This inspirational book tells of one woman's journey through life to a place of contentment and satisfaction. Her journey has been no smooth, planned passage, but rather a stumble over setbacks, propelled by almost accidental decisions. After the ups and downs of relationships, single parenting, and an unlikely variety of jobs, in her fifties she found herself living in the bush, far from any town, and alone. A writer with insufficient income, a grandma with unwelcome arthritis, she was unsure if she could manage the hard work and mechanical demands of a totally self-sufficient lifestyle, but she gave it a go - and found it full of funny incidents and great rewards. With only the wildlife as her neighbours, she learnt to live in tune with nature on her wildlife refuge, helping to repair past damage and trying to do no more. 'Civilised conservation', she calls it, 'having your cake and eating it too - before the wallabies do.' Living alone taught her most about herself, as it released her from the dramas and distractions of a relationship, and dependence on men - except for the secret knowledge of machines that she feels they are born with! It also gave her the determination to be less selfish with her time, and to do her best to call a halt to the destruction of our environment so that we all learn to live more sustainably and leave a better world for our grandchildren.

Author Biography

Sharyn Munro is a freelance writer as well as an award-winning short-story writer. She lives in a solar-powered mudbrick cabin on her mountain wildlife refuge in the New South Wales Hunter valley. Here she is regenerating her property's vegetation, at a pace dictated by ageing knees. Mother of two, grandmother of two, she is also a late-blooming environmental activist, at a pace dictated by concern for their futures.