Sometimes you feel the approach of the small planes to Melaleuca’s white gravel airstrip before you hear them- a subtle shift in the air, a low hum that builds before the Cessnas descend. Normally, as the site’s volunteer caretakers, we’d head down to greet bushwalkers beginning their journeys into Tasmania’s remote southwest wilderness. But this morning was different.

Stepping out of the planes were the volunteers of the annual Melaleuca working bee. Some had already arrived by yachts, and as they reunited on the airstrip, the scene was full of warmth and laughter- a gathering of old friends, and for us, a feeling of meeting good friends we simply hadn’t known yet.

Tom Pegano 01 Warm Welcomes on the Melaleuca Airstrip. the Fenton Family’s Vintage (but Very Much Still Working) Tractor Provided Baggage Service (photo Tom Pagano).

Warm welcomes on the Melaleuca airstrip. (Photo: Tom Pagano)

We weren’t sure what to expect. The seven-page task list was daunting: boardwalk construction, interpretive signage installation, brush-cutting, weeding, and much more. Surrounded by seasoned veterans with specialised tools and deep knowledge, we wondered if we would actually be helpful. When asked our skills, we offered, half-joking “Strong backs, weak minds”.

But it turns out the working bee doesn’t run on expertise alone. There were jobs for all skill levels, and a generous spirit of sharing knowledge. In no time, we were confidently using a circular saw to prepare boardwalk posts.

Tom Pegano 02 Keith Training Mel on the Power Tools (photo Tom Pagano)

Keith training Mel on the power tools. (Photo: Tom Pagano)

Further, it might be easy to overlook one’s hidden talents; given his day job at the Weather Bureau, Tom was encouraged to give a morning weather briefing. The stakes felt high, considering that were only going to be a few usable windows for outdoor work that week.

Tom Pegano 03 Tom Giving a Weather Briefing. Sunny, Windy, Wet, Four Seasons in a Week (photo Mel Erler)

Tom giving a weather briefing. Sunny, windy, wet, four seasons in a week. (Photo: Mel Erler)

Not every job was glamorous. The first part of installing the new track was removing stubborn nails in order to reclaim the chicken wire from the old boardwalk. At one point when we ran out of hammers, a scuba weight was pressed into service. It would have been easy to get discouraged at the pace of progress, but when lots of people take on their own small part, big jobs get done.

Tom Pegano 04 Volunteer Anna Hauling Planks for the New Track (photo Mel Erler)

Volunteer Anna hauling planks for the new track. (Photo: Mel Erler)

A highlight for us was a boat trip to Claytons Corner, the former home of the Clayton family, who lived there over fifty years ago. Weeding the old garden was a job that could never be fully finished but “getting through the work” wasn’t the point. There was something meditative in it, and something meaningful in sharing the same kind of tasks that generations before us had done- tending to the place, one patch at a time.

Tom Pegano 05 Mel Weeding the Garden at Claytons Corner (photo Keith Drew)

Mel weeding the garden at Claytons Corner. (photo: Keith Drew)

On our hands and knees, we saw things we would’ve missed at walking speed: carnivorous plants, tiny insects and others. In slowing down, we found a deeper connection- not just to place, but to each other, and something larger than ourselves.

Tom Pegano 06 Taking Time to Notice Hidden Worlds (photo Keith Drew)

Taking time to notice hidden worlds. (photo: Keith Drew)

We were reminded through the week: we often find connection and community in remote places like this not despite the isolation but because of it. A group dinner at the Willsons family home stands out- laughter, hearty food, and Melaleuca’s own homebrew beer. We invited a stranded hiker fresh from the track, soaked and hungry. “Last night I had a dream of pizza and beer” she shared, “I would have never imagined it coming true!” That night was full of great yarns- of hidden history, perilous bushwalking adventures, and shared wonder of the wilderness.

Tom Pegano 08 a Double Rainbow Over the Buttongrass Plain (photo Tom Pagano)

(Photo: Tom Pagano)

And around here, even the weather knows how to tell a good story. Some days were glorious and sunny, but in about 30 hours there was around 70 mm of rain, flooding and pea sized hail pummeling the site. For all its notorious moodiness, the weather ended on a high note with possibly the brightest rainbow we’ve ever seen. There was even an aurora!

Tom Pegano 07 a Blanket of Hail at the Campsite (photo Tom Pagano)

A blanket of hail at the campsite. (Photo: Tom Pagano)

Overall, we truly appreciated that no job is too small because outcomes can be so large when everyone works together. Helping the land isn’t about grand gestures, either. It’s the quiet repetition of mending and tending. The environment doesn’t clap or congratulate. It responds with small signs: a returning parrot, a sprouting seed, a path that holds.

Tom Pegano 09 the “great Emu in the Sky” Lit by an Aurora (photo Tom Pagano)

The “Great Emu in the Sky” lit by an aurora. (Photo: Tom Pagano)

As we farewelled the departing volunteers, there were warm handshakes, long hugs, and the sense that we were saying goodbye to new family. And like family, we’re already thinking about when we’ll see them again. Hopefully at the next working bee!

Tom Pagano and Mel Erler

Island Arks Symposium VI - Rottnest Island, Western Australia - 11-15th February 2019