Fourteen years ago the vision of David Coleman, a life member of PAWA, was to have a site where education and demonstration of sustainable lifestyles could be taught within a working Permaculture model, not just on courses, but as a WWOOF'er or an a tour.

A sixty-acre property on the beautiful south coast was found in Denmark, Western Australia, with a struggling forest on two thirds of it, kikuyu pasture on the remainder, and with cattle running through the lot. In time, and with the absence of cattle (and superphosphate) much bush has re-generated in the old pasture, and the forest is re-establishing with a vengeance! Tingle, Marri, Karri, Jarrah and their associated flora and fauna have created a beautiful and peaceful sanctuary, and a sustainable resource, only 2kms from town.

Whilst the property was uninhabited, watsonia soon moved into the northern end, and ran amok in the old pasture. Not one to be put off by such a hard-to-remove incursion, David naturally looked to Permaculture for the solution, and brought in four pigs!

They have done, and continue to do, a fantastic job; nothing else could have been so thorough. By eating the bulb, pigs have stopped watsonia in its tracks and paved the way for productive orchards and gardens there.

The main house site was the first to be developed, nestling in the forest, almost on the hilltop with fabulous views over to the Wilson Inlet and the ocean. It is a truly Permaculture house, with virtually everything made from re-cycled materials. Waste water is dealt with effectively using a worm farm for the kitchen sink, and sedge beds for the laundry - systems now approved by the shire. Gardens were established amidst a sea of Kikuyu, effectively banished with good ol' sheet mulching, and a chook run around the outside as a barrier. This has now been moved out again creating a larger zone one, and chooks, along with guinea-pigs do an excellent job of keeping kike to manageable levels, whilst the fruit trees rage.

From high up, our 'loo with a view' shows the zones off to a treat, and is the perfect spot for a morning meditation overlooking the inlet and ocean. Toilets are dry, composting what is after all, one of our biggest and best resources. Not that we're short of water! From an old spring-fed soak, deep in the forest, we pump daily to the top of the hill with solar energy. This keeps the gardens watered almost automatically with a system of swales, as well as providing our washing water. As the name suggests, Living Waters uses water to maximum effect to create an abundance for all.

In order to provide the basis of an economy for the proposed eco-village, a huge herb dryer is under construction. This is a highly "multi-functional" building that will provide a focus, and create opportunities in which people can find themselves a niche.

Many, many people pass through Living Waters - on holiday, to work or Wwoof, as members, or to take part in a course or tour. It is ultimately shaped by the energies of these people who contribute so much. We hope they find themselves filled with inspiration and satisfied that it is not only possible, but practical, a lot of fun and hugely beneficial all round to tread much more lightly on this earth.