Welcome to Upper Cambrians: “Beware the Hug” Part 1

Since Melanie had come to NZ solely to travel by WWOOF I decided to follow along to her next stop. I loved the ideas behind it, flipped through the book wanting to go to each and every place that spoke of organic gardening and self-sustained living…I also wished I had known sooner of the wwoof network, and when she showed me a picture of the man who would possibly host her next stop who ‘felts hats and tends trees,’ I instantly said we must go. It was decided. Just from that picture alone I knew this guy was a character. well…let’s go meet Bob who lives in the middle of nowhere (pop.7) and hope that he’s as cool as his picture would suggest. Melanie and I decided not to hitchhike this day as every local we talked to would have to ask at least twice the name of our destination, it was raining and I just didn’t have a good vibe getting stranded halfway there. We were dropped off in Becks, which is a town of…hmmm…I’d say 2 people…and those two people reside in the only place there is in Becks…a pub! We had a beer while we waited for Bob to fetch us as his place is up a dirt road about 15k and the publicans said “ohhh..y.es…bob…he’s an interesting one…everyone know’s Bob”. I wasn’t quite sure what this meant and made sure to confirm that all the previous half-hippi wanderers and organic-crazies had in fact returned from Bobs. Yes? Well…then I can’t wait to meet this guy. If the general go- with-the-flow society thinks him a bit too fringe, I’ll probably love him. And how right I was. When he sprightly bounced in on steps that signified a man who spends his days outdoors, only putting on shoes when a job requires it, put out his arms to hug us, not to shake our hands, I knew this dude was cool. And after he shared his ultimate disappointment that we had not in fact hitched there as originally planned…I definitely knew I liked this guy. “here I thought you had worked hard getting a ride…Standing in that hot sun all day…waiting, walking…and you didn’t even hitchhike at all!...took the easy way …that’s no fun…you know once a couple of wwoofers walked all the way to my place from Becks with more gear than both of you…and you do have a lot!” something to that effect. haha. we felt like lazy quitters and vowed never to stray from our happy-hitchhikin’ ways again. It was just the beginning of all Bob would open our eyes two in those weeks to come.

The sun was shining and the heat was on in this part of NZ. Because the scenery in nz is so dramatic the weather on one side of the mountains can be (and often is) completely different than the other side. We stopped at a neighbors place who basically live on a tiny piece of paradise, natural stream trickling through the place and all before heading to bob’s. Bob was looking after the place so melanie and I helped pick some vegetables growing in the garden that would later help make up our dinner and herded some intrusive sheep off their property…which basically involved me running with a giant branch yelling unintelligle syllables and waving the branch around like a maniac. Worked like a charm. The sheep bolted outta there. Next stop, Cambrian Common Forest! Bob’s place was almost exactly how I imagined…amazing. Complete with a sign on the front gate with a little cartoon imagae of bob that read “beware the hug”…his son had made it for him because bob hug’s everyone. And “the lodge” where melanie and I would be staying…just a few minutes walk from the main house was “nearly perfect” as Bob would prefer us to say. Perfect is an extreme…and extremists are dangerous. Further…when something is “perfect” it leaves no room for improvement…and surely there is something better in life than that “perfect sandwich”. So from then on…things were “nearly perfect!” But back to the lodge…it had all we needed in it’s one open barnlike room: a giant bunk to sleep in…I’m talkin’ 4-5 people across….running water, a dining table, old stove, a couple of tiny lights which after night 1 when melanie and I went on a fly killing rampage (how unvegetarian…but they do seem to be useless, annoying, buzzing creatures!) was down to one tiny light, and most importantly a compost toilet around and out the back. I knew I was in for a different expectorating experience when he said as nonchalantly as if recalling his favorite cookie recipe: “toilet’s out back, and when you’re through just throw a handful of sawdust or so onto the pile.” Riiight. On first try I loved my new earth-friendly waste depository…a little wood structure with no door to encourage worry-free contemplation while admiring the scenery…you could almost forget why you were sitting down in the first place. Oh right…sawdust.

