(Post was written on Friday.)

Just boarded a train from Newcastle back to Sydney, where it all began. The last time I boarded a train was about a month ago from Melbourne to Myrtleford, the start of an interesting adventure.

Unlike my plane ride to Sydney or bus to Melbourne, I had no expectations nor idea as to what my time in Myrtleford would be like. It felt long. It felt short. It had ups. It had downs. I met friends. I met foes. It took me beyond the tiny town to Albury, then Maitland, then Dungog and finally Newcastle.

Moving hastily around, yet staying put, I entered this 29-day adventure with no expectations, and leave now with no regrets, other than having to part ways with people who have become so dear to me.

Walking from photographing trees grown in water at the Hume Dam on the way from Kancoona to Dungog. Photo provided by Anna-Lise Rouquier

I felt something special on the way to Myrtleford that at the time was hard to describe. I now realize it was my first unplanned experience to a place I knew nothing about. My past travels were always to cities or tourist destinations, because those are the safest and most easily-accessed places. This time I was really traveling to the heart of a country other than my own, meeting people outside the big city.

Going to Kancoona Valley Wines, I wasn’t even expecting to find another WWOOFer, let alone one I would get along with so well and befriend so quickly. For people who have followed my dispatches, I think it’s pretty obvious that the thing I will miss most from this past month’s journey is my new good friend Lise.

Separated by age, country, language and practicality, Lise and I are very different. None of that mattered though. It felt as though we were instantly comfortable with one another. We talked about politics, religion, our lives at home, current lives, music and giggled quite a bit. I sometimes struggle with spending long periods of time with the same person, especially when traveling, but that was not the case with Lise.

Only a month ago we were strangers. Now I’ve experienced and seen things with her that I’ve never even done with people I’ve known all my life. There’s people I’ve been friends with for 23 years that I haven’t even traveled outside of New Jersey with, but with someone I knew 29 days I spent time across the world with. For some reason that just amazes me, but reaffirms how wonderful travel is.

Stopped to photograph a gorgeous sky on the way to pick up Karl in Myrtleford with Lise. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Life at Kancoona was very different from the way I live at home. I don’t mean anything drastic, just day-to-day routine. Living quietly with only my father for the majority of the past ten years, entering a house of five with children ranging from four to 14, was quite a change. I’m not around kids often, so I wasn’t sure how to interact with Konrad, Maedy and Karl. I think with their experience having WWOOFers come and go, they were a bit more outgoing than other kids their age. Regardless, I really fell in love with those kids. It was like instant-family.

Then there was Lena, who I don’t think will ever realize how special she was to me. Most of my life I’ve been shifted around “mother-figures.” I’ve met some incredible women, but since my upbringing was mainly by men, my dad and brother, I often find it harder to relate with women. Lena was different. I really liked talking to her and learning about her family. She was joyful. Although I only spent 19 days in Kancoona, she impacted me greatly.

Lena and I posing with mustaches on my last night at Kancoona. Photo provided by Anna-Lise Rouquier

Leaving the family early morning on March 2nd, was a strange experience. Unlike leaving NJ, I’m not sure whether I will see them ever again, yet I only spent 19 days with them so it was a strange sort of goodbye. Nonetheless, goodbyes are never easy. Luckily, I didn’t leave alone as Lise and I left together for our next country-destination, the Yoga in Daily Life retreat in Dungog.

I was completely in the blue when it came to Dungog. Through emails from Yoga in Daily Life, I knew that development at their retreat in Dungog was minimal and that I had to go through three gates on someone else’s cow farm to enter the property. I didn’t know who or how many people would be there, the climate on the mountain (Blue Mountains) I’d be staying nor the work I would do there.

Arriving was definitely a shock. I’m not needy and I’m definitely not a girly-girl, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself outdoorsy. So when I saw compost toilets, a few generators to power the place and a mouse in the kitchen, I didn’t think, “I can’t do this,” but I definitely wasn’t prepared for it.

Looking back, none of that stuff mattered and actually was really easy to get used too. The things that really matter are the people I met there and things I learned.

Lakshmana, a Yoga monk, was the only person living on the 640-hecter property other than Lise, Veronica, another WWOOFer from Italy and I. Poodinun, the project manager who was in charge of us would come up only for the day. Looking back now as I sit on my computer, listening to my iPod, I feel like this is the type of place I would get bored at after maybe three hours. But I wasn’t bored there once. In fact, I was rushing around before I left trying to finish Ramayanna, a Sanskrit epic Lakshmana let me borrow.

Lakshmana was there to meditate and put more time into his spirituality. While the other two WWOOFers and I were interested in Yoga, some more than others, we are not nearly as advanced or invested at this point. So I wasn’t sure how that dynamic would work out, but we all got on fine.

