A very sunburnt country – Part 1

Sep 11, 2019 | Blog Articles

It was a cold Southern Highlands morning when we left Moss Vale at 5am en route for Sydney Airport. Bob Simpson was leaving on the 7am flight to Perth to begin his epic bike ride from there to Bundanoon to bring awareness to Post Traumatic Stress and to fundraise for Quest.

Bob wasn’t expecting us but we wanted to wave him off before we headed out west to Coonamble. He was looking fit, relaxed and excited, a wonderful combination for the long journey ahead. Bob will be in our thoughts and at the end of our rainbows every day until he crests the hill and turns into the driveway at Quest.

As Bob begins his long ride across this wonderful country, I was heading out to western NSW to deliver a series of workshops to communities living in drought. A very generous donation by the Helen Lyons Foundation has made these workshops possible and Quest appreciates their recognition of the effects of drought on farmers, families and communities.

A LAND IN TROUBLE

We headed out over the Blue Mountains and as we drove deeper out west the land flattened and the paddocks became dryer and browner. A terrible wind had kicked up and the air became full of dust. Whatever topsoil that hadn’t already been blown away was swirling around and being tossed across the road and into the air. This is surely a land in trouble.

We were out this way 7 months ago; the drought was being talked about on the news and written about in the newspapers, but then, as the country slipped into winter, drought and its shocking effects were mentioned less frequently. It may be out of sight for people in big cities, but it’s very much in the minds, the hearts and everyday lives of communities out Coonamble way.

A SENSE OF BELONGING

Amanda Glasson is the Rural Resilience Officer with the Department of Primary Industries for the North West. Amanda has helped to organise the workshops and we were chatting over a cup of coffee this morning. Amanda said someone had made a generous donation of 2 holidays that she was having trouble giving away. What? Who wouldn’t want a free holiday?

But people are reluctant to leave their animals and their land such is their deep connection and feeling of responsibility. At a time of such trouble, staying put to feed stock is where they feel they belong.

So we’re in Coonamble running 3 workshops and then we’ll head out to Walgett where they have to truck in drinking water. Yes, we love a sunburnt country but out west NSW the land is dying of thirst, livestock are hungry and the people are in despair.

WHAT BRINGS RELIEF

People are hungry for the practical tools of meditation and mindfulness. They relish the practices as it provides such relief from the mental challenges of managing ‘life’ through the drought – it puts a strain on relationships, stock numbers, feeding and the eternal question of when conditions might change for the better.

Learn more about Quest for Life’s Training Workshops for Organisations and Communities, which provide support and inspiration for communities dealing with the trauma of natural disasters.

Funding Options for Residential Programs

Self-Funding

Quest subsidises all privately or self-funded places to ensure the cost of our programs remains affordable to individuals. This allows us to reduce the fee from $4,400 to $2,800.

$2,200 Shared room (Early bird* $2,100 – must be paid 30 days in advance)
$2,800 Single room (Early bird* $2,700 – must be paid 30 days in advance)

Fees effective 1 July 2023.

Subsidies

Through generous grants, donations and fundraising, additional subsidies are available for a range of circumstances and anyone experiencing financial stress will be considered.

NDIS

Quest is a registered NDIS Provider. Residential Programs can be funded through plan-managed and self-managed NDIS plans.

DVA

We work with Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) White Card or Gold Card holders to make applications to the DVA Health Approvals Board.

Worker’s Comp Insurance

Residential programs can be covered by workers compensation insurance on a case-by-case basis.

Call our Programs Advisers Today
1300 941 488