Noosa Avalon Cottages

Testimonials from visitors to Avalon Farm

 

 
" We have had a wonderful time!  Thank you so much for the use of the Honeymoon Cottage – we love it. "

Regards, Trish & John

 

 
" Thank you so much for having us in your beautiful cottage.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and had a relaxing weekend. "

Thanks, Stacey & Cameron

 

" I wish to thank you for a lovely holiday in your cottage.  I would have like to stay another week – not to be.  Once again thank you for the restful/peaceful stay.  I hope business is going well with you, the cows, horse and dog. "

Fond regards, Marian Dryden

 

" Thanks for having us.  It has been very peaceful.  Just the place I needed to finish my assignment.  I bought you a tree to remember us by.  It is a red cedar and it grows to about 30 metres.  Good furniture making wood.  Could be the start of an agriforestry ?  Maybe next lifetime, eh ? See you soon. "

Love Kerrie & Ben

 

" Many thanks for our wonderful & relaxing holiday. (please accept our little gift for a great time) "

Love you heaps, Daryl & Chris

 

" Thank you for the wonderful days of Avalon Farm.  They were filled with calm and nature, laughter and songs, healthy food and healthy spirit.  I will never forget the time of recreation and meeting all the lovely people you introduced me to.  Thanks for every minute at your lovely place.  I will tell everyone over in Germany about this wonderful place and people. "

Yours Susanne

 

" Alas, our time at Avalon Cottages has come to an end!!! Thank you very much for your lovely hospitality. We have really enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning. "

Courtney & Darren

 

" Thank you for allowing us to share your 'Piece of Paradise'. We will be telling everyone what a wonderful place you have here. "

Robyn, Seta, Mum & Assorted Children

 

" Thank you so much for sharing your lovely property with us and for your great hospitality. Youíre a very inspirational person. It's great to see someone act on their dreams, and not give up. "

Michelle & Rob

 

" We loved Bottlebrush cottage. This has helped us to renew our relationship over a glass of red and a game of chess. Thank you so much. Look forward to seeing you again soon. "

Renona & Wayne

 

" Thanks for the fun. It was so private and great to get away from it all. "

George & Gerry

 Keith & Di Hansen are regular visitors to Avalon.  Keith is an avid poet and has been kind enough to allow us to use one of his beautiful poems . 

 
Pinbarren

A cone like shape of mountain stone
Where brimstone flowed now life has grown
Pinbarren stands in timeless pose
Protecting all from ancient foes
A child of earth by sun and star
Beaming energy near and far
Dressed by nature day and night
In cloud, mist and morning light
And though man builds around the base
And mills the trees and scars its face
In mountain time just one tear cried
Its force endures long past we’ve died
A source of strength mid fields of green
Where nature cloaks a power unseen
For far beneath its treeline shell
Exists a space where angels dwell
And as we grow to understand
The mountain angels guide our hand
Supporting all we might achieve
Pinbarren strength once we believe

Noosa Hinterland Accommodation

Your host :The Road to Avalon

by Kerrie Schofield 

Avalon Sanctuary
After the Romans desecrated the temple at Avalon, the high priestess, Caillean and the Faerie Queen performed a sacred ritual which separated Avalon from the rest of the world.  Time moves along a different track on the isle of Avalon, between Faerie and the world of humans.  Mists were called to hide the isle of Avalon and only those who are worthy and know the ancient magic may visit this sacred land...
 
