Wattle Bank Farm: Natural horseman and Antarctic adventurer

A life on the land is a different pace from years spent trekking across the world. But for Peter Bland, the ethos is the same.

Pete Bland, natural horseman, Wattle Bank, with his partner Beatrice Imbert. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Riding a horse bareback and bitless through lush pastures seems – on the surface – a thousand miles away from arduously paddling a kayak across the choppy waters of the Bass Strait.

Even further still is the perilous task of trekking to both the north and south magnetic poles on foot.

But for Wattle Bank’s Peter Bland, the same sense of self-discipline, and connection to place and people, is needed for working with the land as it is for tackling its challenges.

“It’s about flow,” Peter said.

“Fearless living, outdoors, and wellness.”

In the 1990s, Peter ventured to both the north and south magnetic poles, and in 2000 undertook an unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula.

In recent months, he spent 10 days paddling across the Bass Strait from Wilsons Promontory to Tasmania in the name of raising funds for cancer research.

These days, Peter and his partner Beatrice Imbert lead a quiet, productive life at Wattle Bank Farm on Victoria’s Bass Coast, working to regenerate pastures, grow organic oyster mushrooms for upscale restaurants in Melbourne, and offering natural horsemanship classes and a farmstay accommodation.

“We’re absolutely united around creating a legacy of connectivity and wellness, hence why all our riding is bitless and bareback,” Peter said.

“It’s about not being a predator.”

Pete Bland, natural horseman, at Wattle Bank in Bass Coast. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

With a skill for teaching natural horsemanship skills on his Australian stockhorses, Peter’s equine approach is rooted in connecting human and horse, fostering a sense of respect between the two.

About 80 per cent of the equine classes run on-farm are NDIS funded, with some families driving from as far as Traralgon or Melbourne.

It’s an opportunity for connection with the land, with an animal, and mostly with one’s self, Peter said.

“It’s about getting back to trusting yourself. You can’t lead others unless you’re leading yourself,” Peter said.

“And you can’t lead yourself unless you know yourself.”

Pete and Beatrice are working on launching group work sessions based on sustainability and biodiversity on farm, along with a series of adventure camps in conjunction in Parks Victoria, where participants can spend a weekend trekking through bushland with a packhorse.

“The participants are responsible for that horse the entire weekend, feeding them, taking care of them, and making camp.”

Wattle Bank Farm has also recently added a mushroom pie range to its locally-grown produce line, which is made in conjunction with Johnny Ripe wholesale bakery on the Mornington Peninsula.

Pete Bland, natural horseman, Wattle Bank, playing bush polo with his student Kate Harmon, from Wonthaggi. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin