Silent sitting retreat 27.12.-1.1.2012

Aparimit is doing a 6 day retreat between the 27.12- 1.1.2012. Everyone who had retreat experience is welcome to participate. There will be no teacher. If an introduction is needed please contact Aparimit or Bavara 66847010. It is fine to just come for single sessions but be in time and be there the whole time. It is a silent retreat, restrain from talking. Give yourself the time to go within, to concentrate and observe. Bring your own food.
For more information and timetable call Aparimit 66847010.

Silent sitting retreat 19-21.Nov.

Bavara will do a silent sitting retreat 19-21.Nov.2010, for more info call 02 66847010

Xmas Dinner

To all friends of Gondwana. Our Xmas dinner will be held as usual on Xmas day. Come at 5pm on Friday 25th to eat at 6pm. Please bring some food and drink to share, and also a small Xmas present (suggested value about $10) to put in Santa's sack.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Silent Sitting Retreat 27.12. - 3.01.10

We will sit from 5:45am and end 21:00 with discourse. Everyone welcome. Its free, no teacher, you look after yourself. For more info. call Aparimit 66847010.

Well after three years of growth, stretching and letting go and welcoming new........25 of us have finally Graduated in the Dru Yoga Teacher Training......last sunday in canberra were given such graceful celebrations to urge us on to take the work further in whatever way we choose......i dressed as Lakshmi to represent the abundance about to come for me to be able to do the service I wish to in Gondwana and in Dru.

GONDWANA CHRISTMAS PARTY

25.12.08, 5:00 pm. There will again be a gathering of friends of Gondwana looking for a different celebration away from the traditional family context. Bring a plate of delicious vegetarian food and a gift of min. $10 worth of surprise. We will make a chai and a punch and if weather allows have a bonfire set up. Bring your joy and an instrument and we see what happens.

Heart Dance, Saturday 27.09.08, 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Extatic Dance for Body and Soul will be facilitated by Liat

Heart Dance, Saturday 19.07.08, 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Extatic Dance for Body and Soul at the Hall will be facilitated by Liat

Heart Dance, Saturday 21.06.08, 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Extatic Dance for Body and Soul at the Hall will be facilitated by Liat

Seven Day Vipassana 23rd - 30th of June

We are happy to have this retreat happening here again. The last one in January was such a beautiful and precious adventure and Samvado is ready to facilitate the next one. If you would like to stay over night or camp let us know as soon as possible. Call Samvado at 66847210.

Two Days Vipassana 5th + 6th of June

Two Days Vipassana will be held at 5th + 6th of June starting 5:45 and ending in the evening. You can participate at any time. It's free, bring your own lunch. Donations are welcome. Call Samvado 66847210 for more details.

Family Constellation 17.05.2008,

With Lina Baier, 10:00am - 3:00pm

Open Sharing dates change to 2nd + 4th Tuesday

We decided to change the event to Tuesdays as it is easier to remember.

Heart Dance, Saturday 17.05.08, 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Extatic Dance for Body and Soul at the Hall will be facilitated by Liat

A Open Sharing on Tuesday 13.05.2008, 6:30pm

All residence of Gondwana a welcome to participate in our open sharing at Aparimits house.

Family Constellation 9+10.05.2008,

There will be Family Constellations on 9.5.08, 1:30pm - 4:30pm
and 10.5.08, 9:30am - 3:00pm with Lina Baier, at the Hall.

Family Constellation 3.05.2008, 9:30am-1:30pm

There will be a Family Constellation with Lina Baier on Saturday.

OM Meditation, Saturday 03.05.2008, 2pm-4:30pm

There will be a OM Meditation at the Hall call Avikal for more information: 0431180024

Gondwana Events Calendar

A calendar of Gondwana Events is now available, thanks to Aparimit - see Calendar.

Frogs and Toads

If you go down to the woods today, you are sure to be suprised......... The little green frogs who belong here are celebrating to express gratitude to Bela and Pramod and Neeten for doing such a great job at clearing out Cane Toads. Last night Bela went all over the greys lane side, (Sat and Hasyas, Mitra etc) hunting for Toads and found NONE!!! Pramod and i went through Bodhas, and mine and his and Tess's and NONE EITHER!!! Maybe it is just the cooler weather....but maybe it is the great Toad Catcher designed by Pramod......badminton racket with little pocket made from plastic salad sieve, ....or the ever so persitant hunting of Bela. I have recently been given a bio dynamic prep 500 to improve/balance our soils bacteria and fungi (increase availability of nutrients) and have been told I can add some dead, cooked Toad juice to help them. stay far away. This delivery will be four times within one year, and the first spraying will be between the 25th of April and 10 days from that. If anyone is willing to help me do the one hour (vortex, chaos, liquid stirring), I appreciate it. I come back from Canberra on the 28th so maybe a few days after that we can do the biodynamic ritual.

ENTIRE VILLAGE TURNS AGAINST SUPERMARKETS & GROWS ITS OWN

The real Good Life: An entire British village turns against supermarkets and grows its own food

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=559580&in_page_id=1770

15+16.Mai.2008 Vipassana

Vipassana Meditation Days at Gondwana Meditation Hall. Call Samvado for details at 02 66847210.

24.April.2008 Open Sharing

We will have our Open Sharing again this Thursday 6:15pm at Aparimit's house. All Gondwana residents are welcome to share and communicate what is happening for them in our circle. It's a space we give each other to listen and be heard, to deepen into our connection with each other.

Those of us who have come, have enjoyed learning more about each other. We think, 'what will I say for 10 minutes', and afterwards 'wow I filled it up easily'.

If this is your dinner time, bring a bowl of food for yourself. Hope to see you there.

Next Sunday evening at 8pm those of you who want to see less evidence of the Cane Toad invasion can meet at the main house to plot for a gold medal while Andy and Andrina are out of town. Bring bucket, gloves, good torch, plastic bags and competitive spirit.

Badminton Gondwana

B.M.O
(Bad Mint On)
Following a stunning Sunday morning of Free Trade coffee consumption in a carefully positioned sunny sitting arrangement, the first ever Badminton, of Gondwana, was briefly sighted somewhere between Leisurely Manor, Jasmine House, Summer Cottage, and Tess and Eric’s Water Closet.
It initially proceeded with some fine hits and misses between Yuti and Jann until this exciting game became infested with hysterical laughter which pulled out the Key Bored neighbour, Joav, to be out on the damp grass helping Yuti (in her crab competitive style) to slaughter the poor little handicapped 6 foot 4 inches Jann. (He consoled himself by continually blaming the sun in his eyes and the rock protruding one millimetre above the ground for his many misses!)
Fortunately the rackets were purchased from a reliable source, and it is to be noted were not, I repeat NOT taken from Neeten’s Cane Toad catching tool box. Bad Mint On requires a hitting approach to a shuttle cock instead of the catching and enclosing approach for tadpoles in the Neeten style racket.
As soon as the match was sighted by Tess and Pramod, they remembered they needed to visit their grandchildren and vanished.
This new Club will be open to all Gondwana residents. Perhaps some great territorial team competitions will manifest with the clear intent of achieving limited injuries, relationship break ups and language regressions. The umpire will be the Buddha Statue and the colourful cheer ladies: King Parrots, Rainbow Parrots, Magpies and Butcher Birds.
Until the next Badminton episode,
hit and miss,
From The Gondwana Racketeers

