Tasmania Full Build Cob Cottage Workshop near Nubeena!

Date/Time
Date(s) - Sunday, February 8, 2026 - Sunday, March 15, 2026
8:30 am - 5:30 pm

HOST & LOCATION

 

CruzinCobGlobal will be on its first workshop adventure down under in the exciting world of the Tasmanian bush!  We will be living & learning on a very special piece of land curated by Stefan Froelich, our Tasmanian-German-Argentinian Host extraordinaire, who will receive you in his magical wilderness just a short walk to one of the coolest surf spots on the island!  Ocean views, unusual wildlife and caves you can stay in, a cob pizza oven, a performance stage, outdoor bathing, simple clean pure living, hikes and mountain bike trails right on the property (https://youtu.be/KxBVz8X0xe8?feature=shared) and tons of weekend adventures to be had, are some of the highlights of learning COB BUILDING at this Tasmanian Paradise!

Stefan was born in Germany of an Argentinian dad and a German mother who emigrated to Tasmania, where he has enjoyed most of his life as an adventurer, ocean sportsman & natural builder.  He has worked as water security guard for decades at International Surfing, Kiteboarding & Windsurfing Competitions, giving him the opportunity for winter travel and adventures all over the planet.  He spends 3 months of the year abroad working and

visiting friends & family, and while back on the land, works as a carpenter and natural builder when not maintaining his paradise or receiving guests and enjoying the good life. You will definitely enjoy this Tasmanian devil who has lots of stories to tell, bike rides to take you on and waves to ride with you, when not guiding you around his island on weekends.  We are super grateful for his Natural Building passion and request to host one of our dynamic and unforgettable Advanced Cob trainings in one of the most unique places on Earth.

Stefan’s Place consists of 21 acres of mostly wilderness through which he has made hiking & biking trails.  Students will camp in their own tents (there may be a few to lend) and possibly in a cave if available.  The facilities will be rustic, clean and functional as our Host is a builder and will receive us with what we need for a comfortable workshop experience.  Compost toilets, outdoor showers, an outdoor bathtub, delicious filtered rainwater for drinking, healthy clean meals prepared by loving cooks, afternoons on the beach and nights quiet as can be under the Southern hemisphere skies. Stefan’s Place has an event stage, a gyroscope, a cob pizza oven, a big swing, veggie gardens and the most amazing workshop oceanview ever. Check out the Gallery below.

The nearest town is Nubeena, 7 kilometers away, and students can be transported on the weekend or use a bike.  There are many hiking & camping adventures in Tasmania and local students will be a great support for showing you around on weekends in between our Monday through Friday workshop days.

 

GALLERY

THE PROJECT

The 5-week Advanced Cobber Certification Workshop students will be building the first COB structure on the Land.  Until now Stefan and guests have been living in the caves, and camping, so this will be the first earthen shelter.  We are honored he has chosen COB, to be built in an intimate, sacred and soulful way and created, as always, with 12-15 pairs of loving and passionate muddy hands and feet.  Starting with the “boots”, the stone foundation, to the “hat”, our indestructible trademark reciprocal green roof, we will cover everything in between!  You will leave confident, transformed, inspired, motivated, excited, and ready for more.  Be prepared for a total life makeover, and a new strength and empowerment to fearlessly lead a life TRUE to yourself!  We see this in every workshop year after year.  It’s called “Cob Therapy”!

We will be building a 14m2/150ft2 round building (final size is always dependent on class number). The breathtaking reciprocal roof structure we build in all of our workshops is the strongest roof there is, due to its interlocking spiral structure which holds itself up with no outward pressure on the monolithic round wall of the building. In addition, it mirrors the horizontal social structure favored in indigenous societies, who meet under these types of roofs for council circles, as we will do weekly.  

Students in this Advanced Cobber Certification training will, as always, learn all the steps to

building a complete Cob Building from scratch.  In week 1, we dig the rubble trench and fill it with a sturdy 30cm-wide aesthetic stone foundation to support the wall and roof, and finish the week off by pouring the first layer of adobe/cob floor on a layer of insulation underlain by a gravel base for drainage.  In weeks 2 & 3, we build the monolithic cob wall, layer by layer, with all its detailed insertions and finish week 3 off with 2 days of relaxed sculpting.  In week 4 we plaster our beautifully-decorated and solid wall with an earthen-manure mix for 4 days.  On Friday we begin the Reciprocal Roof structure and in week 5 we complete the structure and cover it with a Green Roof.  On the final days we will finish the top of the wall as well as the second floor coat, ready for Graduation and the Celebration on Saturday evening.  Sunday morning is our Closing Circle before the public Open House on the final Sunday, when the final project is revealed to the outside world!

