Our Story

By chance, 14 years ago, we discovered an underdeveloped property when we were searching for a land-based home after losing our 50-ft yacht, Orca. We had been sunk off the coast of Australia in a cyclone (southern hemisphere hurricane) in 1997. Orca had been our home for 7 years in the Cayman Islands and while sailing the South Pacific. Our adventures are told in the book When the Wind Blows. Oak Tree Farm was to become our new home.

It was cathartic to have land roots again and to work this gem into a viable small farm. When we arrived alder, bracken and blackberries had rapidly assumed control. The previous owner proudly told us we would never get a hay crop off the property. Based on the way he managed it he was correct, but he had no vision.

In short order we had pigs rooting out the bracken and blackberry, fertilizing the land and producing very fine pork in the process. In stages we felled some trees, and rock picked; every one "lovingly" picked by hand. We then ploughed and re seeded to provide dairy pasture. Before long we had three milking Jersey cows that were well known for the quality of milk they produced and we even had customers driving up from Victoria, 3 hours away, for our butter. Our heritage breed chickens - Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorpes - supplied us and many eager customers with tasty free range eggs. We also kept sheep and for several years raised orphan lambs. Our most recent cattle were the miniature breed, Irish Dexters.

Robin has had a few brilliant ideas, we grow Shiitake mushrooms, some wasabi, and 6 years ago thought that we should grow lavender. It thrives on well-drained alkaline soils with an abundance of sunshine. Well, we live in a rain forest and our soil is acidic. However, our summers are usually both hot and dry and that's good, so it looks like we had just 2 strikes against us. We go ahead anyway and 2 years after planting 600 seedlings we harvested our first crop, in the wettest summer we had seen in ten years! The crop was good and it is a surprisingly successful venture. We have since increased our stock to 1200 plants including some 20 different varieties. We distill the lavender buds and flowerheads for oil and hydrosol, and over the years have developed a unique range of very popular lavender products, and now sell online to all parts of the globe. Please view our lavender website.

While improving the land over the years, we completed work on the somewhat unfinished farmhouse. Now we're of retiring age and have been here for 14 years - 9 years longer than we have lived anywhere else in the world in one place! Maggi was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, and has suffered major complications from the chemotherapy - hopefully now heading towards resolution. Our children are settled in Eastern Canada and we are missing the grandchildren growing up. Our yearning to travel again has resurfaced and we're keen to do some more adventuring and buy another sailboat. So Oak Tree Farm is now for sale, looking for someone who will love it as we do, and who will gain as much personal benefit from this beautiful area as we have. Meander through this site to see a selection of photos of the farmhouse and from our 14 great years on the farm.