- The Book of Kin (book 6)
After our meeting with the Augusta-Margaret River council, Emily and I were so happy. We walked out of the building bubbling over with excitement. It seemed like all of our dreams were coming true!
For so long we have tried to figure out some way to make this vision a reality, and Emily's idea of the geometric housing was making it all possible! The council had stated that if we forego having one residential building on our block, then we could have two workmen's accommodation buildings.
(For more information on this meeting with the council, see previous blog entry '(3) Meeting with the Council')
As we were floating through the streets of Margaret River, buoyed by the impulse of creation, we wondered what step to take next? We decided to wander down to the main street to look at the windows of the real estate agents, and see if we could spot our future land. As we walked, we commented that it would be so wonderful if we could find 2 large blocks right next to each other, so that Santosha could have four houses! Ask and it is given...
We found that there were two large rural blocks that were side by side. Could this be exactly what we were looking for? The real estate agent looked at Emily and I with some disbelief when we asked if we could have the address so that we could go and inspect the properties. As he went to the next room to find the information, Emily said quite loudly ''I don't think he believes that we can afford any property''. Strangely enough, he was very polite to her after that. She may be little, but underestimate Emily at your own peril! :p
We have fallen in love with these 2 blocks, side by side from each other. It is here that we want to create Santosha. We don't own either of these blocks yet, but in our hearts, this land is Santosha. We speak as if the land is already ours. We are currently in the stage of gathering up enough people and money to purchase the property.
As with any spiritual undertaking, what we are attempting to create requires an element of trust. I know I am guided by my own soul, the impulse of creation. The journey of Santosha thus far has led to so many blessings, so many synchronicities. At some stage, we learned to let go. We truly feel that this property is the future of Santosha, but if it does not work out that way, I know that its not meant to be. There will be another property waiting for us that will be just as perfect!Birds Eye View
Having said that, we are so excited about the property we have in mind. In this blog entry, I am going to be taking you on a tour of the property and its surrounds. I will also be sharing our layout for the community, showing our plans for what the land will look like when we create a community there.
These pictures are showing the property
from a birds eye perspective. What is contained within the blue lines
is the land of Santosha.
In this next picture, you can see the
individual blocks that make up this property. You can see that this
land was originally one block, but has now been subdivided into 3.
The pink block was sold earlier this year, and the two blue blocks
are still for sale.
The two blocks together are about 90 hectares. In the process of sub division, the owner had soil samples tested for both blocks. We can make the results of those samples available to people during the dialogue process.
Up until now, the property has been used as a dairy farm, grazing land for cattle. It has two dams, which currently pump water to a number of wells across the property, so the cattle have access to drinking water. There is a stream that runs through the property, as well as 4 copses of virgin bush. These copses are made up of Marri and Jarrah trees, very old and very tall. You can walk across the fields barefoot. There are no prickles or anything nasty like that.
The property is about 15mins South of Margaret River, and then a 5 minute drive East. It is at the end of a no through road. It's a coastal property, and yet it is tucked away from civilisation. Its a long way from any main roads, and there is no traffic running past the property. Just the deep silence of nature broken by the occasional bird song...
On the Ground
We have some pictures from the ground, that Emily took when the estate agents showed us around the property. Next to each picture, I will show the birds eye view perspective on where the picture was taken.
This photo is taken from the southern field, looking South West. It shows the rolling green pastures that have been used for cattle grazing. Truly, a blank canvas..
On the northern field, looking into one of the copses of trees, where there is a natural clearing. This glade has amazing energy, will be perfect for community gatherings and festivals in the future!
Standing on the northern hill, looking south over Santosha. You can see the vegetation that lines the stream that runs through the property.
Looking East on the northern field. There is an undulation that forms a stream on the north-eastern most part of the property. The elevated land in the distance is a neighbouring property.
Emily stands on the fencepost, looking north across the southern fields. You can see the hill in the distance.
This photo was taken from beneath the shade of a tree right by the stream. We are looking north towards the hill.