In fact, Lakshmana was was more than happy to answer all my questions about Yoga and…life. Trust me when I say that it was a lot. I sounded like a four-year-old (“But why is this and what about that?). He is very wise and I have never really thought that about someone. Not that I don’t know wise people, it was just never a characteristic that came to mind to describe someone, until I met Lakshmana. Further, he has this deep laugh that just makes people smile.

Then there was Veronica, who I’m not sure there are any words to describe. Haling from Tuscany, she exudes Italia, but her personality is only Veronica. Our job at the Yoga in Daily Life retreat in Dungog was to weed lantana, which really means weeding trees from the Bush. It was a job that called for axes and poison, yet Veronica somehow made it wonderful.

Lise, Veronica and I posing on a brick wall in Maitland as Veronica says, "I feel like Jesus and you are thieves." Photo provided by Anna-Lise Rouquier

The first day we thought the weed was named, “plantana.” The way Veronica said “plantana” with a deep tone to the middle a, described the experience and plant so perfectly. It sounded especially hysterical when she screamed the name followed by “vafanculo,” from deep within the bush.

Weeding trees for 10 days, it was normal to say things like, “Can I borrow your ax?” or scream, “POISON,” which is translated the same in every language.

Lise with ax in hand while weeding lantana in Dungog. Photo provided by Anna-Lise Rouquier

The work and activities on the property were just daily routine. Sharing meals and tea is what was my favorite part of the experience. The kitchen at the retreat was large and had all these fun stoves, spices and tools. It was open in the front by screens and a beaded doorway, nothing to block people from the outdoor elements. There was no TV and we didn’t listen to music much, so sharing meals and talking around the table was the thing to do at night and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

We all talked about things I would never talk about at home and we laughed so much together. I so much looked forward to sitting down with them every night.

Lakshmana, Veronica, I and Lise posing after our last dinner together in Dungog. Photo provided by Veronica Gazzei

Leaving Lakshmana and Veronica was hard, and finally parting ways with Lise in Newcastle was sad as well. But for some reason I didn’t cry. Maybe this sounds foolish, but I just think our paths will cross again and even if they don’t I can only smile when I think of them.

Things may be different when this train stops in Sydney Central and I return to the same hostel I started at in Australia, alone again. It’s going to strange not saying “bonne nuit” to Lise tonight after doing it for 29-days or not sharing a tea with Veronica tomorrow morning after doing it for ten days. But this trip is not near finished and I know there are plenty  more great people to meet and times to have along the way.

In fact this Monday, Julia, my good friend from New Jersey will arrive for a 12-day holiday. I can’t wait to share this country and stories of all the great people I’ve met with her.

The term WWOOF is thrown around in hostels and bus stations throughout Australia quite frequently, but not everyone knows exactly what it means, nor how great it can be for travelers. Willing Workers On Organic Farms is an international volunteer network. While the organization is available is numerous countries, it seems most well-organized and practiced in Australia.

People pay $60 for a one-year membership that includes support, access to the organization’s online forum and a book full of hosts. Hosts range from vineyards to cattle raches to hostels. The work varies, but it is usually four to six hours per day. Travelers receive free food and accommodation in return for any work their host’s requires.

That’s the basics, but the organization is so much more than that. It opens travelers up to experiences they can’t find in a guide book, encourages cultural exchanges and so much more. There’s plenty of reasons to WWOOF, here are just a few.

Family: Every hosts is different, but some invite guests to live with the family. It may not be for everyone, but it can work wonders for those feeling a little home sick. As children, most or us are eager to get away from home and be on our own. People may underestimate the importance of little things like eating dinner, running errands and watching a movie with their family at home. They soon realize it when they’re out on their own in a foreign land. Living with a hosts family can help fill that void when traveling for long periods of time.

2/24/2010-(Left) Me playing Maedy and Konrad Birti at Kancoona Valley Wines after a day of working in the vineyards. Photo by Anna-Lise Rouquier

Friends: Staying at a house that accommodates more than one WWOOFer makes the experience even better. Some WWOOFers really bond and even travel together after their time with a host. Working and living together allows for more conversation than in hostels. It’s a positive environment to get to know another person and can make the experience a lot of fun. Plus, people may get the chance to learn from other cultures besides their own and their host’s.

Food and leisure: Since most WWOOF hosts reside on farms, they usually serve fresh vegetables, meat and more. A lot of times WWOOFers enjoy home-cooked meals, which sure beats hostel bread and tuna fish. The food is from that culture and homemade, so WWOOFers get a chance to try new things, for free. Plus, hosts sometimes take their guests for leisure activities, whether it be hiking a local mountain or going on a vacation with the family.

