Guest Guide

Essential Points

• Leave shoes outside

• Always turn lights off

• Close doors at all times

• Clean up after yourself

• Return everything to where you found it

• Every room has an evacuation plan and site map on display

• There is a radio located in the kitchen that can be used to reach the site manager 24hrs a day

Electricity

We use electricity powered by the sun. Living with solar power is a beautiful experience and requires one to be conscious with their energy consumption.

We have a sufficient system to run a range of appliances, however the following points will ensure we don’t ever run out;

Check the wattage (watts), usually found on the labels of all appliances.
1000 watts = 4 amps. Electronics such as computers, lights and small speakers use very little power (around 10 – 100 watts). Toasters, kettles, urns, vacuum cleaners, high pressure hoses, sound systems and projectors all use 1000+ watts and should be used very mindfully (ideally avoided altogether if the weather is cloudy).

Remember:

• Always turn lights off when not in use

• Always turn off the switch at the power outlet

Drug & Alcohol Policy

In keeping aligned with our predecessors and our devotion to this property as a sacred site, we intend to keep the space drug and alcohol free.

All buildings are smoke-free areas. If you wish to smoke, we ask you to move at least 20 meters away from buildings and to dispose of your butts in a personal container to dispose of offsite.

Children

Children are a parent's responsibility and are to be supervised at all times. There is a safe play area with toys in the main dining hall.

Drinking Water

All of our drinking water comes from a local spring which is pumped into storage tanks. Filtered water is available in the kitchen and dining hall.

Non-drinking Water

The water in the dormitories is rainwater and has no filtration system. It is only to be used for washing and watering gardens. Be conscious of your usage, limiting showers to shorter durations and watering only in the early mornings when evaporation rates are low.

Waterfalls & Swimming Holes

Swimming in either of the dams on-site is not legally permitted.

There are local swimming holes. Please ask one of the Arcoora team for directions if you wish to visit them.

Please don’t swim with sunscreen, body lotions or insect repellents on. Many of the ingredients in such products are harmful for the aquatic animals and pollute the water.

Sewerage Treatment

Many of our toilets used at Arcoora are eco-friendly composting toilets. In both our wet & dry toilets, no foreign objects are to be thrown into the toilet. This includes cigarette butts, tampons, pads, rubbish of any kind as it disrupts the delicate environment needed for adequate decomposition.

• After using, add plenty of sawdust (2 heaped scoops)

• Don’t put any harsh chemicals in any of the toilets. If there is an unpleasant smell

  please contact a member or the Arcoora team

• Feel free to pee on the garden / forest to avoid over flushing

Laundry

The laundry space is found on the west side of the kitchen. The washing machine for use by staff only as it uses lots of water and power. We prefer visitors to hand wash in the laundry sink or the buckets provided. Please use only natural cleaning products. Clothes can be hung to dry around the dorms. If you have an urgent need to use the washing machine please speak to your program coordinator.

Kitchen

Our collective kitchen is one of the hearths of regeneration and connection.

We have dedicated the inside kitchen to vegetarian cooking, and ask that all preparation, cooking, consumption and cleaning of meat and any dishes used to be done outside. There is a gas cooker, pots and a sink provided outside on the kitchen deck.

Being this far out in nature, keeping a kitchen consistently clean is vital, to keep rats and insects away. Please follow these guidelines to keep it beautiful:

• Clean spotlessly after every use. This involves washing & drying dishes and pots, wiping down all surfaces, in and out of the oven, and cupboards

• Clearly label & date all personal items. We clean out the fridges regularly and the dating of items is essential to avoid confusion

• Clear away any leftover food / scraps from the fridge & benches. There is a compost bucket in the middle island of the kitchen

• Put all open food in sealed containers. This ensures there is no bacterial contamination, as well as no temptation for the rats and insects

• Always close the fridge door, as it loses it coldness quickly in the heat of the summer

• Put everything back where you found it, mindfully

• Leave it better than you found it. Pay it forward

Gas Stove

All gas lines feeding the stoves and ovens have a blue cut-off valve under the bench that must be turned completely on, and completely off again after use. A kettle of hot water takes around 5 – 10 minutes to boil. Heat only what is needed to save on gas.

Rubbish

There is no rubbish collection this far out in nature.
All rubbish must be taken off the premises to the closest tip.

Recycling

Green recycling bins can be found in the recycling station on the south side of the kitchen. Please rinse all containers before placing them in the recycling bins.

Compost

Place all food scraps into the white compost buckets found in the kitchen. Compost buckets must be emptied daily.

Our compost pile can be found across the road from the generator shed at the back of the kitchen. Each time a bucket of nitrogen-rich scraps is added, double the amount of carbon rich hay or leaf litter is needed on top to avoid goannas, rats and other critters making a mess.

General Rubbish

General Rubbish can be placed in the large white bin in the kitchen. It can then be emptied into the larger designated bin found in the recycling station.

Phone & Internet

We have phone & satellite internet, however this far out in the forest it is quite costly and as such is reserved for project work only. Please speak to your event host If you require access.

For those people using Telstra Mobile, optimum mobile and data reception is found on the west side of the Gonpa (View side, towards the dining hall overlooking the mountainous horizon). We ask that you be mindful of your proximity to the Gonpa and make use of this area quietly. The next best place for reception is on the west side of the dining hall near the laundry.

Natural Body, Beauty & Cleaning Products

We ask all visitors to use only environmentally safe laundry powders, shampoos, insect repellents and deodorants. Please look at the packaging of all products and ensure they are environmentally friendly and 100 % biodegradable.

The following chemicals are harmful to our environment, our water system and you:

Petroleum based detergents - Causes irritations to the skin, eyes and lungs
Phosphates - Major contributor to toxic blue green algae
Chlorine Bleaches - A strong corrosive that doesn’t biodegrade
Formaldehyde - Found in fabric softener, weakens the immune system
Phenol / Phenyl - Found in disinfectants, kills beneficial bacteria
Ammonia - Found in oven cleaners, volatile chemical that gets trapped in water

In preference to the above, we recommend the following:

• Kin Kin Dishwashing & Laundry Detergent

• Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soaps

• Vinegar & Aluminium Free Bicarbonate
  
  Essentials Oil such as:

• Eucalyptus

• Tea Tree

• Lavender

• Clove

Animals

Arcoora is a wildlife sanctuary. We have a no pets policy. Animals must not be brought on site without prior approval from Arcoora management.

Service Animals

Service animals used by people with disabilities are exempt from this requirement. In the case of a service animal being used by a person with a disability, the person with a disability must:

• Register the animal with Arcoora

• Ensure that the animal is on a leash or tether at all times (Exceptions may be

  considered individually)

• Ensure that the animal is in good health

The Forest

The forest is a beautiful and unique ecosystem that is currently being restored and regenerated. We ask that one is mindful with how they interact with the land, not pulling plants unless they absolutely know their reason for doing so, and not using products that can harm the local ecosystems.

Bushwalking

There are a number of trails around the property that can be used for bushwalking - You must notify an Arcoora team member beforehand and take a radio with you.
When walking away through bushlands, always wear long pants and boots. Always take a torch, especially if it is late in the afternoon.

Stick to the cleared paths, and be mindful of the habitat you are walking through. Here, snakes, spiders, goannas, wallabies, bush turkeys, leeches, mosquitoes, flies all call this place home. Insect repellent is recommended if you are walking for longer periods.

Wild life

Keep all doors, windows and screens closed at night or when out. Birds, snakes, goannas, rodents and bush turkeys do come visiting and find our structures an appealing habitat. There are wild dogs in the area, so it is advised to stay within the retreat facilities or your campsite after dark. If you do go afield after dark, always take a torch, walkie talkie and someone else with you.

Ticks

To check for ticks, focus on warm areas such as behind the ears, armpits, groin, knees and head. If you find any, use the tick removing tool found in our first aid kits or tweezers to remove. Big shellback ticks do not pull out easily, first dose them in tea tree oil and then twist and pull quickly.

Leeches

Leeches are easy to get off with a match or salt close to them. You can pull them off, though this can lead to quite continual bleeding. To stop the bleeding, apply woodash or let dry.

Spiders

Spiders here are mostly harmless huntsmen. If you see them in the structures, let them be. However, if you see a harmful looking Redback or the like, place a glass over them, a plate under them and remove them back into nature.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers and hoses are clearly signed and situated in close proximity to every building. In the unlikely case of a fire, please use the fire hoses and fire-extinguishers in a safe and assertive manner. In the kitchen, there is an extinguisher and blanket found above the fridge to the left of the sink.

If there is a fire, use the fire blanket immediately and if not effective, the extinguisher. Do not use water on an oil flame. If the extinguisher is used, please notify the site manager as soon as possible.

First Aid

There is a radio located in the kitchen that can be used to reach the site manager 24hrs a day.

There are four first aid kits onsite - In the main kitchen, the Gonpa kitchen, first aid room at the dorms and in the Arcoora site vehicle. If a first aid kit is used, you must notify a member of the Arcoora team.

In case of emergency please notify a member of the Arcoora team immediately if possible, or call 000.

Incident Reports

In line with professional workplace safety procedures, if any serious incident occurs you must notify a member of the Arcoora team.

Feeling unwell

While living together so closely it's easy for colds, flu and other bugs to get passed around. Wash your hands regularly and if you are feeling unwell please consider others; let your program coordinators know and they will try and allocate you your own room to rest and organise for meals to be brought to you until you are feeling better.

General Safety

• Use your common sense. Be self aware and mindful at all times

• Don’t leave the gas on unattended

• No candles or naked flames without permission

• Use torches at all times at night

• Wear shoes when walking outside