In her book, Lady of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley tells the tale of the separation of a holy place called Avalon from the rest of the world.  My 30 acre farm near Pomona in south east Queensland, is aptly named Avalon and is a sanctuary for native animals and plants as well as a testament to hard work, enthusiasm and determination.  I have also recently completed the restoration of two cottages which were originally part of an historical old Queensland homestead. Over three years, through many frustrations, I have worked tirelessly to restore the two dilapidated old buildings.  I dreamt of renting them to stressed and overworked mere mortals so they could come and rest and recuperate, leaving their troubles at the gate, before throwing themselves back into their busy lives, renewed both in mind, body and spirit.  I have finally achieved my dream, whilst raising my two children in this magical part of the Sunshine Coast.
The dream I had since I was 5 years old, Thanks to my old friend Jim Hayden
 
I began the search for my native animal and plant sanctuary in 1986. The list of things I felt were important, like a gentle north facing slope to catch the winter sun and the kids and I spent 6 months travelling backwards and forwards from Brisbane to the Noosa Hinterland searching for just the right piece of land.  The land I did eventually purchased lacked the many attributes I was convinced I needed but it was north facing and had a very special feel about it.  The 40 original acres was to become home for myself and my two children, Lucas and Crystal, then aged 5 and 6. The old rustic 1942 tumble down cottage with a stone fireplace was in a very poor dilapidated condition with no power, no telephone, no water and no trees and looked like a pimple on a bum. Trees had been completely cleared from the land and there was no native wildlife to be seen as the lack of trees and vegetation meant no shelter for them.  We moved onto the property, and for three years, lived in my grandmother's caravan with an attached annexe, and it was really wild, with terrible storms.  We used kerosene lamps and candles and we began to plant trees and had to cart water on the back of my never say die old Hilux ute to water the newly planted trees, as well as drinking and bathing water for myself and the children. We had wonderful times with the kids birthdays and all their friends had such a great time together running around free with all the dogs and animals with lots of sunshine and fresh air.
 
During this time the neighbours watched us struggle to make a home for ourselves, eventually feeling pity for us and helping to begin restoration of the cottage which would make things more comfortable.  Some cypress logs and timber were obtained to restore the bits that needed repair from my father's property in Caboolture along with second hand roofing iron and everyone pitched in to help get the building back to being a bit liveable, replacing the stumps  and the roof.  I learnt to replace the floor myself, also how to put in doors and windows, and work alongside my neighbours and friends from Brisbane to complete the construction.  I made many mistakes along the way, at one stage, raising the centre posts for the floor to the wrong height which meant I had to chop off the excess and reset them to the right height after an already long and exhausting day.  There was still no power on the property so the building had to be done with tools such as a handsaw, hammer and chisel. It didn't take long before we were moving into our 2 room humpie with the old lean-to bathroom off the side.  The restoration was a community effort, for which I will always be eternally grateful, showing that it is really important for the community to help each other. I still aspire to this philosophy today and continue to support my local community.
 
This tumbledown original old cottage was only temporary, as I now began to dream of building a 3 bedroom house as a more permanent solution and so began to draw the plans and started collecting second-hand materials.  In the meantime, I started to restore old furniture to make some money and began selling it at the Eumundi Butter Factory markets.  A substantial amount of kauri pine was purchased from an old church in Gympie which I belt sanded and stripped of old paint, always having an extra belt-sander handy in case friends arrived.  Hoop pine and Oregon bearers were bought from Her Majesty's Theatre in Brisbane and I used them for the exposed beams, they look really natural and rustic.  I was able to borrow $15,000 which was enough to pay a builder for 4 weeks to begin construction on my dream home.
 
I worked as off-sider with the builder, learning many building skills along the way and after four weeks the floor, roof and walls were constructed.  Over time I slowly completed the rest of the house which took many years, thanks to my parents friend uncle Don who was a great support as a carpenter he had grown up on the rock of Gibraltar and was trained in the old English army.  I had been feeling off-colour throughout the construction but knew I could only afford the builder for 4 weeks so I was unable to rest until the job was done.  Once the builder left I couldn't fight off the fatigue any longer and was diagnosed with Ross River Fever.  I fought the illness for five years, losing many friends along the way who thought I was being lazy when I couldn't raise myself from my bed.  It was a time when I found out who my real friends were.  During my illness I still had to care for Crystal and Lucas as well as run the farm.  This almost broke my spirit, but I fought on until in 1999 when I received an inheritance from my parents.
 