Latest cane toad news flash

Latest Cane Toad News Flash

A strong wind warning has come for Andy regards his unstable position as number one in the Cane Toad Hunt Department. Two gentlemen petrified of being publicly viewed as less capable primal hunters of our village, indulged themselves to invent remarkably efficiant ways of exterminating large quantities of Toads in brief time. A great success story appears to have occured in Neetens garden; he manufactured a fancy badminton racket into what looks like a Cane Toad Butterfly Catcher and; ever so gracefully, gently, in his Buddha style, he floated it through his pond, luring the young ones, (telling the Owl and the Pussy Cat story), and Wam Bang!!!....there were hundreds of baby (tadpoles) Cane Toads done with. This got his neighbouring comrade, Pramod, feeling a bit chuffed so Pramod has been out there every night hunting the Toads (some of you must be hearing his hunting horn?) and he is doing a remarkable job. It's got to the point where I have trouble finding them now. (Well, with the exception of late saturday night when I arrived home from a party and was about to open my door to go in:only to notice just on time that there was a large Cane Toad waiting patiently at my door to jump in as soon as i opened!)

Tess, unfortunately, (before she elected herself as the Director of Burial Sites), found one in her hand in her garden which had been hastily buried by Eric after one of his great hunts. Her scream was a good Cancerian style that made me feel that lovely feeling, "I am not alone".

P.S. Andy, we are going to have to show these guys a thing or two on the next pre full moon hunt...so get out that lovely intuitive side you kindly showed us that party night, (Andrina), and think up your strategy for our next victory. Friday 18th is two nights before full moon...in libra and my moon calander says it is a good day for diplomatic endevours, (and an excellent day for baking).
Love and big hint to all,

Yuti, Gatherers, Hunters and Strategists

Bodha, Andrina and the Toads

Hi folks this letter came from Bodha and I do not want to deny any of you the pleasure of reading her response, advice and her revealing confessions. I think we need another fancy dress party. We have just had a warm up and the next one will occur a different day to a C.T. meeting. (Clicking Tounges?) (Cane Toadaling?) (Critical Timing?) (Crucifiction Tight-lip?) (Come Together?) (Canary Training?)

Love Yuti

Here is her letter below: Rated R


Letter from Bodha early April

I must admit the highlight of my day was a face full of ample boosom displayed by the enticing Andrina and given a bit less brain dead after the meeting could have almost been inspired to go home and change into some hunky bloke stuff to try and pick her up. But there you go boring old shareholders with heads full of CT stuff instead of fun and frivolity. What a bore never mind maybe a bit more notice would have inspired us to even dress up for our meeting and have some fun at that.
Cane Toads as far as I was told lose their poison after about 5 days but nor sure if the freezer time makes a difference.
Suppose to be good compost so maybe instead of putting them in the bins and stinking out the shed they could be dug into the ground or well covered in the compost.
Lets do it again and I want to go in Andy/Adrinas team pleeeeeaaaaase
Bodha
-

First news of the Cane Toad Hunting Adventure, March 18th


This thursday eve at 6pm in the TV room, the first Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita sweetly delivered on DVD by Mansukh Patel in Wales (Dru Teacher) will be shown. It goes for about half an hour. All welcome. ( There are eighteen chapters on the DVD"S but it is good to get a sweet little taste and later more if feel inspired)This relavant clear delivery of Arjuna's battle with his own despondancy, and the response of Krishna, will perhaps prepare us for the community activity 8pm this same thursday night:

Liberation of Cane Toads From Physical Form.....
Please come to main house at 8pm with a bucket, gloves, good torch, plastic bags.

Yuti

HI Gondies, The latest news regarding Cane Toads comes from the beautiful well endowed (in the breast department), Andrina, previously known as Andy. She /he (it is awfully confusing now since Emily held THAT party), but any way Andy/ Andrina said in his ever so endearing female voice, (high B flat as far as I recall) that "maybe by keeping the cane toads in the freezer for the whole week it actually preserves the poisonous aspect of the Cane Toads". (not bad logic for a bust-y brunette hey?) If Bodha or anyone elso knows if we need to have them unfrozen for an amount of time before they will be safe for fetilizing...please respond. Soon, we have full freezers. I found your green bucket Bodha: will deliver soon. The cane toads need to express one more point: they were concerned with the lack of dress up entertainment offered by the actual shareholders with the exception of Rosie and Andy and Aparmait at THAT great fun party.........even the Cane toads left early on the party night.......found more stimulation inside drains found in the vicinity of the water closets. They are genuinely concerned if a Shareholder Meeting damages creativity? Until the next episode, Toadaloo, Yuti and the Great Hunters

