Calamity Jill: Living off the Grid

62 Comments

• Helen Witten

  What about human contact?

• Joe Attard

  Absolutely love it the way you live. I'm always recycling the old and don't like to chuck anything out unless necessary. Due to a bad back I have no choice to live off the grid but do run solar and rain water tanks. I'd love to be able to do what your doing. My 23 year old son would look after the animals as he's a RSPCA volunteer but would never swing an axe. Only thing he'd need the internet too. Love what you are doing. They call the Amish backward in America but their holistic life style people don't suffer from cancer and other diseases.

• P. Lathrop

  I'm living just like her and love it.

• janet

  Just great and thank you Jill and Rachel. My need to know is how you get to the internet, Jill. Suppose its by driving 1.5 hours and accessing a computer connection there as you have no phone access nor mobile. Using a battery powered rechargeable chainsaw on logs?

• Ilana Leeds

  I am jealous and if I won even a small lotto or powerball, I would be buying forty acres and building a mud brick low lying mansion for me, my son and my goats and sheep. What a forward thinking lady.

• Doris Green

  While I envy Jill being able to live alone with only her animals for company, I do not think that I could do it in such solitude.

• dawn

  this lady name ring a bell to me sure from either grass roots or earth garden mags in the 80s

• Brian

  I do admire your lifestyle and your obvious happy disposition. How fortunate you are. Cheers from Brian of Merriwa

• ally

  A truly beautiful soul living a wonderful life. Hard work, though! Is she a logger, I wonder, with her Clydesdale horse and pick up?

• Kim Kleidon

  Thank you Rachael for helping Jill share her story - what an inspiration! It's wonderful to be reminded of how simple life is meant to be. Unfortunately many have given up their 'power' to the corporate world and chosen to follow the herd. I hope to be self-sufficient myself one day and off grid..

• Jeff Licence

  I love the way she chooses 'not to be part of the big machine'. Wonderful.

• Dan Battley

  What a wonderful story. I'd love to be able to have the opportunity to live off the grid like you Jill. Not sure about going without chocolate though I'd need to preserve some of that.

• jenna oakley

  After the atrocity of the terrorist on Dec. 15th your story Jill brought back the fact how beautiful a life we live! Thank you for confirming regardless of the nutter's out there, life is simple when its beautiful. Thank you on allowing us a peak into your inner hearth, so warming....so Australian.

• BazNik

  Good on you Jill, what a happy and inspirational soul you are, I really enjoyed your story. You are doing a fantastic job.. I wish you all the best...Barry

• Ashley Paskin

  On Norwegian TV they have a show called "Der ingen skulle tru at nokon kunne bu". Its a half hour show where we follow a person who leads an interesting person/people who live away from the cities. Its a very simple format and we watch and hear from the individual over the seasons of a year. This video of Jill Redwood reminds me very much of that show. Episodes are available via torrent with subtitles, and youtube also. I would love to see a show like this on the ABC.

• Carolyn Leach-Paholski

  What a beautiful and inspiring person and what a remarkable life! This was such a pleasure to watch. I love the nodding horse sequence and the water wheel! This is just another reason why we need the ABC!

• Destiny

  Our family loved this! Brilliant! Thank you x

• Belinda Corbett

  Fantastic story ...thanks Jill for caring for our world you are a true hero, Standing Ovation

• Katreena

  I hope to live and raise my children the way Jill has for so many years!! I think its great and MORE people should! Have a question for Jill though. Where can I go to get some of your insight and wisdom from? Would much appreciate and LOVE all the information I can get!! Thank You and Blessings to you always!

• Jennifer Douglas

  Jill, I feel like we're kindred spirits. I love what you've achieved. My children and I are also attempting to live off the grid as much as possible on our little farm in the dessert. You're an inspiration. Rachael, well done on a fantastic film. Jen :)

• Diane

  Jill this is a wonderful channel for sharing your insights into living a good life, promoting self sufficiency and reducing carbon footprints. The warmth of your smile, which you share here, reveals so much of the benefit to your own well being as well as the planet's. Thankyou!

• Deb Maz

  What an inspiring, resourceful and truly amazing woman! This is what sustainability is all about. We all need to learn to return to a less wasteful, more resourceful lifestyle. It shows in Jill's state of health that living can be simple and bountiful. Eat what is in season, preserving what is in abundance for later. Thank you Jill. I loved seeing your story and bless you for caring for yourself and your footprint xx

• Jill

  Stanley pleben - I write for Earth Garden magazine, do freelance cartooning, coordinate an environment group (small honorarium) and host the odd holiday guest in the eco-cottage to pay the rates, buy animal feed and the odd block of chocolate. No - I'm NOT on the dole. But I'd be much better off if i was!

• Stanley pleben

  That is truly inspirational.One questioon I have is how does she get her money for petrol and chockies and Vegemite?

• Tammie Peatey

  Thanks for sharing loved the story, great job Jill

• silversprite

  I love this woman and her strength and integrity in all areas of her life. She is a happy person, content and comfortable in her own skin. She portrays everything I wish to become and teach to my own children in this lifetime.

• meleta bailey

  wow we are doing what we can but that is a whole new level inspiring

• maree lewis-dillon

  Good on you Jill.. bloody fantastic th way things should be.. place looks awesome.. one day id like to do the same before im to old. Lol god bless ya xxxx

• Adam Marlow

  A brilliant story and plenty of food for thought as well.... if we could all change just a few habits we would lessen our footprint on this planet.

• Margaret

  Jill has such a welcoming face and truly looks brimming with good health. A beautifully told story about a woman so admirable but equally difficult to emulate.

• Archer

  I really loved this story and all the comments about Jill as well. I share her outlook on life, and in hoping one day we can ask live more like her. She truly is an inspiration, and looks like so healthy she glows! Fantastic story, thank you.

• claire mitchell

  I admire you and envy the lifestyle.

• Philip Wollen

  Epicurus got it right . . . .and so does Jill Redwood. If you wish to increase a man's (or woman's) share of happiness, do not aim to increase his possessions. . .simply decrease his desires. . . . My admiration, Jill .. . . . . Philip Wollen

• james

  an amazing lady, what great values, practical skills and determinations. i envey the way she is able to live.

• Mitch Edwick

  Yes it is achievable, I lived my last 4 years as a teenager in a similar way as a Jackeroo/stockman in Far North Qld. Carbide lamps for lighting when necessary, cooking on coals and in camp ovens, sleeping under canvas only when rain threatened, eating only what was in season (including Bush Tucker) and what could be grown. No electricity, preserved excess produce until consumed (Dry Salt or Pickle Meats, preserves, jams, pickles, etc). I used to be absent from civilisation for up to 8 months at a time. Travelling by horse and using Pack horses or wagons. However, it was definitely good to be able to access medical facilities (usually only emergencies, serious bone breaks or illness such as Dengue or Ross River or Bush Typhus), dentists were not feared and not having to work (serious graft) to get your food prior to starting your days labour was always a welcome break. I went from there to the Army, where I found life to be incredibly easy and not strenuous at all.

• peter

  beautiful woman in a beautiful place living a beautiful life. and doing no harm to anyone or anything. very admirable. the simple life is the best, no question.

• David Coleman

  We could, and probably should live like this. But there are simply too many people now and only a very small percentage would appreciate this lifestyle - no more gadgets! We have all but lost the knowledge that this lady has to be self sufficient, especially in growing food. Without the supermarkets most of us would starve. One day something will force us to have to be self sufficient. Either natural or man made apocalypse will occur as we cannot keep increasing in population and consumption of resources forever. A crunch will happen eventually. When the crunch comes, and it will be terrible when it does, many millions will die. The survivors will need to draw on knowledge that this lady has simply to survive. It will be a dreadful time. People will kill for anything that others may have, even the simplest of household items, food and water. This lady is a wonderful example of using knowledge we have lost but what we may need in the not too distant future.

• Jo Smith

  What a lovely lady. I love what she is doing because I am doing it as well. I left the city life to completely live off the grid. We have solar and a wind turbine and run everything off that. The nearest shop is 1 hr away and I grow all my own vegetables and raise my own animals to kill for meat. I emerge myself into living as self sufficient as I can. I do love my chocolate.

