‘In any recipe for tree changes, a large spoonful of madness helps…’

Please enjoy this excerpt of our Q&A with author Todd Anderson, hosted by Christine Gordon. Todd Anderson’s memoir You’ve Got to Be Kidding: A Shedload of Wine and a Farm Full of Goats is a glimpse into the life we could have, if we were to muster our courage and trade it all for a move to the country.

In You’ve Got to Be Kidding, Anderson details what this lifestyle change – including bushfires, drought, sick animals, failed crops, hosting AirBnB-ers – has been like for himself and partner, Jeff.

If you had to describe tree change lifestyles, would you call it the adult version of running away?

I think it’s more than running away – if you’re originally from the city, it’s a very courageous act to forcibly turn your back on everything you’ve known of life. I liken it to jumping from a very high cliff. Not everyone has the stomach for such a long fall, but we were determined to dive off with wild abandon and just hope for the best. Sounds like the perfect recipe for success, right? ‘Oh let’s buy one hundred acres and try our hand at something we’ve never done before. How hard can it be?’

Would you describe it as a call to a simpler life?

I strongly believe that human beings are meant to live in wide open spaces with fresh air, growing their own produce and relating to animals. Having said that, I sowed more than my fair share of wild oats in my 20s so I think you have to be ready for a simpler life and it may not be for everyone. But I never thought I would be so happy with our tree change. I certainly don’t miss boardroom debates!

I know the inspiration for so much of what you do is Maggie Beer. Has she been for dinner? She always seem so calm and friendly on her shows. How would you describe you and Jeff?

Sadly I haven’t actually met Maggie in person… yet! It is a testament to her grace and generosity that she would support us because our story appealed to her and was perhaps reminiscent of her own. I did send her some wine from ‘the best wine region in Australia’ and suggested she should come to dinner. Maybe one day. But like most of us, I feel I already know her! She would describe Jeff and I as: hard-working, determined, dream-filled, fun-loving country folk. The last two words would be the ultimate compliment.

I know you joke about some of the hardships you and Jeff have endured, but were you ever frightened for your life? The fires?

Yes. On two occasions. On that catastrophic fires day about 18 months ago the Fires Near Me app showed there were four fires surrounding our property. I melted into a heap and my body lost it, sending tremors through my limbs. We were very fortunate – Mother Nature was (finally) on our side that day and kept the wind blowing the major fire away from us. Then I had the world’s longest brown snake (well…) slither between my legs (well nearly…) and had it decided it didn’t like the look of me, who knows? But probably the closest I’ve come to death is Jeff wanting to murder me on an almost-daily basis.

And my final question. What about flies? I want to know about your relationship with flies and mosquitoes. For me, this would be the deal breaker.

Flies are my goat Wesley Chesney’s most hated thing in the world. Watching him dance to escape them is a joy. They don’t tend to bother me – ear plugs are required for a lot of outside work and that keeps their annoying buzz quiet. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, love me. I tell our kids it’s because of my exotic Mauritian heritage and they’re very quick to remind me that’s about 8 generations back. But even with our enormous damns, mozzies aren’t that big an issue for us. Besides, give me mozzies and flies over city traffic jams any day.

Find out more about You’ve Got to Be Kidding: A Shedload of Wine and a Farm Full of Goats here.

Please note this interview may differ from the original transcript and has been edited for brevity and continuity.