:58

We have been so lucky in that though February and March are traditionally quiet months for the farmstay, they are great months to welcome wwoofers and Helpx workers to the farm to help us move forward on projects. The last few weeks we have been incredibly blessed to play host to helpers from France (thanks Gilles, Charles & Laure), Norway (Therese & Cassie) and.... Australia (Netti and Phil)!

Blog post photo gallery

National Geographic Adventure Channel visits the Farmstay

Submitted on Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 10:35

Fun visit the other day from presenter Greg Grainger and cameraman Brent Spillane from National Geographic Adventure Travel's Travel Oz program. The weather wasn't kind, but they were! :)

Blog post photo gallery

Add new comment

Our Farmgate Shop arrives...on the back of a truck

Submitted on Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 10:18

What to do when one wants an eco-friendly farmgate shop and honey tasting bar on a budget?

Take delivery of a pre-loved 40ft shipping container and have a gorgeous, karaoke-loving truck driver called "Mumma" drop it on to a couple of besser blocks!

Blog post photo gallery

Gloucester Writers Festival 4-6 May 2012

Submitted on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 07:58

If you're a writer or would like to be one, why not head this way for the 2012 Gloucester Writers Festival organised by Lindy Dupree and the Gloucester Bookshop. Book your partner and kids into the farmstay while you spend the weekend soaking up fiction and non-fiction, meet authors and publishers and more. Anna will be hosting a session on the Sunday about what it takes to get your book off your computer and onto the shelves (having been through the process over the last few years with her book Honeycomb Kids).

Blog post photo gallery

Soda the Pony...our newest farmstay guest at Honeycomb Valley Farm

Submitted on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 - 07:36

Meet the gorgeous Soda, our newest member of the family at Honeycomb Valley Farm. Soda is a 12 year old pony and soooo sweet and gorgeous! He's just perfect for giving hand-led pony rides for the kids, and he loves being brushed and fussed over. Horses can teach us so much about ourselves and the magnificence and therapeutic qualities of nature, and Soda is already doing just that. He's one special pony.

Blog post photo gallery

Add new comment

You've got Bee-Mail!

Submitted on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - 09:59

The Honeycomb Valley hotline was running hot with news the postie couldn't deliver the mail to one of our neighbours up the road due to a letterbox full of honeybees. So we called in our beekeeping course host, Rod the Bee Man, to help the mail get through! Here are some pics from our morning adventure.

Blog post photo gallery

Add new comment

Golden Bear, Shiloh, Cheyenne, Cloud Dancer & Apache arrive at the farmstay!

Submitted on Sunday, January 22, 2012 - 03:49

Today we picked up five beautiful alpacas and their friend Ben the Sheep who are moving to Honeycomb Valley Farm to enjoy their retirement! here are some pics...but they're more magnificent in person!

Blog post photo gallery

alpacas

Add new comment

Nabiac Farm on Making Tracks TV with Mieke Buchan

Submitted on Saturday, January 14, 2012 - 06:20

Late last year we spent a fun day on the farm with the super lovely Mieke Buchan and the crew from Channel 10's Making Tracks. If you'd like to see some great close-ups of native Australian stingless bees, + some footage of solar ovens and our happy chooks, head to about 10 minutes 45 seconds into the segment here. Or watch the whole show here to enjoy learning about all sorts of cool things you can do between Port Macquarie and Port Stephens! Thanks Mieke and crew!

Blog post photo gallery

Add new comment

Minnie Ho Ho - Meet our Christmas Day farmstay calf!

Submitted on Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 09:04

What a great gift on Christmas Day to be greeted by our latest gorgeous grass cutter and manure provider - Miss Minnie Ho Ho. She's a miniature galloway calf - and gorgeous to boot! Mum Fun Factory and dad Mickey looked ever the proud parents...though Mickey was a bit more interested in the congratulatory biscuit of hay than the baby!

Minnie Ho Ho is a beautiful example of the miniature galloway breed and we're sure she'll become a farmstay favourite!

Blog post photo gallery

Add new comment

A little bit of Finland and Germany in the Australian native garden at Honeycomb Valley Farm!

Submitted on Sunday, December 18, 2011 - 06:28

Wow - massive week on the farm with all hands on deck to bring to life the Australian native plant section of the ethnobotanical garden we're creating. Wwoofers Oskar and Toni from Finland, Oliver and Lena from Germany, and Rod the Bee Man aka Bobcat joined with us and Luke and Elysha from Local Knowledge to begin planting. So great to see a bare paddock beginning to be transformed into an edible and useful area thanks to Elysha's great design! Big effort everyone. Thank you!