• Wiriya Sati

  what an inspiring story - Jill does all this herself! so competent and practical, what a lady! I love the values and ethics Jill lives by. Great story!

• Malcolm

  Beautiful video about a beautiful lady who practises what she preaches much more than most. Against a background of gloom and doom in the media this is a charming and heart warming story.

• Malcolm

  Beautiful video about a beautiful lady who practises what she preaches much more than most. Against a background of gloom and doom in the media this is a charming and heart warming story.

• Kaye Proudley

  Jill Redwood has been my heroine for years (more than I want to admit to) because she not only leads this incredibly good lifestyle that leaves such a faint imprint on the land, but she fights for the good of the land, the forests and its inhabitants and publishes a fabulous magazine (The Potoroo Review) - great satirical cartoons that she draws herself and biting and witty comment. On top of all that she educates the public about the harm being done to our forests by our very own government. When, I wonder, do she get time to sleep?

• Deb Thompson

  Inspiring, Tenacious and committed to a lifestyle that is her soul.. I Know the name as she was /is and friend of someone I use to know.. especially nice to put a face to a name and to see that you Jill, are Happy and Healthy and that you still have your beloved Draft horse/horses wishing you continued Health and more of the good life.

• jannie smit

  Great little movie, it gives a great impression on what a wonderful life Jill is living. Soooo impressed with that vegie garden!!

• Jenia Ratcliffe

  What a lovely little video Rachael! Calamity is such a dedicated lady!

• Renee

  This is incredibly inspiring. I aspire to one day be off the grid too, if only for one thing like water or electricity. The simple life is somehow so much more fulfilling than chasing a corporate dream. Well done Jill for pioneering a way of life that I believe the majority of us yearn for.

• lisakays

  My this lady has the perfect life-style and I applaud her for her self sufficient life style and it is evident we can get by and live without all the fancy bits and feel good about ourselves also help the environment and show our next generation how to also.Wish I could move in and bring my horses id be happy as Larry!

• Susan Standen

  Great story, people like you Jill are indeed inspiring.

• kaiya

  Wonderful - no wonder Jill looks so young - this is the ONLY way to live

• ZandysABC

  Jill is truly an Australian Legend! I love this story so much. Jill has a great philosophy on life and I love that she has taken back the power (quite literally) to create her own world. Whilst it may not be for some, I imagine Jill's life to be an extremely satisfying one. Truly inspirational stuff, Rachael. I'm going to go and watch it again before I share it with my friends. This is one of my favourite ABC Open stories yet!

• Julie

  could you imagined if our youth lived this simple they would be certainly making better decisions they would be at peace and stress free.

• Jo Joyce

  What a gorgeous video Rachel and what a wonderful way to live. Thank-you for sharing Calamity Jill with us.

• Karen

  This lady is living my dream. I've just been waiting for my sons to grow to adult hood & then I can start moving towards doing something similar. Such an inspiration this lady is.

• stephanie

  Showing life is, and can be, so wonderfully simple. Her health and sunny disposition is one of happiness at being connected to the land, and mother nature. Industrialisation is now fading into history, and a more human-centred way of living can be a real possibility, especially for older or retired people. Just being here on the planet is the gift.

• Adele

  Fantastic, her whole life's a work of art, would've liked to see more.

• Wendy Taylor

  Thank you for sharing your life style Jill and for all you are doing for our planet. You are to be admired.

• Julia

  I've known Jill since the 70s, she is a honest and highly principled person. She told me once she had to put her dislocated knee back in place, on her own in the bush, by shoving her leg into a forked tree branch and flinging her body backwards! Not many people I know (myself included) have lived the life they believe in. Jill is one of the few.

• Helga Saunders

  Something to give us hope and inspiration . Thanks to Jill and Rachael for bringing this to our attention

• Mary f

  An inspiration, showing us all the way!

• Sharon Thompson

  So so envious of her life and attitude. Probably would've if I could've, but my life took me down a different path. So pleased there are folks like Jill to show us another way.

• Katherine Cunningham

  Thanks for that, Love Her!!

• Marie Bosanko

  Amazing her skin is beautiful, and I truly admire the way she lives

View other 59 comments