We encourage non-White and multiracial students who are curious or already interested and passionate about earthen construction to come learn the art and technique of cob building with CCG.  We want a workshop that feels comfortable for non-white students, and aim for a healthy balance of races, cultures and languages.  CCG has taught in many countries of the world and our mission is to create access to everyone interested, especially the local people, so we can create international cob building families where all students grow and learn on a personal and interpersonal level.  We aim to create intercultural and interhuman bonding experiences through our Cob building workshops to heal the world one Cob house at a time.  So please follow your Heart & Soul, listen to the Call, and come and embark on a life-changing adventure in 2026!

 

DETAILED WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

 The 35-day Advanced Cob Building Workshop consists of 25 days (Monday through Friday) of learning & construction for 4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon with theoretical instruction (lectures with graphics) on most Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons to complement the hands-on experience.  Students arrive on Sunday between noon and 2pm and settle in. The Workshop begins at 4pm and ends on a Sunday, 5 weeks later, after the morning Closing Circle & Brunch, around 2pm. Students can arrive a day or two before to acclimate and settle in (please let us know) but will need to cover their own food
 needs, unless a work trade or meal fee is approved by Host (to be decided closer to the date). The Opening Circle begins promptly at 4pm, followed by a Host Site Orientation at 5pm, Dinner at 6pm and an Introduction to the Project by the Instructors at 7pm.  We require that students arrive Saturday before dark or Sunday by 2pm AT THE LATEST!!! We need to begin ALL TOGETHER, as the most important information for the success and smooth-running of the workshop and the well-being of the students will happen on Sunday between 4pm and 8:30pm.  It is very inconvenient for students, Host, Instructors and the group, when someone arrives late and misses any of the opening sessions.  Please be punctual because Monday morning at 9 am we begin digging the trench for our Cob Building and students need to be prepared and ready to go!!!!
 
Following Breakfast from 7:30-8:15am, the morning learning/building session begins at 8:30 am and lasts until 1pm with a 20-minute snack pause at 11am. Lunch break is from 1pm to 2:30pm, which includes a rest time before the 3-hour afternoon session begins, from 2:30pm-5:30pm. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays there is a 60-minute lecture at 2:30pm, followed by construction time. Tuesdays and Thursdays students begin building again right after the rest time. After class in the afternoon there is a 90-minute break before dinner (served from 7pm to 8pm), in which s

tudents are encouraged to stretch, do some type of relaxation/movement practice, go swimming, walking and just relax.

There is sometimes a work trade student officially or informally leading yoga and movement practice in the mornings or afternoons (depending on student preference). There will also be 3-4 evenings (once a week) after dinner for showing slides, videos and having Course-related discussions. Other evenings are mostly free and sometimes students offer informal courses in their specialties and passions. Tuesdays are reserved for our weekly Council Circle, where we do a deeper sharing and listening to attend to the inner worlds of our students, staff & Host(s) during this intense experience.

On weekends students are free to explore the area, rest onsite, and even continue building, subject to Instructor approval.  All weekend meals are provided by students who are welcome to use the kitchen.  Host and/or other students can carpool into town for weekend food provisions.

The 35-day Course will offer practical learning by building a complete 15m2 curvilinear building from foundation to roof, as 
described in the “Project” section. Those who complete the 35-day Workshop will receive an Advanced Cobber Certificate of Completion for Foundation, Cob Walls (which includes Door, Windows, Shelves, Art, Electrical Housing & Plumbing preparation), Floor, Plaster & Roof.
 
 

DAILY SCHEDULE

 
The daily schedule (subject to slight modifications due to climate/time of year) will be:

7:30-8:15 Breakfast

8:30-1:00 Class

1:00-2:30 Lunch

2:30-5:30 Class (Lecture on MWF’s)

5:30-7:00 Rest/Yoga

7:00-8:00 Dinner

8:00-9:00 Slides/Videos/Discussion (once a week)
Students are expected to be on time and participate in all sessions and required activities as the goal of building a full construction depends on the whole group working together!
 
 

COURSE CONTENTS

 
Students will learn every phase of building a cob building from foundation through the reciprocal roof in hands-on building and lectures/theory. In addition to the lectures,
slideshows and videos will be shown to support and enhance their understanding of cob materials, cob building, design, geography, budgeting, business options and legal issues.

