Noah’s Ark – The Animal Sanctuary
After the exhilaration of live shows and being on the road months at a time, when the last chord rings out and we finally return home, there’s a real magic that meets us at the gates. It’s not just the familiar scent of the Australian landscape in the air, or the sight of the beautiful Wollumbin Mountain watching over the garden, but it’s also the joy of being greeted by the non-humans, the whole-body ‘joy wag’ of a poodle to have you home, the soft nudge of a horse in the paddock, the bleating of the naughty goats, or the warm weight of Handsome Hobbes the cat curling up on Reubens bed. Animals have always been an important par of our lives.
At home at the Garden, our sanctuary, lives Noah’s Ark – the not-for-profit animal sanctuary we created many years ago that holds just as much importance as the music we make. We’ve spoken already about what The Garden means to us – the soil we return to, the space where songs are born, where echos of laughter fills the air from Kym and Reuben’s childhood homeschool playing under the trees, where food grows and the land is tended with respect and reverence. But this part, the animal sanctuary – is alive with its own special and important rhythm and it is woven into our daily life here – where compassion breathes and love is given to the vulnerable animals we are entrusted to take care of.
Taking care of rescued animals isn’t something separate from our creative life, it’s deeply entwined with it. The daily rhythm of feeding and tending, the simple acts of cleaning and holding and noticing… all of this brings us back to present moment or ‘into feeling’. And there is something really human about it, caring for things who cannot ask for help, but need it just the same. It’s a kind of music of its own, a dance and a play. And those days that you aren’t in harmony, or are ‘out of feeling’, is less like a ballet and more like a square dance, (particularly around the goats with their horns and cheeky readiness to but you when you’re not looking…).
Noah’s Ark has become a haven for all kinds of animals over the years, those battered by the storms of life, abandoned or forgotten or simply lost. Horses, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, alpaca, pigs, peacocks and many more have made their way here, each one with a story, each one reminding us of the power of healing and trust. We’ve cried over the ones who didn’t make it, celebrated the victories of recovery, and celebrated to watch frightened creatures relax and come to peace in a place they can call their forever home.
The sanctuary is not a large organisation. It is run from the heart by us and a small and deeply committed team of local volunteers who offer their time, their care, and their love freely. Some of these volunteers are part of our extended family, some are dear friends, and some are travellers who arrive and end up staying longer, moved by the energy of this place. Without them, none of it would be possible. They are the quiet heroes who hold this place together in between tours, when we’re away on the road. And when we return, it’s their stories, their care, and the animals themselves who remind us what really matters.
As a band, we sing about love, about holding space for beauty, and about vulnerability. And there’s no better daily practice of that than this, the animals, the garden. It’s all part of the same song to us. Touring brings our sound to the world, but here is where we are filled back up again. This is where the real music begins. Love isn’t an abstract idea. It’s something you do. We truly believe that. If you’ve been following our journey, you’ll know that nothing we do is separate from or purpose. And we’ve realised, again and again, every time we come home, that these animals have just as much to teach us about love as any stage we’ve stood on.
The sanctuary survives through the enormous energy of those who tend it, and the care of friends as well as strangers, through donations. Everyone can play a part. But mostly, it continues because of love – hat invisible thread that says “You’re safe now.” So we keep singing. And we keep feeding. And we keep showing up, because this is home.
You can read more or offer support at noahsarkanimalsanctuary.org. Every offering helps us continue to care for these beautiful beings who now share our song.
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