Pappinbarra kids market kindness as champions of community spirit

To the west of Port Macquarie, along the dusty roadsides that wend their way alongside the paddocks and farms of serenely beautiful Pappinbarra, something special is happening.

As the landscape rejuvenates itself and the rolling hills are flush green again, as a visual reminder that change and renewal has no start or end, the youngest residents of this tight-knit and resilient community have stepped forward in solidarity.

The kids of Pappinbarra have endured two horrific bushfires, the ravages of drought and now a health crisis that has brought the world to its knees.

They have come out the other side of these challenges not with fear or worry, but extending a hand of goodwill and generosity. Because in the words of 12-year-old Sophie Smith, "the world needs to be less attacking and we need to show more kindness".

With her sister Zara, 10, and little brother Curtis, 8, the trio have set up a roadside nursery to sell a range of succulents grown on their property.

So far, they've sold two plants and netted $10 which they say will be used to reinvest in their small, but already profitable business, that has caught the eye of supportive locals.

"When I was in year 6 I had an idea to sell succulents to help pay to go to school camp," Sophie said.

"I got myself to camp and then we decided that we have a whole patch of succulents in the garden and we should sell some more.

"We harvested them and put them in pots and put a sign up out the front and put it up on Facebook.

"We are going to reinvest our money in some more exciting succulents."

Mum Heather said while they don't have any grand plans for Smith's Succulents, it was nice to see the children who have been impacted by so much trauma over the last six months find comfort in positive, community-minded tasks.

"On two of the scariest days during the fires the kids were at their grandparents' home in Wauchope. But when they were back at the property they were out there with us trying to stop the fire coming over the hills and into our pasture," Heather said.

Zara and Sophie hope the succulent business brings a smile to people who enjoy gardening, and for those who don't, they are plants that are almost impossible to kill.

"This also gives people somewhere to go and something to do. They can get out and garden," Sophie said.

"Just remember not to cough in someone's face," Zara added.

Ten-year-old Max Hillard is up at 6am every morning and downs his axe just before it gets dark.

He doesn't bat an eyelid at hard work and one day, wants to run dairy cows on a patch of land he can call his own.

Mum Meg, and her husband Michael, are more than proud of their little brood and say the country spirit runs deep in their community and across generations.

Max, a Beechwood Public School student, started selling firewood at the weekend. He has already made over $300 and now employs two people, his brother Jake, 12 and his best mate Josh Cole, 12. Six-year-old sister Lucy manages the payroll.

Max pays his workers $20 a day to help him cut wood. The rest goes into an account towards his dream car - a Landcruiser ute.

The wood is chopped by hand into kindling, bagged up and sold to neighbours.

"We have a dairy farm, I also help milk, I drive a tractor, bring the cows in on my motorbike, make silage and plant," Max said.

"I've got two workers now. They're out chopping wood now and I give them $20 of my money.

"I like it out here. I can ride my motorbike, get the horses. I use a chainsaw. I wake up early in the morning and finish late at night."

Farming is in the family's DNA and brother Jake is now about to start up a venture selling mulch hay.

"They've all got to pull their weight and earn their own money and save up for special things they want," Meg said. "Michael and I are extremely proud of Max - he has a heart as big as Phar Lap in a tiny body and he is a little trooper.

"You can tell kids brought up on the land. They're happy and that's all we ask for. When we go to bed at night we are all exhausted but emotionally happy."

Anyone wanting to order wood can contact Max via mum Meg on 0400 744 317.

Ada Neale, 8, has put some vegies out at the bottom of Rosemont Road. The chillis, watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, sweet potato and flowers were all going for free.

It's a chance to give back where you can, the family says. It doesn't hurt, and it feels good.

The Beechwood Public School student wanted to do 'something' at the end of the road to give back to her community.

Mum Samara said the original concept of a lemonade stall evolved into the vegie stand based on what people out their way needed.

"She was so excited to see some gold coins in the box at the end of the day. What goes around comes around was the lesson," Samara said.

"Ada is one of those kids who always thinks about others first. Her and her brother Felix (5) had also been riding 1.5km to feed our neighbour's chooks early on in isolation as they were away.

"Our community is always supportive and encouraging of the youth, it's just a lovely place to live."

Dad Stephen, is a committee member on the Pappinbarra Progress Association and is trying to get some more youth activities happening to positively engage the village's young people.

Ada would like the world to be happy, kind and not afraid or worried after the health crisis passes.

She also has a message for everyone and that's to 'stay safe'.

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