MOVING ON

John Cruikshank is moving on from his home and Wildlife Sanctuary at Upper Gellibrand. To meet John is to first meet his house, several buildings in a beautiful revegetated forest garden and orchard ten minutes down the road to Stevensons Falls from Barramunga.

Zazen is written in large bold letters on the wooden doors at the entrance to the house, facing the road. The name refers to sitting meditation, the old name for Zen and originates from the teachings of Buddha who lived 2500 years ago the founder of Buddhism. The practice is meant to give insight into one’s true self, recommending witnessing thoughts not being affected or overcome by them. The curiosity and mystery of being here are already aroused. John seems to be the embodiment of all this with his quiet cheerful, calm and welcoming manner. The various rooms in his house which he built himself have been made available for people, particularly from the city to come and spend retreats or to facilitate group meditations. One meditation room is open to the public at any time.

John bought the land in 1980 but before that the house was part of an old dairy farm. (from 1934)

In the early twentieth century Upper Gellibrand was a thriving community with a pub named Halfway Hotel to serve the workers on the bullock trains as they made their way to Colac - a one day journey from the logging areas. The area was all dairy farms before logging took over again. National Parks grew up in areas when the logging stopped.

By the mid 80’s life had changed and John and his partner Lyn and their 5 month old son Orien came to live at the house using the old dairy with its original stonework as a base. From this he added another storey and a maze of rooms. He settled into the peace and mystery!

His meditation has been refined over decades. in 1996 he took Sannyasan, a religious ascetic practice of renouncing the world. But John is not a total hermit. As seen in the photo, his drum (and others) has been and still is a big part of his life. He has been seen and heard busking in Apollo Bay, playing at the Forrest Neighbourhood House and music jam at the Men’s Shed. All this, he says, is with other musicians helping to build community spirit.

Because of the way John has lived, where he lives and the experience he has had, it is hard to really know and define him. Perhaps this is how he likes it - keeping the mystery and the curiosity alive by not defining himself!

Blundy Street Newbies

Finally the lonely little house in Blundy Street now has reason to feel alive with Leonie Hurry and her three children Will, Oliver and Lucy-Rose, who come and stay intermittently, bringing love and joy. They were delighted to spend their first Christmas here, celebrated with the planting of a Jacaranda tree. The history of Forrest definitely drew Leonie to the town along with all the beautiful walks and nature. Discovering the house once was the local bankers thrilled Leonie who loves restoring old homes and discovering their history and the people who lived in them.

Leonie was previously on a little farm in Alvie where she had Australian miniature goats and Irish miniature donkeys… who knows, the donkeys may make a guest appearance in Forrest one day!

For the moment Leonie is commuting a few times a week to Melbourne for work. She has an arts background. Since childhood Leonie’s attraction to the Otways and GOR began when she stayed in Anglesea. This continued with her first teaching round at Lorne High School in 1980 when she spent a term living and working there with the locals, which she loved.

Leonie’s three Cocker Spaniels, Tess, Hattie and Winnie are the latest to join the growing Forrest canine community. The town’s new residents all look forward to getting to know the community and already feel overwhelmed by the kindness the people of Forrest have shown.

May the Otway spirit and pristine environment captivate them all as it has for us.

The Women in Fire

Noor Petersen

The Women in Fire and Emergency Management Network is a working group aimed at creating a safe and inclusive workplace culture and promoting the professional development of women working for Forest Fire Management across the Barwon South West. With a few key developments, such as a buddy system to support new staff and a roster for women to gain exposure to key emergency roles, a big highlight this season has been our first women’s working day! Operational staff were invited to participate in a day of maintenance on the mountain bike tracks in Yaugher. Work for the day included vegetation and track clearing, gravel resurfacing and tree work, with a focus on chainsaw training. The aim was to bring women in the district together, to share skills, gain leadership experience and to complete meaningful work out in the field. It was a great success, with many feeling “more open and less worried about being judged on our ability or skill level”. We are hoping to hold more events like this one for women at all levels of the workforce- not just those with operational roles in the field, but also for those with office-based roles. This is just the beginning, watch this space for more to come!

Ruby Jackson

Film review for Woman at war

Woman at war was the best film I saw last year, so I’m excited our committee has chosen to screen this as the next Forrest Flicks Film Society film on Thursday 9 March.

The film is set in raw Icelandic countryside and tells the story of a 50-year-old woman’s audacious sabotage of an aluminium smelter and her flight to safety across the highlands. She is an unlikely hero, living a double life as a respected choir leader who hopes to adopt a child. The characters are authentic, and there are plenty of quirky sub-plots to add surprise and fun, though there is a serious environmental theme underpinning it all. I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a delightful twist towards the end. The director is Benedikt Erlingsson, and the film stars Halldora Geirhardsdottir. Woman at war is the second Forrest Flicks Film Society film. We will show 10 films a year, on the second Thursday of each month from February to November. All will be at the Forrest Public Hall, starting at 7:30 pm. You can relax with a complementary glass of wine or juice on arrival, and chat about the film afterwards over a cup of tea or coffee with biscuits. Don’t forget to BYO cushion!

Full-year and five-film subscriptions are available at the hall on the night for cash or online at: https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/forrest-flicks-film-society-subscription-tickets-504202612587. You can also come and ‘try it and see’ for a cash donation of $15. For more information email forrestflicks@gmail.com. Mary Dracup

Forrest & District Neighbourhood House - March 2023

CRAFT CIRCLE: Mondays 10am-12pm. BYO craft projects and a snack. Gold coin.

Top up’ boxes (fruit, veg and bread) will be available for collection each Tuesday with arrangement through the coordinator. Please get in touch to receive a box.

WEEDING GROUP: Second Tuesday of the month 10-12pm.

FOOD SHARE PANTRY: Pantry is topped up each Wednesday and Friday evenings from ALDI collection. Available to all

SINGING FOR FUN: Wednesdays 10-12pm Gold coin

STUDIO FORREST ART GROUP: Wednesdays 10-4pm.

BOOK CLUB: 1st Wednsday of the month @ 7.30pm

Coming Soon

• Women of the Otways: Friday March 3rd, 6pm-8pm. Byo refreshments. All local and visiting women welcome.

• Seniors morning tea: Tuesday 28th March 10.30am-11.30am. Welcome to all over 60. Please RSVP 0493105502

• Sew Socials: Saturday 18th March,10am-4pm.. BYO sewing projects, machine/equipment and lunch!

• Easter activity! Watch this space.

$250 power saving bonus application support- call or text 0493105502 to book a time.

YOGA: Thursdays 6pm-7.30pm $15 per class.

COMMUNITY LUNCH: Take away. Order the day before, pick up at 12.30 on Thursday. $6.

PLAYGROUP: Friday mornings 9.30am-11am. Gold coin

YOUTH SPACE: Friday afternoons. Grades 3-5, 3.30-4pm. Grade 6-12, 4.15-5.pm. Games, snacks and fun provided. $10 per term

FORREST COMMUNITY GYM: Contact coordinator for membership information and to sign up.

ROLLERSKATING @ the hall. 1st Sunday of the month 3-4.30pm. BYO skates or borrow some of ours. $5 per skater.