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This site is the online location of Golden Downs, abode of Willy Cameron and Rewa Glasgow, property of the Cameron family,
and home to Te Papakura o Kahuroa - a place of living and learning.
The land was bought by Val and Neil in 1997 and Willy and Rewa came to live here shortly after, getting
married in the patch of Western Red Cedars, and finishing the work of transforming the old hall into the Lodge.
The notion was to be sustainable, to guide people in the wilderness, and to grow and cook the best food. It was not
acknowledged as such, but it was a leap into a new way of life, and an ongoing process of learning.
The forest demanded attention - both as an ecological system and as a productive resource - and quickly became a major focus
of activities. From the outset there was a commitment to trying to produce food using organic methods and the
production of timber followed suit. Initial ideas of sustainability evolved into more ecological notions - resilience,
community, diversity, and complexity.
It became apparent that what we were engaged in was an experiment in rural living that ran counter
to the increasing industrialisation of this landscape and of its products. As such we were presented with
the opportunity to engage in research, seek out networks of cooperation, and develop a philosophical framework
anchored in the local and dedicated to the responsible, ecological inhabitation of the land.
These pages are an explanation and an exploration of what has come about. They are an invitation to visit, an offer to trade,
a request for assistance, and an opportunity to learn.
Please take a look about...you just have to click on an insect.