Yurting Around Oz

Lately I’ve been talking to some people who have the idea of living for extended periods in Yurts while seasonally working the fruit or finding casually work on the road, or doing festivals and campaigns in wilderness forests. This I reckon will work very well if they are going to stay for at least a few weeks in the same spot and want a solid homely feel that is not really tenting it and not caravaning it either. The setup time for two Yurts of 5 and 6 mtrs with two people who know a method and stop only for tea and a breather is about 3hrs. The important thing is the method of packing and unpacking, it can save not only heaps of time but frustration and back braking work. I have had my festival Yurts packed into large bags that fit well into the trailer. The material pieces are folded in a certain way to make it very easy to unfold, in particular the roof felt which is really heavy and you don’t want to mess it up and have to heave it about unnecessarily.

I’d love to hear from those on the road with Yurts and to give us their experiences and yurtricks that we can share and pass on.

I’ve just heard from Amajjika who lives in the Byron hinterlands who has asked me if its possible to live in a Yurt for 2 or 3 years while they build their house! well of course thats very possible and I have many examples of that shift in people who have land and are wanting to build but don’t want a caravan or tent as they are too cold or unsympathetic.

What I suggest is that you check out with, firstly your neighbours, if they are near by and are in view or as a courtesy call to inform them or feel out their respoce to having a yurt as a neighbor. The first possible difficulty to address are your neighbors if you have them onside half the story is told. Next check out the provisions on the local council website for Temporary Structures and Places of Assembly. They will have a local planning act and description of their policies regarding Tents. Caravans and Temporary Structures.

This will add good information to where you stand in relation to what you want to achieve. You could also look at provisions for camping grounds especially for those who may be interested in providing accommodation for Backpackers or over night stays.

The actual living in a Yurt for 3 years would be a great experience. I lived in a Stringy Bark Barn type lodge for 2 years while building my house in Victoria, it was a great romantic time although cold at times and very next to nature. Saved heaps of money and poured it into the building. A Yurt will be much warmer in winter and very water-proofed as a secondary fly can be hoisted up over the roof to protect it from direct weather.

The amenities can be provided for in the form of a proper pit toilet that is constructed according to health regulation and made fly proofed. A bucket shower or solar shower used for camping is also very possible. A well constructed camp toilet shower area and the designs for one are available by Googling Camp Toilets and then Health Provisions for Camping, here you will find all the info needed to ‘doing it well’. With this type of information available to you, your Yurt living experience will be greatly enhanced.

Food and Cooking is the last area to address and here you have a few options also. By cooking inside the yurt it will be necessary to provide a stove that is either wood burning or gas. I prefer gas as its cleaner and much less hassle but you need good ventilation for it as well. Traditionally they use dung from Yaks or Cows. It stinks and is very smokey.

The middle of the Yurt is used, directly under the Hub, here is provided a small movable table and two or three pots and pans. To cook outside on most occassions is a better option but requires more cleaning after to avoid rodents and possums. Its always a joy to cook under the stars but its even better under a roof when its raining. You could consider a Kitchen shed from a portable metal type as storage and the security from night raiders.
The tin shed is a good compromise, it means you have separate area for food that keeps the sleeping and sitting areas freer and cleaner.

So there you are some thoughts on Living ‘The Yurt Life’.