Greetings earth-lovers!

If you’ve ever felt the pull between two worlds—the vibrancy of the city and the tranquility of the land—you’re not alone. My partner Ric and I live it every week, splitting our time between Clifton Hill in Melbourne and Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula, just a one hour drive apart.

We came together later in life three years ago, I was 58, Ric was 63—and we quickly realised we shared the same vision: to live with the land, become self-sufficient and live off-grid.

As we’re not getting any younger, there was no time to waste. Ric sold his home in Albert Park, Melbourne and bought a 1960s house on 10 acres in Red Hill—a property that needed a lot of work but held incredible potential. We call it Kookaburra Rise. Meanwhile, I kept my tiny apartment in Clifton Hill, nestled by the Birrarung (Yarra) River.

Now, we move between these two worlds—two rhythms, two ways of living. Two days a week, we’re in Melbourne, immersed in the pulse of the city and connected to a tight-knit urban village. The rest, we’re in Red Hill, growing our own food, regenerating the land, planning the build of a new home while finding our tribe in the country.

Some days, we’re out in the veggie garden planting and harvesting tomatoes, sinking our hands into the warm soil. Other days, we’re in the city, Ric in the office at Green Energy Group, and me working with the Yarra Riverkeeper Association on the Birrarung Riverfest.

All of this, while being passionate activists for climate change and environmental regeneration—Ric in the political and policy-change arena, while I focus on grassroots community activism.

It’s an ever changing dance between work and play, structure and freedom, solitude and connection.

What You’ll Find Here

This newsletter is about that balance. The tension and beauty of choosing both—of keeping one foot in the world of convenience, connection and culture, while building a life that’s more independent, sustainable and in tune with nature.

✔️ Stories from both worlds—the challenges, the joys and the lessons we’re learning.
✔️ Practical insights—on self-sufficiency, sustainability and off-grid living.
✔️ Reflections on modern life—why we crave escape, why we return and what it means to live between two worlds.

This isn’t just a newsletter—it’s a conversation. Where are you in your journey? Are you longing for more space? Already living off-grid? Trying to balance both? Please tell us—we’d love to hear your story.

And if you know someone else who’s figuring out this balance, forward this to them—let’s build a community of people reimagining how we live.

Thanks for being here. We can’t wait to share this journey with you.

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