Taken from inside one of the copses of trees, this photo looks north onto the northern field.
The Stream
As you have already seen from the pictures, there is a stream running through the property. This is Mcleods Creek, and is a major water feature in the area. This stream is one of the major reasons we are excited about this property.
As anyone who has read the Ringing Cedars will know, living water is essential for good health. Water that has picked up the essential nutrients from the land, over rocks and trees. It is even more beneficial than rain water. 
When the agents showed us the land, we all scooped up water from the stream and drank it right then and there. No need to boil the water or purify it in any way. When we create the Santosha community on this land, this will be our drinking water. Nobody will be allowed to pump water from the stream to grow vegetables etc, but everyone will have access to the stream for drinking water (not to mention swimming on a hot day!).
According to the agents, the stream is spring fed and so it also flows in Summer. At some points, the stream is extremely deep. The agents told us that there is probably marron in the stream. The stream is very wide in parts, and in the narrow sections, the water flows very quickly. (The two pictures at the top show the stream in its current state, the two pictures show what we hope to create with the stream at Santosha)
Currently, alot of the stream is not accessible due to very thick bushes that line the stream. Though there are some easy access points, the density of the plants is indicative of how much water flows through the stream and how much life it can support. That being said, the bushes aren't very attractive, and they would prevent us from enjoying the stream to its full capacity. In most parts, you would have to fight your way through 5 or 6 metres before you would actually reach the water.
It will be done in stages, but we will be clearing these bushes and replacing them with plants and trees that the community chooses. Water loving trees like weeping willows would be an obvious choice, but I'm sure we will have other trees from Australia, Asia and Europe. We will also grow a variety of ferns, flowers and other plants. The focus will be on allowing the community to enjoy the stream to its full capacity. Wooden board walks, footbridges, benches, shady trees with swings etc.
The stream is like the life-blood of the land running through our beautiful community. I plan on bathing in the stream every morning, to reconnect with Mother-Earth. It is our hope that the stream becomes a community gathering place where we can all delight in the flowing crystal clear water.
Even more pictures
For more pictures of this property, look through the photo albums on on our facebook page. We have 96 different photos from many different angles. Go on a virtual tour of your future home!
http://www.facebook.com/santosha.community
However, photos can only capture so much. I recall Emily saying 'none of these photos are doing this place justice.' To really understand the magic of this land, it is necessary to travel to Margaret River and feel the energy for yourself. If anyone would like the address to this block, please send Emily or I an email and we will give you directions. Please do not contact the Real Estate Agents regarding the property. Our aim is to bargain the price for this land, and we feel like we will be able to get a discount, because we will buy both blocks of land at the same time. However, if the real estate agents are contacted by lots of people, they will think that demand for the property is very high and will advise the owner not to accept any lower offers. Thankyou for your understanding.
The location
Now what we would like to do is take you on a quick tour of the surrounding area.
This picture shows the South West of Australia. In the Yellow circle is Perth. In the Green circle is Margaret River.
In this picture, we can see the location of some of the surrounding towns and cities. In the Blue circle is Santosha. Augusta is in the Orange circle. In the Pink circle is Margaret River. In the Red circle is Dunsborough. In the Green circle is Busselton.
This photo shows the property from a birds eye view.
The two photos below show where Mcleod's Creek goes after it passes through the property. If you follow the Red line (Mcleod's Creek) you will see that it passes through just one other property before feeding into the Blue line (Blackwood River).
These next two photos show the proximity of the Boranup forest with its magnificent Karri trees. Santosha is in the Red circle, while the Boranup forest starts at the Yellow line and stretches to the coast. These photo's also show how close we are to the ocean!
These last two photos show where the water that runs through the property comes from. If you follow the Yellow lines, you will see that the majority of the water comes from the Boranup forest.
