It was a sheer fluke that Michael (also a resident of Christie Walk) and I bumped into Zainil and Michael but it was serendipitous that we did. Have a listen to their passion when talking about their home.”We aim to cooperatively live on and manage the land to protect, conserve and enjoy its indigenous nature.” But why “round the bend” We are part of the Bend of Islands community – hence “the Bend”. The phrase is also ironic. In the early 70s when the Co-op was formed, the idea that people would live in the bush to protect it, rather than exploit it, was seen as a bit crazy. We have proven the worth of our approach and the world has caught up with our ideals.