Lessons: WWOOFing allows travelers to learn things they can’t just visiting tourist’s attractions or staying in hostels. People actually live like the locals do and learn all those little nuances that are part of that particular culture. WWOOFers can also learn more about things like farming, wine-making and cooking. Whatever their host family may do, volunteers get a taste of.

2/13/2010-Anna-Lise Rouquier (right), a WWOOFer from France, helps Joe Birti, owner of Kancoona Valley Wines, with winery work. Kancoona Valley Wines is one of many hosts available through WWOOF Australia. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Communication and manners: It’s not always easy to stay with people that don’t follow the same routine or traditions as one’s own. It can be frustrating, but is character-building. People may learn to be more accepting or better listeners. Plus, this isn’t one’s own family or a friend of the family, so guests should be on good behavior, which could lead to practicing better manners in other aspects of life.

To really get to know a culture, people need to do more than visit the sights and read plaques. They need to live, eat and drink like the locals do. WWOOF is an easy and safe organization that assists travelers doing so.

Photo courtesy of Japan Podshow

When I told people my plans to work on a farm in Australia, their responses were usually doubtful.

“But you’re not a farmer.”

“You won’t last a day.”

“Do you have any idea how hard farming is?”

They were right about one thing. Farming is tough! Some of the work is straining, but mostly it’s just tedious and time-consuming. It’s harder than the nay-sayers said it would be and harder than I’ll ever know given that I’ve done so little.

However, what those people neglected to tell me is how rewarding and soulful farming can be. You’re in the great outdoors, basking in the sun and working with the land. The work you do is evident. There’s nothing like looking back on a days worth of weeding blackberries and seeing with your own eyes all you’ve accomplished.

2/21/10-Can you tell which row of vines has been weeded? Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Further, there’s not much thought in most of the work. Once I got into a groove, it was basically just repetition. That gave me a lot of time to think about…everything.

People in my life, things I’ve accomplished, people I’ve met, what I want to write about next, how I’m going to write it, things I’ve said, analyzations of why I did something, how I wish I did it differently, my favorite moments, my favorite sandwich, my first love, friends, family, what I want to accomplish, how I’m going to do it, things I wish I had said, why none of that matters, how I’ll do things differently in the future and I wonder if it’d time to eat yet.

In the midst of it all, I’ll look up for a moment and just go blank at the sight. In the afternoon when the sun is setting, it shines through the leaves and grapes just right to brighten the colors. The mix puts me in my place as to how lucky I am to be here.

2/24/10-The grapes and leaves look especially impressive when the sun hits them just right, usually around 5 p.m.

All that thought, can really give a person peace of mind. It comes so naturally too. I don’t even realize I am so into my thought until I look back at meters and meters of completed work and think, whoa how did I get from there to here. It’s extremely relaxing, minus the random pricks from the thorns on blackberry vines.

The soul-searching is only going to get more intense as Lise and I are heading to WWOOF at a yoga retreat center three hours outside Sydney next week. If we thought we were in the middle of nowhere at Kancoona, I think we’re in for a rude awakening.

When I say we’re going to WWOOF at a yoga retreat, I mean that theoretically. There isn’t actually a yoga center there quite yet. We’re going to help built it. I’m not sure what resources are available at this place, but I’m sure not many if there isn’t even a building on the site.

But none of that matters. It’s just another adventure and learning experience in Oz and this one comes with group yoga and meditation.

I’m pretty excited for the trip there as well. Lise has a station wagon, so we’re driving to the center. It will be my first time kind of road tripping in Australia. The place is ten hours away and we are doing it all in one day, so there’s not going to be a lot of time to stop along the way. From what I hear, Australia has a lot of interesting things along its highways, including a massive lobster. From what I know of this country I’m banking on open roads surrounded by grand landscapes.

Ever since I first saw “Stealing Beauty” with Liv Tyler when I was about 13-years-old, I have dreamed of living on a vineyard. Between the sun, the culture and of course, the wine, it seemed like an intriguing life.

I tried to stay on a vineyard when I was in Tuscany via Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF), but got too caught up with traveling, having only three months to see as much of Europe as possible. Luckily Australia has plenty of great wine regions as well, and this trip I have plenty of time to spare from traveling.

I started looking for wineries to host me months before I arrived in Australia. In fact, I was looking at wineries before I even bought my plane ticket. WWOOF is a fantastic organization to go through for volunteering and cultural exchanges in Australia. It only cost $60 to register for a year and they send clients a large book filled with an array of different farms, resorts and more. Some of the first people I emailed were full and a few places fell through, but there are plenty of great places to choose from, so I just kept emailing until I found a match, Kancoona Valley Wines in Northeast Victoria.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Lena and Joe Birti own the 10-acre vineyard and live on it with their three wonderful children. Both Lena and Joe are second generation Italian immigrants of Australia, which means fantastic food, wine and even better family. Coming off three weeks of not eating much to try and save money, Lena’s meals are more than a treat. I think I gained back any weight I lost while traveling plus 10 pounds.

