Tree Changers : The Hughes Family

Due to popular reader demand - the Express this week continues the fascinating story of the Hughes family: Ash, Matt, Dakota and their growing ‘family’ members on the farm where babies are being born as you read - and chooks are being delivered this week.

For those who haven’t yet met the dynamic Ash - she is a team member at Lime & Stone in Bank Street - the one who seems to be in every place at once.

She can be seen behind the fabulous clothing

Update From Ash Hughes

"We’ve been away for a week of the school holidays to Sydney to visit family and friends. We’re so glad to be out of the city and back home again. We love our farm, the paddocks, hills, and the silence of the landscape.

Our goats have grown and now have their own woolly coats so Dakota and I don’t have to cover them with their human-made coats anymore.

We’re getting eight of our baby goats (mixed breed) ready for the animal nursery at the Molong Show. Dakota and I also decided to take two nine-monthold Angora goats. We think the kids and families visiting the animal nursery will love our goats - and the goats will love the visitors - and the attention!

Otherwise, it’s full steam ahead for painting and decorating our beautiful home to start our long-planned dream of a bed and breakfast.

Matt and I have completed a whole lot of renovations and restyling of homes during our 10 years together - but both of us, with Dakota (like most people we know), still manage to slip and slop paint in places other than the walls and ceilings.

a continuing story in the Molong Express and homewares section - then seconds later in the cafe clearing tables - then suddenly behind the counter taking orders, out then to the kitchen to deliver food and beverages to the tables.

Always on the run Ash has an incredible amount of energy and drive that comes to the front from waking hours to, most likely, midnightwhen the family and farm have settled down for the night in their farmhouse under the bough of the gum trees.

Still, we’re getting the job done and our B&B accommodation is going to look amazing. The three of us are so excited and looking forward to sharing our home and farm with others.

Setting up our lovely home and gardens is really exciting for our eightyear-old Dakota. Like me, she loves wearing ‘pretty’ and loves nothing more than other kids visiting and showing them around the farm, introducing them to Billy and our other goats (all named), our dogs, the sheep, and any other animals that are hanging around.

It’s a lovely simple life we’ve created here for Dakota at the property, with time to play, see and learn about life in a perfect local rural setting.

As we follow our longplanned tree change here in Cabonne - we’re moving closer to plan C (or maybe that's now D or E!) - to provide a unique location for weddings. More about that later.

Plan 'E' (definately), brings together a special farm where families can come on out for a picnic in the paddocks. I’m a good cookand love putting together picnics with healthy foods that visitors can purchase (or bring their own) and enjoy time together - pat Billy and our growing collection of family animals.

Plan E also brings forward our painting/art days where families can paint (we supply everything) their own version of the paddocks, the goats and other animals, trees ... and have fun.

It’s a BYO picnic - or Dakota and I will organise the food - for adults and kids.

If that’s not enough I’ve already started my podcast - The Reality of Life My life started in what I once thought was how other families and kids lived.

Not so. Trauma, abuse, no food in the fridge or cupboards, racism - but I was able to figure it out and I know now how others have grown up in a life with sweet nothing and humiliation. But I had drive and when I looked outside of where I lived I was able to see opportunities for a better life. I made it and my story The Reality of Life series 1-3 is now available for others to follow on Spotify. The podcast is my storyand what I freely talk about is what lots of other people are too scared to talk about. I am fearless when I talk about my life and understand that to tell my story will help others."

Above and left: Ash Hughes has started a podcast about her traumatic upbringing and how she was able to turn her life around to create an ideal lifestyle. Her podcast, The Reality of Life is available on Spotify. She is also writing a book of the same name which discusses other things not necessarily on her podcast.