Excellent! thanks for the heads up Sheryl.
I ordered a copy about a week ago, but sent it to Paul for B'day... lucky bugger

Take care
Ryan

dragonfly_emi, better start singing to the carob tree so he gets a move on... lol
It's usually about 7yrs before they bear a decent crop.

They do get pods in earlier years, but they always seem to rot or drop early
Also, not entirely sure, but I think you'll need both a male and female nearby to produce the pods, unless both were grafted on the one tree... so that pollination can go ahead...

Good job Harley. I've never even been to an orphanage or anything of the sort...
how do they go with food over there? I'd imagine there's plenty of local produce for em?
Or are they still treated like they live in a desert rather than Thai oasis...?

Safe travels,
Ryan

that'd be so disheartening for the grower as well as us... lol

So where is the farm? In QLD? We've been getting ours from SA... could be same place, as they're really good ones.

Take it easy
Ryan

Yeah, Grant even eating a frozen durian here in Oz gives the urine a distinct odour.
The only other things I've got that with are papaya seeds, coffee (if my memory serves me correctly) and excess mango...

errr do you have to tease us like that Neet? hehe
have you gotten sick of Thai massages yet? or is that impossible?

I've only camped out on the beach a few times, but it really is an amazing place to wake up to hey.
Actually before this winter sets in it'd be silly not to walk 200m down the road and spent a night on the dunes... 

dont be jealous RawDuchess... it'll all be happening again next year
I really hope we can gather a tribe of us to hit the streets of Thailand lol

I hope you all pick up on some of those Thai massage techniques... hint hint   

Despite Yacon being a very tropical plant, my friend has it growing well in Bega (few hours south of Sydney) and it tolerates the frosts ok, I think because it draws all the starches in before winter hits.
Sadly I havn't got any yet, he has a few plants for me but I havn't been out that way for a while.

So on the question of growing it in Tasmania... it'd be a little colder than Bega, but I can't see why it wouldn't grow there. It just may not be as productive as in the tropics.

But give it a whirl whenever you can, and if it doesn't survive, than try some of the other hundreds of edible's until you find a range of easy, high yeilding plants that you enjoy.

peace

Haha nah the only Nightshades that are a problem grow in Europe and not Oz... we have them everywhere around here and they actually become rather addictive. I know of about 6 different patch's in my area, so pretty much every time I go outside I can be assured a nice snack along the way.

Every time I've tried Morton Bay figs, they are dry and pretty well insipid... have you got nice-tasting ones Piers?

Tiphareth, how are your ruby saltbush berries? I've found heaps here in Wollongong and Tim Low's book says that they're really nice, but these are always as small as a mung bean and taste very bitter... possibly alkaloids?

what I most love about the beach are the Flax Lillies dianella (purple berries from coastal grass), various lilly pillies and cape goose berries, we feast on these all through summer in Coffs Harbour. you can always find warrigal greens on the sand dunes, but more than a handful of leaves on their own irritates my throat.

I've got Rose apples (I agree they are beautiful aromatic fruit), davo & burdekin plums, aerial yams, a few nut trees, native tamarind (hasn't fruited yet), lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, panoma berries, acerola cherries,  native gingers, tumeric, etc... and a good 40 awesome herbs. (plus many exotic fruits)
You could probably triple this list for the plants that we've got in Coffs Harbour, but atm they're all immature and in need of care... can't wait to get home and plant more!

On the odd bushwalk, my brother and I have identified and eaten a few other bush foods and are now trying many saps/gums from acacia's and oaks. But our favourite by far are the hundreds of edible mushrooms that are hiding... just beneath that log... always the one that most people would simply walk past without a second glance.
They are truly some of the most brilliant and alien-looking things that you'll ever come across.

Sorry to keep you's so long, hope it was worth it 

I'm still in Wollongong (sth of sydney) atm and try to eat mainly greens, but as far as fruit goes, there are 2 shops that nearly always have a "clearance shelf" of ripe/bruised fruit after 4pm which is just heaven for me.
The best shop is Grandma Rosies in Figtree if anybody needs it

Nana's 80c/kg, Watermelon 50c/kg and Organges 70c/kg this is basically the only fruit I buy unless it's organic because I don't have to eat the skins, and also it's so cheap and the quickest food around... faster as KFC in the long run!
I never buy greens, just grow everything in my garden so its bio-dynamic and eat seasonally.

My other main source of food is neighbours! If you've got a keen eye for fruit trees you'll pick up on many in your local area I'm sure. I've got many sources of Monsteria, Lilly Pilly's, Lemons, Mandarines, Dandelion, and heaps of edible flowers. The best place to look is often your local Botanical Gardens, just ask the curator what is edible.

Happy hunting fellow ramblers 

Sounds like there's a fair few people in reach of the Byron area...
I too will be nearby from July onwards so TRB and I will have no excuses not to be at the picnics
Hope things work out and we may one day get a regular Potluck thing happening

Looking forward to meeting everybody

Thanks Neet,

Yeah its about time I jump on board and keep in touch with it all...

I'm going great, its such a relief not having to worry much about work or uni anymore, now that I'm moving to Coffs.
Today I was meant to be at lectures till lunchtime, but I ended up just running with a mate to the end of my beach and decided to race each other up the cliffs and generally just indulge in the freedom of zero obligations, love it.
Oh and also, I'm happy cause now I've no boss to please so I can grow my hair however I like   

I didn't realise that you's have such a large group of raw foodies at the festival of fruits this year...
You's must be having the time of your life

Take it easy
Ryan

Yeah it may be a little early to plan for 2008 festival now... but may I just say that EVERYONE will be there!
Or at least that was the plan when we were all cheerful and pumped after the MBS festival lol

So much to see, can't wait

haha yeah I understand now... you were training up for the fruit festival!
and it sure did pay off - 1st place? was it 1.7kg of Durian in just 2mins?
now that's a true special moment... you must've been rather euphoric by then end of it

hope the weather's good to you over there