The Community Layout
So now that we have thoroughly explored the beautiful piece of land we hope to call our home, lets have a look at what we plan to do with that land. Below you can see the property, divided up into lots of different colours. Let's explore :)
Land for Domains - The land allocated for domains is divided by the dotted lines. These are clear, open fields that have been used for grazing land. By our calculations, the smallest size for these domains is 1.4 hectares, though some of the domains are larger than this. The size of the domains cannot be completely uniform, as we have had to work with the natural features of the land, as well as our unique housing plan.
The dotted lines are only a guide at this point as to how the land will actually be divided up. Once the land is bought, we will consult with someone who is trained in making these sort of calculations and mark the boundaries. Consideration will be given to size, soil quality etc. No two domains will be exactly alike, just as the aspirations of human souls are never exactly alike. Of course, it is the human soul that turns a blank piece of land into a Space of Love.
The dotted lines also indicate a walkway between each of the domains. There will be a 3 metre gap between each domain, so that members of the community will be able to go for morning/evening walks through the community and delight in all the beauty of their neighbours gardens. It is our hope that people will also create an additional path through their domain for people to walk upon, connecting the whole community by a series of walk-ways. However, this will be a decision for each family to make on their own.
Housing - As you can see, there are four structures on the property. Two of these structures will have 8 houses, while the other two will have 6. You can see from the plan how the domains extend out from these structures.
Community Land - This land is reserved for use by the community for whatever purpose we collectively choose. There have been many suggestions already. One suggestions is to build a giant shed, where people can store excess 'stuff', thereby reducing the necessity for building a large, expensive house. Other suggestions have been to plant a beautiful garden, and open up this land to the W.A population to come and enjoy picnics etc. There is also the idea of eventually having a Santosha 'market day' where each domain has a stall and the wider community comes to buy our artwork and taste our delicious produce. This can even just be land where the community gathers for celebrations and festivals. Whatever is done with this land will be decided in the future by the community.
Grazing Land - In some of the communities that have sprung up in Russia, people have taken domains of 3,4 or even 5 hectares in size because they want to keep horses and other livestock on their land. I think it is a great idea to keep animals, Emily and I have got our eyes on Chickens, Alpacas and Goats. However, if everyone takes a large domain like that, we will be living very far away from our neighbours, and the sense of community will be lessened. Also, the land will be alot more expensive. Our solution is to have community grazing land, where people are allotted a number of animals that they can keep. Obviously some animals like chickens can be supported on a smaller piece of land, but this option allows for people to keep large animals, and lets the animals make lots of friends!
Limited Drainage - The land that we have called 'limited drainage' is land that becomes a bit sludgy during the winter. During our recent visit (late october) the land had dried up. This slight muddiness is because that section of the property is at the bottom of a small undulation. You will notice in the community layout plan that the domains end at this point. This is so that none of the houses are built on land that is potentially not stable. We have decided that this land will be included in people's domain, so that they can use the land as they want. Some permaculture enthusiasts have told me that some crops are especially easy to grow in those kind of conditions, and so we leave it to peoples creativity. These spots would be ideal for dams.
Community Trees - These are pre-existing copses of trees that will be community land. It is our hope that native animals will find a refuge at Santosha among these trees. They are beautiful. These community trees will be maintained, with the exception of the bushes surrounding the stream. The scrub that blocks access to the stream will be gradually replaced with our own trees that will be planted as a community.
Stream - While many of the domains have frontage onto the stream, the water itself as well as the land around it will be owned by the community.
Roads - The roads in the community are designed to give each person access to their domain in two ways. From the plan you can see some rounded sections leading to the houses. This is for parking. As well as this main access point, each domain is accessible by road, so that you can drive a vehicle on your domain. This will be vital if you are unloading soil or other bulky items.
This concludes our tour of the property. It truly is a beautiful place. However, its potential for beauty has not yet begun. When 28 families begin to touch the soil with love and plant gardens of eternity, then Santosha will truly be known as a grand co creation!
Even if an elderly man wears out his body and is lying at death's door, but does not think of death, but pictures his life in the living space he has been creating, he will be born anew - such is the law of the Universe. The Universe will not stand by and allow a life creating thought to die.
- A New Civilisation (book 8)