Our hands-on practice will include:

digging foundation trench


pouring gravel and inserting drainage pipe (if applicable)


building foundation stemwall


analyzing soils and materials


making test bricks


deciding on correct mixture


deciding on best location


making cob w/ partner and solo
building with cob


preparing and inserting the door


preparing and inserting fixed and opening windows


preparing and inserting shelves


inserting bottle windows, glass and other objects


inserting electrical housing and outlet/switch boxes (when applicable)*


insert PVC pipe for plumbing in walls (when applicable)*


sculpting


preparing and applying earthen plaster (1 coat)


pouring an earthen floor (2 coats)


preparing walls for roof connection


building reciprocal roof frame


putting on roof sheathing and other elements


installing green roof


making small-scale cob designs of future projects, time permitting

In addition to Cob Building practices, the Course material
also includes:

legal cob construction practices & the international cob code (Appendix AU in the IRC)


cost analysis


creating a cob business (building/teaching)


assisting, interning and teaching with CruzinCobGlobal

*While the insertion of electrical housing and one or more outlet/switch boxes and PVC pipes to hold plumbing are always included in the workshops, the simplicity or complexity depends on the host’s design and preferences. There will be no electrical wiring or plumbing pipes installed during workshop. That is beyond the focus of this course and requires professional experience and certification/licensing.
 

REQUIREMENTS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION
 

Students will need to come prepared for demanding physical work from Day 1.

This includes bringing:

Work clothes appropriate for the country and climate we are in


Work boots or other closed-toe shoes (for foundation and roof)


Flip-flops (for cobbing/plaster days)


Rubber dishwashing gloves (for lime mortar)


Work Gloves (for stone work)


Tape Measure


Box Cutter
/Straight Edge

Wood Hand Saw (cheap)*


Level (2ft)*


Hammer*


Japanese plastering trowel(s) 

Ear Plugs (roof week)


Safety Glasses


Wood Chisel*


4”-6” Diameter Round Plastic Container Lids (for plastering)


Good Moisturizer


Hat


Sunglasses


Water Bottle


Notebook/Pen/Camera


Carpenter Pencil & Sharpener


Sample of your Soil (optional)

Any other power tools like skilsaw, grinder wth metal blade, cordless drill, chop saw, extra hammers, trowels, saws, levels…will be very welcome if you have them and are driving in.  Some students fly in with only carry-on luggage and can’t bring some of these tools.

*These tools will be very helpful to bring if you can, to minimize sharing and waiting, but if you can’t the Host will provide them.

 ***PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT INFO!***

Everyone is essential to the completion of the build!  These workshops are designed for people that want to learn how to build a complete structure from start to finish in a professional manner and amount of time. They are very intensive and, while we make time for yoga, stretching, dancing, music, relaxing….all students are expected to be present and participating in all building and lecture learning hours unless absolutely incapable due to illness or have some other significant/emergency reason. This is because we design the size of the building
 and organize the structure of the workshop in accordance with the number of students and when people are absent, it impacts the whole group and the other students have to work harder and it disturbs the integrity of the group. It takes the whole village to see the building through from start to finish!  In addition, Instructors set up building work according to students’ strengths and learning needs.  In short, if you don’t feel that you will be able to bepresentevery day for every session, please re-think your readiness for our Advanced Training.  We attract serious and highly-motivated students so if that’s you, you will be surrounded by others with the same desire to learn and build!  Everyone has a role every day all day!
We need and depend on everyone’s full participation in each day of the workshop.  This is a total group effort on all levels:  physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically.. If someone is physically absent from the site and lectures due to illness or other urgency for more than one full day, they will need to make up the days missed in a subsequent workshop to receive the Certificate (only paying food costs).  If physically injured or ill (and capable), it is requested students still be present at the site and for lecture and other required evening activities, so as to not miss out on information and keep learning by observation, and thus still qualify for the Certificate.

