Host Profile
My Property
Business Type
Farming methods
Short Property Description
Sundari has been evolving for over 40 years, first and foremost as a sanctuary for all who live here. We are three shares, living in love and respect for each other. We are all dedicated to the beauty and health of this magnificent land. It is a remarkable arboretum of over 2000 species. I’ve been working. with permaculture professionally all over the world,( every continent except Noth America ,and returned five years ago after 31 years living overseas (8 years south India and 23 years based in Europe, mostly Italy). Having designed for so many others, finally it was time to design our own place (my wife Francesca is an Italian agronomist), and build another house (the old one is in the rainforest we planted and in need of restoration as a guest house), almost entirely from the trees we planted three decades ago, all cut and milled within 80 metres of the housesite. The house is now almost functionally complete (the details may take forever!),.
We’ve planted an extensive food forest of diverse species, to add to what remains of the original forest garden, as well as extensive vegetable gardens for our own kitchen, for friends and guests. It’s in need of a big refurbishment at the moment, having been neglected while pushing ahead with the construction as the primary priority. This whole land, shared with two others, is a remarkable arboretum of mainly Australian rainforest species, and there are kilometres of footpaths all over the land, giving access to the most beautiful parts of it.
One boundary is over a kilometre of stunning rainforest creek, there is a small lake on the land, and the views of the world heritage national parks and caldera of the ancient volcano are spectacular. We eat very well, having an international cooking capacity; I’m not strictly vegetarian, but cook mainly vegetarian food.
Currently I’m also designing and implementing a beautiful large (75 hectares-185acre) nearby property, focusing on functional integration of water management, cabinet and structural timbers, rotational grazing, food forest, small cropping and biodiversity. This is a long-term project.
Organic/Biological methods we use
Having been a Permaculture professional for so many years, that’s essentially the basis for what we do. This property has always been free of synthetic chemicals; there’s no need or reason to do otherwise!
Skills WWOOFers can learn here
Organic practices & techniques, Permaculture design practices & techniques, Gardening, Composting, Soil conservation, Mulching, Environmental recovery/regeneration work, Worm farming, Using & caring for tools, Fencing, Building, Natural Building techniques, Handyman, Off Grid Living skills
My Details
The Stay
Can Accommodate
Preferred length of Stay
1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, Longer stays by negotiation
Accommodation
In Our Home, Separate Building, Tent, BYO Accommodation
Other options
No Smoking Inside, Children allowed by arrangement, No Pets please
Meal Procedures
Share most meals, Share cooking
Languages spoken
English, Italian, German, some Hindi (though rusty)
Diets we cater for
Mixed meals, some meat, some vegetarian, Vegetarian meals
Why I became a WWOOF Host
I’ve known about WWOOF for many years, and have had visiting guest helpers since the time I first began working on this land over 40 years ago. With so much experience and applied Permaculture, AND so much work to do here, I feel it is an ideal situation to be able to share the experience and inspire others, and at the same time have the benefit of extra hands to help with all the work. It seems to be a wonderful exchange, fitting perfectly with the aims of WWOOFing.
