For our last PDC of 2012 we have decided to offer the places left at the early bird rate of $1450. We have also capped our PDC courses to 15 students to ensure a quality course for each student. Capping the course at 15 students will make it ideal for people who enjoy one on one learning or learning in small groups. We have also found that small groups create a really nice community feel during the course.

For the same reason we have also capped our Internship at 5 Interns. This will ensure that each Intern will get one on one time with Tom, but the group will still be big enough for Interns to bounce ideas and concepts off each other.

The new Learning Space ("The Pod")

This last year has seen an enormous leap in the amount of people we can have on our property whilst conducting our courses. We now have a separate student chill space, a student and catering kitchen, bus (backpacker style accommodation), caravan and cabin accommodation as well as numerous tent sites. We have 2 bathrooms and 2 composting toilets for the students and a separate learning space, complete with hot water urn (coffee and tea facilities) and black and white boards. Student seating in the teaching space is in comfortable fabric covered chairs in a homely environment.

The student chill space is in a bus which is open to the kitchen/dining area. The chill space has a TV and DVD player, where students can watch Permaculture documentaries (and the occasional movie on weekends...) It has 2 comfy couches and some cushions on the floor and even a bed, which can also be used as a couch.

The kitchen space has a separate fridge for students' use and tables and chairs. All meals are eaten in this space, but morning and afternoon tea may be at the teaching space as well, depending on which course is running at the time.

Early morning visitors: we have already attracted a couple of wild ducks who love having their early morning swim in Full Moon Dam!

We now also have a dam for students to swim in during the warmer months. In the short time the dam has been here, we already have numerous frogs, ducks and other wildlife enjoying the new environment!

Meals are primarily organic and as much homegrown as possible. The meals are simple but delicious; slow cooked stews and curries, fresh garden salads, homemade cookies, muffins or cakes and homegrown fruits. Most meals are Gluten Free, with some sourdough rye bread used with some meals. All sweets and home baked goods are gluten free however. Here is a quote from Paul Taylor, who taught the Sustainable Soil Management course with us this year:

Roast veg salad

Beans with Epazote, avocado, scrambled eggs with cream, leek and kale, cooked tomatoes, home made sausages and toast with homemade raw cultured butter.

" I have been teaching and traveling to many sites over the past few years and have seldom been so pleased with the food that I have been served,  from my first meal to my last over the 5 days at PRI Sunshine Coast. I was blessed with hand made meals from on farm and local produce made lovingly and tastefully by Zaia".

Double choc cake with creammmmmm....

Students can be as involved as they like in the general running of the property during their stay; there are fires to be lit to heat water for showers, composting toilets to be emptied and floors to be swept. Each student is expected to do their own dishes and to mop out the shower space after showering. Keen students are also welcome to join Tom when he feeds the animals at 6 in the morning or bring the animals in at night at 5pm. Compost building and turning, food forest moving and planting out are also activities which may be done during the student's stay with us.

Turning the 18 day compost

We do not have mobile phone reception on the property (a relief for some, a curse for others...) but we do provide free wi-fi from 5pm to around 8 or 9pm every night. If people need to work or need to contact relatives overseas, we can turn it on in the morning before class as well. During class wi-fi is only used for teaching if needed.

We are now heading towards the last PDC course for this year. We are very excited to see what wonderful people we will meet this time. Places are limited though, so don't hesitate to book now and get your PDC done in 2012!