Little did we know when we embarked on this journey, that we would end up in a place as special as this. This tomato farm was situated with the Murray River literally on it’s doorstep.
We were driven there by Francine and told to turn left at the big cactus just before the straw bales and brown post boxes. It was a little way down the hill past a small cottage and sheds filled with machinery and tools. We were met by an excitable puppy called Graham and his pet Jack Russell, Toby. Graham is a man you know you can count on. His humour and kind nature was always at the surface and we immediately warmed to him. His wife, Judith, was not there when we arrived (she was in town waiting for us to arrive – she didn’t know we had arranged a lift).
Graham showed us around the farm which had 3 hot houses for tomatoes and a fourth for veggies. Unfortunately for them, we had brought the European weather with us and there fields were under water, South Australia was suffering the worst floods in decades. This meant that crops had been lost and there was a lot of work needed to plant and prepare a house. We spent the best part of a week poking holes, planting seedlings, tying strings for the vines to grow on and training them – it was immensely satisfying to look back at your work, we ended up doing this to about 6000 plants!
Laura, as usual, spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping out Judith with cakes for smoko” and the occasional dinner. The family ran the tomato farm as a full time business with Graham doing the bulk of the hands on work and Judith handling the office. We really felt as though we were able to comfortably slot into the routine of the house and felt like their children.
We shared beers, good food (thanks Judith, but of course it doesn’t compare to my mother and obviously Laura is the best cook in the world) and warm hospitality which was appreciated but made this a very difficult place to leave. On our final day we were taking on a road trip and stopped at a Winery before returning home to plant a tree to be remembered by.
Graham and Judith were the perfect people to finish our WWOOFing adventure with and will leave such good memories in our hearts. They have been like parents to us for last 2 weeks and will be truly missed.
Now though, the adventure will continue and I sit in Adelaide writing this, waiting to go to the airport where we will travel by air to Perth. The working holiday is officially over and the honeymoon can now begin!
We were driven there by Francine and told to turn left at the big cactus just before the straw bales and brown post boxes. It was a little way down the hill past a small cottage and sheds filled with machinery and tools. We were met by an excitable puppy called Graham and his pet Jack Russell, Toby. Graham is a man you know you can count on. His humour and kind nature was always at the surface and we immediately warmed to him. His wife, Judith, was not there when we arrived (she was in town waiting for us to arrive – she didn’t know we had arranged a lift).
Graham showed us around the farm which had 3 hot houses for tomatoes and a fourth for veggies. Unfortunately for them, we had brought the European weather with us and there fields were under water, South Australia was suffering the worst floods in decades. This meant that crops had been lost and there was a lot of work needed to plant and prepare a house. We spent the best part of a week poking holes, planting seedlings, tying strings for the vines to grow on and training them – it was immensely satisfying to look back at your work, we ended up doing this to about 6000 plants!
Laura, as usual, spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping out Judith with cakes for smoko” and the occasional dinner. The family ran the tomato farm as a full time business with Graham doing the bulk of the hands on work and Judith handling the office. We really felt as though we were able to comfortably slot into the routine of the house and felt like their children.
We shared beers, good food (thanks Judith, but of course it doesn’t compare to my mother and obviously Laura is the best cook in the world) and warm hospitality which was appreciated but made this a very difficult place to leave. On our final day we were taking on a road trip and stopped at a Winery before returning home to plant a tree to be remembered by.
Graham and Judith were the perfect people to finish our WWOOFing adventure with and will leave such good memories in our hearts. They have been like parents to us for last 2 weeks and will be truly missed.
Now though, the adventure will continue and I sit in Adelaide writing this, waiting to go to the airport where we will travel by air to Perth. The working holiday is officially over and the honeymoon can now begin!
