HINTERLAND TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR

The results are in! We had the biggest response ever to our HT Young Writer Award, and the originality, imagination and depth of feeling in so many of the stories made it very difficult to choose just one winner. We whittled it down from 62 to 16, and there were literally one or two votes between those in the top 10.

Thank you to everyone who entered, we loved reading all of your stories, and we had to include an extra ‘Special Mention’ category, for those writers that showed such promise with their rich, evocative descriptions, humour, reflective prose and imaginative ideas.

The winner’s story and one runner up story are in this issue, and we will be printing the other two runner up stories over the coming months.

(We also hope to publish some of the ‘Highly Commended’ stories if/when we have space.)

Unfortunately, runner up Nicholas Matthews was on holiday when we arranged the cover photograph, but we managed to pop across and take a photo of him last week in time for this issue!

So, from the HT team, a massive congratulations to our 2023 winner, Bayli Robinson, whose story (on page 12) moved every one of the judges. Bayli said, “Thanks to the Hinterland Times and all of the really kind sponsors, I still can't believe I was lucky enough to win!”

Winner

Eucalyptus by Bayli Robinson

Runners Up

She of the Never Never by Celine Xavier

I Was Lost by Anna Lawrence

Lost by Nicholas Matthews

Highly Commended

Lost to the Breeze by Isabel Schwabe

Stand Out by Charlotte Collins

The Crooked Man by Sara Bowler

The Day I Realised It Was Okay To Be Me by Huckleberry B. Hill

The Return of Spring by Elizabeth Duggin

I Realised I was Lost by Scarlett Eathorne

Special Mentions

Trapped in a Flat Pack by Temani Wheeler

The Return of Spring by Elizabeth Duggin

I Realised I Was Lost by Aisha Oliver

The Figure with the Hat by CharleyRose Hemingway

Lost But Free by Cooper Kuzma

A Confusion by Laif Godson-King

A huge thank you to our major prize sponsors: Harlequin Blinds and Security, Prime Medical Holdings, IDM Beerwah, Laurisha Jewellery, The Barn on Flaxton, Nellie’s Creative Hair Design and Forest Heart Nursery.

A very big thank you also to our other generous sponsors: Western Avenue Floral Design, The Little Book Nook, Montville Coffee, Majestic Cinemas Nambour, Secrets on the Lake, Petsafe.net, Cool Cats Rock ‘n’ Roll Woombye, Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat, Cooroy RSL, Lake Borumba Caravan and Camping Grounds, Hammond Optometry, Maleny Players and Concept IT.

by ANGELA REEDMAN -POLINSKI

Did you know converting agricultural waste into a soil enhancer can have amazing benefits? It can help boost food security, prevent deforestation, and preserve the diversity of croplands.

Paige Allen, and her partner, Kim, produce biochar onsite from bamboo, which they remove themselves from properties in their Crystal Waters community.

Most locals are familiar with the Crystal Waters Eco Village through visiting the popular local markets and eco-camping area, or attending a music event or permaculture course.

The village is set in 640 acres of bushland at the headwaters of the Mary River. It is home to various local flora and fauna, including kangaroos, wallabies, birds, and reptiles.

Paige and Kim learned the processing techniques to make biochar through Hinterland local Hans Erken from Earthcare, a resident at Crystal Waters village who began working with biochar in 2013.

“Hans is the person who taught us the process and introduced us to using the bamboo here from his knowledge and experience with various permaculture projects,” said Paige.

In 1984, Hans led a team that convened and ran the first International Permaculture Conference at Pappinbarra, NSW. In 1992, he was awarded The Permaculture Community Service Award by the Permaculture Institute for ‘vision and work forming an essential and selfless contribution to the promotion of Permaculture locally and globally and toward

“On Han’s recommendation, we chose to use bamboo specifically for our biochar as it has a higher surface area than normal plant biochar, due to the porous structure of the bamboo. This creates a habitat for beneficial soil microbial communities to thrive,” Paige continued.

