This blog documents an average Australian family’s journey towards a sustainable lifestyle without leaving suburbia. It’s easier than you think!

We’re a household of 5 (2 parents and 3 young children) living in Kiama, on the NSW coast just south of Wollongong (which itself is just south of Sydney).

The [Kiama](http://www.kiama.nsw.gov.au/), [Shellharbour](http://www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/) and [Wollongong](http://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/) councils have joined together to create the [Sustainable Illawarra](http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/) project. This project has funding from the [NSW State Government’s Environmental Trust](http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/envtrust.htm), and aims to pool the three councils’ resources and knowledge to promote sustainability in a consistent way across the Illawarra.

As part of the project, 120 families across the Illawarra were selected to participate in the [Sustainable Illawarra Super Challenge](http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/The-SuperChallenge.html), and we were fortunate enough to be chosen as one of them.

Despite the name, it’s neither a competition nor a reality show. It’s a 12-month programme to help the families learn more about sustainability issues, to set their own goals, and to work towards achieving them. Participants’ stories will be shared via the Sustainable Illawarra web site and various media outlets to help promote sustainability in the community.

We’re using this blog to record what we learn and to document our own “green change” as it unfolds.

If you’d like to send us information, brochures, catalogues, samples, etc, our postal address is:

Darren Collins
PO Box 30
Jamberoo, NSW, 2533
Australia

Feel free to [email Darren](mailto:darren@pool-room.com) if you have any questions or suggestions!