I realised that I needed a reliable income for the future which would not impact on my lifestyle or the environment, and I also wanted to share my little piece of paradise with other people.  An idea began to take shape for two self-contained cottages to be constructed on the property as accommodation for weary travellers and anyone looking for a complete break from a hectic lifestyle, whilst still being close to Noosa and the attractions of the Sunshine Coast.
 
I purchased two wings from an old 1930's historical homestead it was from north-west Queensland and I had the buildings transported to my property at Pinbarren.  The old building arrived on a very wet day that continued for the next six months.  The rain caused a lot of damage with the ceiling falling in and ruining the floors.  Myself and various tradespeople worked on the cottages for 3 years using mainly recycled materials to transform the old buildings into two cosy and romantic, traditional Queenslander cottages.
 
The floors have been sanded and polished until they are gleaming.  The kitchen benches are made from local Blue Gum from Imbil which I bartered for my old tractor.  I have lovingly sanded and polished the timber to enhance it's natural beauty, which has been left in an organic shape.  Veranda's surround both of the cottages affording views of the mystical mountains, the enchanted mists over Pinbarren Mountain giving one the feeling of being part of a magical realm.
 
My children and I have planted thousands of native trees in the eighteen years I have lived on Avalon, providing a sanctuary for wildlife and people to enjoy.  Old logs were brought onto Avalon to create hidey holes and nesting places. Bladey grass stands are left and old logs and branches are stacked in piles for bandicoots and small animals to nest and hide in.  In the 25 years I have lived here, no toxins or poisons have been used, completely keeping the farm organic. I have planted many flowering and food trees for birdlife, which balance bugs and insect problems. The lakes and dams are catchment areas for the habitat of the eastern water dragon which run across the top of the water before jumping in and then just their head appearing to have a look around "what's going on"?.  My aim is to encourage the animals to stay on this property rather than venture onto the main road.  The excitement I feel each year when two or three new species of birds are attracted to Avalon, is a wonderful thrill.  Echidnas, kangaroos and bandicoots are happy to wander in front of the cottages enabling city adults and children the chance of witnessing wildlife at its best.
 
Thousands of Rainbow Bee Eaters visit Avalon on their migratory flight to and from the northern tropical islands of New Guinea and Solomon islands every year.  White Egrets eat the ticks off the cattle, willy wagtails eat spiders and insects and butterflies are frequent visitors to the retreat and sanctuary.  Kangaroo families are permanent residents on the property.  We have made it a rule that there is no hand feeding, as this makes wildlife easy prey to dogs and feral animals.  On my arrival, there was no life whatsoever on the  original 40 acres, when I recall visiting my neighbours and seeing the birds flying up to my fence line and then flying away in the opposite direction, The idea of the property is to give people the opportunity to see that it doesn't take that long to transform something barren into a beautiful and vibrant piece of land for all to enjoy.
 
The name Avalon to me means island, which is how I felt when I first arrived.  I always bought extra trees so that when the local farmers dropped in to say g'day  and asked me what I was doing, rather than tell them they should plant trees I told them that I was planting windbreaks, and would they like a few trees to plant as I have some extra.  This encouraged many people in this valley and surrounding areas to plant windbreaks thus helping to slow the damage by winds and providing shade for their cattle and a wildlife habitat.  I hope that this will help transform people's ideas about looking after the planet, as we are all responsible and it is only a small space of time that is the difference between a desert and the Garden of Eden.  I still enjoy seeing the excitement on people’s faces when they witness magpies feeding their young with no fear and not attacking because of the happy, natural environment that they, as well as we, entertain.
 
Many of the trees I have planted are now majestic homes, testament to my soul and the spirit of Australia which I love with a passion.  I hope my story will inspire everyone to never give up on their dreams and love, care and fight for this country and planet that is our home as one people.