Located off Great Alpine Road near Myrtleford, this was one of the areas devastated by bush fires just a year ago. On the drive up here, Joe pointed out some of the areas that were affected, which weren’t hard to miss. Complete sides of mountains are still barren and black.

I’ve watched, photographed, learned some winemaking and tasted a few of their wines. Kancoona is one of the only wineries in Australia making preservative free wines. They plan to launch Australia’s first preservative free sparkling wine next year.

2/13/10-One perk of WWOOFing can be all the great meals. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I arrived here Friday, February 12 by train, bus and automobile (in that order, so almost like the movie). I started 8 a.m. Friday morning from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, where I took a V-Line train to Seymour, then a bus to Wangaratta and another bus to Mytleford.

The moment I walked off the bus in Mytleford, I had a good feeling. Myrtleford is one of those towns in movies that big city girls retreat to for some reason and first hate it then fall in love with it or a man, usually. It reminded me of “small town USA,” which only exists in Disney World nowadays. T here are tons of original bakeries, where the owners are actually working, older women with wicker baskets instead of purses and tiny cottages with giant rose bushes surrounding the yards.

I arrived around noon and my host family picked me up at 4:30 p.m., so I had some time to kill, which I was more than happy to do in such a beautiful place. I first went to the tourist information office, where two women with flower-print dresses and wide smiles were working, to see if they knew of any lockers were where I could put my bags down. They didn’t, but said, “You look like a nice enough girl, you can leave them here for the day.”

After three weeks in the city and 23 years in Jersey (gritty, but not always friendly), it felt nice to be in the Australian country side.

They gave me a map and some suggestions on how to spend my day. It’s not a big town, it actually reminds me a lot of Frenchtown, NJ, but more active. To add to the Frenchtown feeling, there is an Asian imports store in Myrtleford, Red Ramia Trading, that reminds me of Two Buttons, “Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert and her husband Jose’s Southeast Asian import warehouse in Frenchtown. (Read my article about Two Buttons here.)

I found a cute bracelet and rustic notebook that had leather flaps with an elephant carved on it in the store.

Unsure what my hosts looked like, my eyes were wandering all around to catch a glimpse when I returned to our planned meeting point that day. I, on the other hand, stuck out with my massive red backpack, so it was Joe who popped out of his white pick up truck and questioned, “Bobbi?” as I walked down the road.

I met his family and Lise, a French WWOOFer that arrived a few days before me, at the grocery store, we drove about 30 minutes through the valley and up some mountains to reach my home for the next few weeks. Off the beaten track in an understatement. No wifi, wireless and mobile phone reception. It’s the complete opposite of the life I am accustomed to in the States, which is the point really. WWOOFing can put travelers in touch with an array of different experiences you can’t find in a guide book.

The winery is located on a hill with their house and a restaurant at the top looking down on the vineyard with a backdrop of mountains. It’s hard to believe this is the landscape I will be looking at the next few weeks. I have only been lucky enough to see places like this for a few days at best thinking to myself, “One day I am going to live somewhere like this!”

My life at Kancoona is country. Neighbors live miles away from one another, everyone is a farmer and heaps of cows graze around the area, but the cows are either pure black or brown and white, unlike the black and white ones in the States.

It’s really spectacular to run through the area, although not the easiest task. There’s no such thing as a flat road out here, but it doesn’t bother me because I’m usually so struck by the scenery.

Saturday was more of a lazy day. I learned about Lena’s family, how they came to Australia and how tough it was to survive in the untouched country at that time. Melbourne wasn’t even a fully functioning city then, so you can imagine how underdeveloped towns a few hours outside the city were. She said there was no running water, electricity, they slept on piles of hay and any food the family ate was either grown or killed by that family. Lena’s mom Maria came over later. She mainly speaks Italian, which is candy to the ears. I really enjoyed listening to Lena, her mom and Lise, who speaks three languages, interact.

That’s one of the best things about WWOOFing at Kancoona Valley. I get the Aussie-farm experience, but also the Italian experience that I missed in Tuscany.

Sunday, Valentine’s Day, we had some customers in the restaurant. I do a lot of cooking here, some work in the winery, play with the kids and help around the house and garden. It’s not like other WWOOFing host I’ve read about where people work hard for a few hours, then do their own thing. Here, I am apart of the family, whether it be helping with dinner or watching movies together.

It’s nice to settle down, leave my bags in one spot and not have to mark my food in bags in the refrigerator for a few weeks after running around for the past three weeks. I hit a bit of a physical and mental wall before arriving here, where I just couldn’t possibly walk through another park or see another sight, so this bit of normalcy is exactly what I needed.