“Bamboo is a drought-resistant species with low rainfall requirements and can grow up to 25 meters (80 feet). Biochar helps the planet by carbon sequestration, instead of having the vegetation burn or break down, producing CO2.

“In simple terms, biochar is made by burning dried vegetation in an oxygen-free kiln to produce charcoal, and the charcoal becomes biochar when you use it in your garden.

“Kim’s mum loves using the biochar on her garden beds to grow spinach, tomatoes, and broccolini. She adds horse manure to the biochar to work together for optimal plant health.”

The International Biochar Initiative says, ‘Mixing biochar with compost is a great idea, since apart from the ash (and there might only be small amounts of it in biochar), biochar is not a fertiliser in itself so the compost can provide nutrients which the biochar can help retain.’

Paige explained the process. “The biochar process here at Crystal Waters starts with clearing the bamboo with a chainsaw or pulling it out with the car via a chain and ratchet strap. We then let it dry off completely in a pile for approximately three months, depending on the weather and the time of year.

Time To Check Your Tanks

“The next step is to break the bamboo into smaller pieces and then burn it down to a charcoal base in the kiln. The fire burns very hot and clean, and our kiln manager has scorched his eyebrows a few times when observing the burn too closely!

“We hose the charcoal off to cool it down, prevent it from turning to ash, and then run the product through a chipper to produce a finer grade. This breaks down the larger pieces and creates a consistent texture, which is better for use in the garden.

“The final step is to load it into small bags, bulk bags, or a trailer, ready to use. That’s the consumer side of the process. We are also now working with the CSIRO Brisbane office by directly sending samples of Bambusa Balcooa to them for research purposes.”

Paige admitted, it is messy, hot work. “We work through the heat, rain and everything in between to get it done. My hands are usually covered in black charcoal, but I love the satisfaction of having a purposeful job.”

Paige has worked in both the retail and hospitality industries, and she knows that this is now where she wants to be, “outdoors in nature and making a real difference every day”, she said with a big smile.

“Our work with biochar production primarily focuses on the benefits of waste reduction, energy coproduction, and improved soil fertility and structure.

“The other valuable part about the biochar process is that it reduces the fire load for the Crystal Waters community as we clear the bamboo from properties. It's a win-win situation – we work to save the planet while making our community surroundings safer.”

The product is sold at the Crystal Waters and Witta markets.

“People might be more familiar with me as the flower stall lady, as I sell flowers by the stem for people to create their own bouquets and floral arrangements,” said Paige.

“I want more people to know and understand the biochar product and benefit from using it in their gardens. It is a great option for growing thriving flowers and vegetable patches.”

You can contact Paige to discuss Biochar and bamboo removal through her business, Water and Wood, on 0411 425 793 or via email at paige_01@live. com.au. Or you can drop in and say hello at her Crystal Waters or Witta market stall. Check our Market Guide page for details.

AUCTIONS the place to buy for lower prices not to sell for the highest price.

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Ask o r agent abo t their nego a on skills and ho to se the B ers’ Highest Price Declara on or BHP With a BHP, o ill achie e the highest price from the b ers as the ha e to declare their “ alk a a ” price.

For more informa on and a cop of the B ers’ Highest Price Declara on please contact o r agenc PS - Thank o to o r readers ho no ced the error regarding ho sehold ater sage. It is gallons or appro . litres per da

Monica has orked for s as a b er ’s agent on a fe occasions no and if e e er b or sell propert in the f t re e o ld definitel ask her to represent s Monica has great local and market kno ledge, she orks relessl and gets back ith ans ers to an q es ons straight a a She is professional, honest and friendl as ell as being a skilled comm nicator and nego ator This e perience presented some obstacles, b t Monica as able to nego ate a contract e ere happ ith and le� s on good terms ith the endors. I ha e no hesita on in recommending Monica as an agent.

Re ie s bmi ed b B ers – Balmoral Ridge –J l