From Belgium to Ashwood to Marysia

Jane
4 days ago
4 min read

17.5.25

Mum has no idea that young people arrive from all corners of the world to spend time with her (actually, to help me care for her if I need to disappear for a bit).

Sander & Hélène from Belgium are a young couple from Belgium that did just that.

The following is a piece they wrote about their time with us.

Sowing Seeds of Connection

by Sander & Hélène

There we were, at the beginning of our journey—a year away from home. The longest we’d ever ventured beyond Belgium’s borders. Excited for adventure, grateful for the opportunity and privilege, but above all, utterly exhausted.

Jet lag hit us with a vengeance, and the weight of uncertainty chipped away at our routines and expectations of what a life of travel would entail.

After a week and a half of exploring Melbourne while tackling administrative tasks, we realised we desperately needed a place to settle and regain our bearings—to recalibrate, if you will.

So, we navigated to the WWOOF Australia site and revisited the profiles of hosts we had ‘favorited’ back in Belgium.

That’s when we found ‘Jane Korman & Family.’

Jane, an artist with a vegetable garden, described herself as ‘time-poor due to work deadlines and caring for her 101-year-old mother’.

It seemed like we could be of real help, and that was important to us—we wanted to contribute meaningfully in exchange for our stay. So, we sent her a message:

Hi Jane,

How are you?

My partner and I (31 years old) are renting an Airbnb in St Kilda until this Thursday (17/10) and are looking for a place to stay until we can finalise the purchase of a camper-van. (And explore Melbourne in the mean time.)

We have two permaculture vegetable gardens (a small one at our home and a bigger one on a field close to us) so we know our way around an organic garden.

This would be our first wwoofing experience, if you’d like to set up a call or even meet us IRL, let us know!

Have a nice day :).

Kind regards,

Sander & Hélène

Jane’s warm response reassured us, and we packed our bags, setting off for the suburb of Ashwood, where she lives.

A Step Back: What is WWOOFing?

WWOOFing is an arrangement where people help with household or gardening tasks in exchange for accommodation and sometimes food. Written like this, it sounds purely transactional—like any other work agreement.

However, our experience with Jane opened our hearts and minds to an entirely new way of living, where the collective holds far more meaning and resilience than the individual.

From the moment we stepped into her home, she made us feel welcome. We engaged in deep conversations about life, the world, and abstract concepts—so much so that we often had to remind ourselves to stop talking and actually get things done, only to extend the discussion even further.

The work at Jane’s was never dull. A mix of gardening, household tasks, and creative projects kept us engaged. And of course, everything came with an artistic touch!

I, Hélène, even had a small part in a short film Jane was working on! Well, not to exaggerate—only my hand was filmed—but still, it was a unique and moving experience for me. The film told one of Marysia’s stories—Jane’s mother—about finding hope in the darkest of places. The tale was both beautiful and uplifting, and it was an honour to assist Jane in bringing it to life on screen.

Hélène -- on set -- practising her role as my grandmother

Speaking of Marysia, we had the pleasure of meeting and spending some time with this incredible woman.

Jane told me she loves flowers, so one day, I, Helene, went outside with her on the patio and picked up some flowers. I first showed them to her - to have her approval - and then put them on the beanie she was wearing. After the second one, she started to put them on herself. The results were a natural flower beanie and a grinning Marysia!

Flower beanie

I, Sander, took on a creative project sanding and stencilling stairs. It felt impactful—after all, it would permanently (unless repainted) change the home’s look and feel. Meanwhile, planning the vegetable garden and maintaining it offered a comforting sense of familiarity, as gardening is one of my greatest passions back home.

A Memorable Evening

One standout moment began with a simple dinner invitation. Initially, we weren’t sure whether we’d be intruding on a family gathering. But after an evening of delicious food, an unexpectedly insightful ‘ick’ game, and fantastic conversations, we connected with incredible people and were so grateful we hadn’t missed out.

A Home Away from Home

In the months following our first stay, Jane became a source of balance and security for us. She introduced us to her son, Gil, who let us stay at his place in exchange for watering his young fruit trees. And before and after our trip to New Zealand (we needed a holiday from our holiday), Jane welcomed us back, allowing us to regroup and get our lives in order.

We are eternally grateful to Jane for offering us a home away from home. Because of her, Melbourne now holds a special place in our hearts.