The first entry in my journal at bob’s place is dated “does it matter?” which captures the immediate change of pace and attitude adopted after you step foot in the “Cambrian Common Forest…”.bob’s world. And I suppose before I go any further (which I’m eager to do because there is so much to say!) I should explain bob’s life project. Well…summarize at the very least. Mr. Bob Berry. And how lovely that his last name be Berry…so fitting. And being the clever man he is…or perhaps just acutely in search of clever subtleties…he realized that the name had originally been de Berry as all names included this distinction. ‘How clever.’ you sarcastically scrutinize? Well…his middle name is Leslie. Which would mean he could be Bob. L. de Berry. Say it a couple of times. He’s preparing for a future as Eldeberry Bob…at least it’s a possibility. And if you didn’t notice right away…it took me a few days…we have the same initials! Robert L. Berry. How cool. we’ll just call him bob for now. So anyway…bob decided midway through his life that he wanted to know more about alternative living. He travelled around Europe with his wife at the time learning all about different ways of life, simpler, back to basics, do-it-yourself lifestyles. The “alternative” would become his way. The place he has now is made of mud-brick and has definitely been standing for a good stretch of time…along with the fridge, stove, and irritator (washing machine) found within. The place is littered with chooks crowing, clucking and pecking all the days long. He used to also have a cow, a dog and a donkey that died not long ago. Bob decided to escape the ratrace provided by society and give back to the world in a way that could benefit everyone. He believes that here he is doing more for the world than he could ever do working at a bank say. I definitely agree. He is creating a common forest. Common in that it opens its boughs, leaves and roots to the extent of the world. He plants, waters and cares for these trees day in and day out and when wwoofers come along to help he is grateful to house, feed and teach the eager planters. He visualizes and paints a picture for melanie and I to see the forest in ten years time and hopes that eventually people will come from all over to visit the Cambrian common forest. Besides mowing lawns and tending peoples' gardens who are away from their “vacation homes” Bob only lives and works in his forest. I asked about savings and he said “oh…no…I only have about $20 in there right now”. What!! I couldn’t believe it! I had never heard of such a thing. But here he is…living, eating, drinking, creating, and enjoying this life! How simple it really is. He uses his money to plants trees and also relies on generous donors who have stayed with and were greatly inspired by his goal. But bob doesn’t just work on his forest…ohhh no. He fervently makes his specialty homebrew, wine on the special occasion to put away for the future, bread, muesli, jam when the berries are right!, honey when he’s in the bee spirit, and as I mentioned before…he felts! Of course he’s a reader as well. Luckily the nz government can provide a subsidy enough for bob and his son (Cambrian is his name, Cam for short…he’s 17 (?)…bob also has older children from other marriages…all artists of sorts) to live on and of course he has critics who would say he’s abusing the system…much like the chatter some americans have with welfare. Don’t kid yourself…he works damn hard. The man is 63 but runs around his property like a madman getting all the jobs done…carrying 4 litre watering cans in each hand, clipping weeds, and checking up on everything. But he also runs around like a little kid as well. You can see he’s happy in his work…and who wouldn’t be! I saw him hop a fence while in a sprint to track down a wandering heifer like a seasoned Olympian. And I must paint the picture…he’s a rather slight man, skinny with pigeon-toed feet, which I somehow guess comes from walking around barefoot all day as my feet generally made this turn as the week went on as well, long gray hair, and a long grey beard. I like when he tops off the eccentricities with his felt top-hat which is a tribute to his favorite film, Willy Wanka.

His guest book is filled with people of all sorts, many creative, colourful humorous entries decorate the pages…telling of the wonderful, even life-changing experiences they had here…and always complete with a photo of themselves participating in something unique to bob’s. I couldn’t wait to become part of the book. I haven’t even mentioned that when we first arrived I noticed a Welsh flag flying high…couldn’t believe it! Turns out bob himself is not welsh (though he wishes he were) but Cambrian is…it was an old welsh mining town back in the day…how about that…just one more connection I had made with his land. Everything here was simple and satisfying. Not a step “back”…it’s a step to the side. The fringe at its best. All the wondrously simple things in life we overlook as tedious work or too time-consuming when we have machines to complete basic tasks to “free ourselves and to do something better”. Man are we fooled. I’d found the way of living I’ve always desired but just wasn’t aware of …didn’t even know such possibility existed. I didn’t need to get used to this…I had been waiting for it. Even after the first couple of days, this was already my favorite place I’d visited in NZ. Melanie and I had immediate admiration and I could feel that we both hung on every word he said. (much, much more to come! In parts 2,3,4,5,6,7,…..haha)