Latest Cane Toad News

THE LATEST REPORT FROM THE MINISTRY FOR CANE TOAD MANAGEMENT
Practical hints omitted from the last Cane Toad News Release. Many toads were found in one spot: a puddle beside Tess and Eric's sperated bathroom shelter. Trapping strategy: make a few puddles a couple of nights before hunting to bait and catch them easily. Once caught, put in fridge, freeze and allow one week before using as compost. National parks taught Bodha that if wait a week the poison is no longer active and they make the best compost. Keeping in mind that our purpose is to prevent deaths of native animals from eating Cane Toads, digesting their poison, and to give space for native frogs. Toadaloo Hunters and Gatherers

Cane Toad Management Report

NEWS FOR EVERYONE WHO MISSED OUT ON ALL THE FUN WITH THE CANE TOADS>
Andy gets a medal for picking up most of the 28, we (Bodha,Andy,Yuti) collected. Bodha gets applauded for her creative ability to conduct a whole choir of Cane toads using a cane garden rake. Yuti gets a clap on the back encouragement for she finally picked one up and screamed and then realised she was still alive. Nonetheless, Yuti does, however, have a keen eye for the toads (and good speed in telling Andy to pick it up). Aparamit got 20 on his own !!!!!! Near the dunnies of course.....Bela and Astra and Carolyn got probably close to 20 also. We enjoyed the competitive element and so I reccomend you do not totally trust my figures, I have some pecuniary interest in making sure our group is sounding impressively superior. So once a month we'll pursue this fun until people go round saying "What is a cane toad? Never seen one". It is nice to be walking in the night through our land, having fun supporting each other; walking after dinner is a very healthy thing to do. Toadaloo, Yuti

New Webpages

A few new pages have been added to the Gondwana website:

1. Some of Gondwana's history is on the History page.
2. Some historical photos are here.
3. Landcare photos are here.
4. Building the Meditation Hall is shown here.
   
5. An article on Dru Yoga is here.
   

More contributions of photos for the website are always welcome.

cheers, keith

Site 4, Gondwana (Test Video, 49 secs)

Site 4, Gondwana

You might need broadband to view this video.

This video was made using the video mode of my ordinary digital camera with resolution 320 x 240 pixels, and 15 frames per second. The file size of the video is 13 MB, and took about 15 minutes to upload to the blog with broadband. Video files can be a maximum of 100 MB, and would take well over an hour to upload with broadband.

cheers, keith

Gondwana News

18 Jan 2008 - 21st Birthday Reunion

Gondwana celebrated its 21st birthday with a weekend reunion event (18 to 20th January). This was highly successful with many previous community shareholders and residents present. One photograph from this event is at the top of this page, and there are a lot more on our Photo Album page.

15 Jan 2008 - Community Title

Byron Shire Council recently approved our development application to convert Gondwana from a Multiple Occupancy development to a Community Title development.

This change to Community Title offers an improved legal structure for Gondwana, including separate land titles for each dwelling site which will enable us to raise mortgages on dwelling sites. We have been working towards this for over five years now, so greet this approval with a great sense of relief. There are still a number of consent conditions of the approval which we need to implement, so it is still a little early to bring out the champagne, but it is still an important milestone on this particular journey.

How to contribute to this blog

Anyone can read this blog, but you will need to be invited by email to post to it.

If you are a Gondwana resident or a friend of Gondwana, please ask me if you wish to post to the blog, and an email invitation will be sent to you. You will need to have a Google account to contribute to the blog - the email invitation will give you instructions about creating one if you don't have one already.

You can post anything of interest to Gonds and friends of Gondwana - and it is easy to insert links, photos or videos, etc. Ask me if you have problems.

cheers, keith