Thinking about last year

Bronte ocean pool gives moments of beauty, simplicity I’ve put on idleness like a pair of comfortable summer shorts.   Books everywhere on the floor around my bed and on my bedside tables like a still life mice plague, ungovernable.  Their numbers and mess say it’s January, when I reflect, read, plan. What was last year about, what did I do badly or well, what would I... Read More

Rafting the Franklin, 27 Dec 14 – 2 January 15

The island photographed by Peter Dombrovskis that became the image for the campaign to save the Franklin river from being flooded by a dam The only way to see the Franklin River close up is by raft or kayak.  You can fly over it, but to see it in all of its moods, to dwell along its shores, to see the platypus at play, you have but one choice and that is hop into a raft.   Alongside... Read More

Do stingless bees go to live next door?

Here’s a short Q and A between some native bee hive owners and the Bee Whisperer, Tim Heard: Hi, Tim My friends S and G have one of your hives and it’s fine. G has put an empty hive resting above that hive for over a year hoping those in the hive below would populate it but he doesn’t observe any to and froing there. I wonder if you have any advice for us so we... Read More

Are we responsible for our own excreta?

If we choose to be a citizen, to accept responsibility for our own needs, where we can meet them, what is the boundary between the duty we have to manage our own excreta and the duties of the state?   Some mo re questions and an answer in my latest Bathurst Burr column, here. Lots more questions and answers in my books, Sustainable House and Sustainable Food. Enjoy, M  Read More

There is no ‘try’, just “do . . . or do not”

Yoda was right when he said to Luke Skywalker, ‘do . . . or do not’. The same goes for me, anyone wishing to be ‘sustainable’, and all of us seeking to sustain our lovely Earth. I’ve written about this in my column, Bathurst Burr, for The Fifth Estate.  Read More

Six seasons in Australia, not four

Here’s a well-written book by Tim Entwisle with persuasive evidence Australia has six not four seasons.   I reviewed the book for Spectrum in the Sydney Morning Herald, here.   Enjoy   Michael    Read More

Of fridges, solar power and getting the most out of them

Yesterday’s tour of Sydney’s Sustainable House was packed both with people and the interesting stories and questions they asked.  One email has come in from one of people on the tour, Peter, and here it is as it’s got useful information about using solar panels efficiently and meeting the energy demands of that gas guzzler, the fridge: Hi Michael It’s Peter,... Read More

Microbat houses up today – bring ‘em on

Murray and the microbat boxes in the tree Today the very marvellous Murray Cox, landscaper and gardening extraordinaire, put three microbat house boxes into the tree in my back garden. These tiny critters eat over a thousand mozzies a day which will be welcome here in mozzie driven Chippo. It can take more than a year for them to find it. I’ll know when they’re here... Read More

From bats to life, leaving, love, death and words

The Monthly magazine has become one of my favourite reads.  This September issue is rich with good writing. The review by David Marr of Helen Garner’s This House of Grief is followed by a terrific review by Bill Henson on The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece at Bendigo Art Gallery which has scored amazing pieces of classic sculpture from the British Museum. The last sentence... Read More

Microbat nests come to Chippendale

Microbat nest boxes Steve Fadel and his artisans from Paramount Properties – www.paramountpropertygroup.net….au – have built and given three microbat houses to me and our Chippendale environment.   Microbats can be as small as a knuckle on a human finger.  They eat mozzies – over a thousand a day!  They have been dying out as we cut down trees in our... Read More