The workshop intensity changes from week 1 to week 5 with the focus of the week. The first foundation week breaks people in with the work of moving, lifting, rolling and placing rocks and is a new and demanding physical and mental experience for most students. It also includes 
the first layers and coat of cob floor. The second week and part of the third week of cob-making and building are similar to the rock foundation week in physical demand, but are more flowing, multi-faceted and cardiovascular in movement. On Thursday & Friday of week 3, the workshop takes a turn and slows down and the body can rest as students their creative source now  and design and sculpt the walls and around niches, shelves, windows, etc.  This is a very special rewarding experience and time of the workshop, decorating the walls with visual beauty and meaning as expressed by each unique student.  Usually there is an overarching theme decided on by Host(s).  Plastering follows sculpting and is also an enjoyable more lightweight physical experience, that lends itself to talking and sharing at the wall in a meditative rhythm as the students have bonded and shared deeply through a variety of experiences for a month. On day 5 of week 4, the roof begins.  This part is the beginning of a change of pace from the earthen building work to carpentry skills, power tools, measuring, sawing, drilling, hammering, screwing, trimming, etc. But now the workshop is in its final stretch and there is a boost of energy to wrap up the roof, close the top of the wall, and tend to finishing touches….the grand finale.

For students wanting a more mellow slow-paced cob experience, along with time for personal exploration and experimentation following their own rhythm, these workshops are not for you! However, you can find a more suitable workshop online with other organizations that offer a
 shorter period, building a garden wall, a bench, a compost toilet or some other smaller scale project.

Students are required to read “The Hand-Sculpted House” and “Essential Cob Construction” (see website Resources page) before the workshop begins, and any other books they find or are listed on our Resources page, ideally on plastering and reciprocal roof building.  We ask that you watch the many videos on our our “International Cob Workshop” playlist on Claudine’s YouTube channel, the new educational YouTube series “Building a Mud Home” by Cooper Green, posted by Natural Buildings and created from our North Carolina workshop footage, and the ones posted on CruzinCobGlobal’s website under Gallery, to get an idea of what is expected. Also it is a great idea to watch as many other videos on cob and reciprocal roofs as you can to come mentally prepared. Please bring your book(s).

Students must tend to their own personal needs, drink alot of water, rest when needed and exert themselves at a steady pace. Students who cannot do the strenuous physical work should let us know when registering, so we can make sure the workshop is a good fit. If approved before the workshop begins, we will aim to adjust appropriately. There is alot to do to support making and building with cob while respecting your physical limitations!!!

Finally, please bring a watch or use your phone to be prompt and ready for each part of the Course including meals. Please make sure you share your dietary restrictions/allergies with CCG in your registration form. Note that very demanding dietary needs will not be
 able to be met (vegan & non-gluten ok) and those students may be recommended not to participate, unless they are willing to meet their special needs on their own, which will not include kitchen access on weekdays. Please discuss with Claudine at time of desire to register. Also please bring your essential snacks and foods, pillow and whatever you NEED to be comfortable and happy. Feel free to also bring playlists, speaker, slides, videos,
movies and books to share, as well as a sample of your soil to test.

We look forward to opening you to a whole new world of experience, skill, growth and transformation as you bond with your new COB family for life!

 

MEALS & ACCOMMODATIONS
  

We will serve three meals a day from Monday through Friday including the Welcome and Celebration Dinners and Farewell Brunch.  Weekends students will be on their own for food and may use the onsite kitchen.  Meals will be  vegetarian and locally-based as much as possible, including farm produce and eggs! Carnivores & pescatarians & omnivores will, if desired, be offered non-vegetarian options of meals a few times a week and/or supplemented with canned fish, dried meats, cold cuts. They are also welcome to buy or bring their own supplements.

We will attend to vegan and gluten-free diets if needed, but any other restrictions & allergies that require extensive preparation needs, will probably not be able to be honored, and kitchen will only be accessible on weekends for students.

Camping with your own tent and bedding is free. Please bring a good tent and warm sleeping bag, pad, and pillow … or camping hammock.


 

CLAUDINE “COB QUEEN” DÉSIRÉE

Cob Instructor

Learning to build cob houses has been an unexpected gift in so many ways.  The joy I see on people’s faces at my workshops when they roll up their pants for the first time and stick their toes in the cool soft mud, the laughter and heart-to-heart conversations ignited while mixing and building with a partner, the meditative concentration of working on a sculpture, the satisfaction of stepping back and seeing your beautiful trimmed wall section, the excitement at embedding bottles and sculpting an art window, the bliss of relaxing with good food and a cold beer after a full day’s building in community, and the gratitude of leaving confident in starting a dream project….are why I do this work.  Over and over again, all over the world, cob building creates childlike joy, love, community, and empowerment.  It has shown itself to be much more than a building technique.  It is a remedy for a better Life on Earth.  It creates Happy People living in Happy Houses. May the legacy of CruzinCobGlobal continue to heal the World one workshop at a time, one new cobber and one more cob house at a time. Aho.

 

NATÀLIA CALVET

Cob Assistant

My name is Natàlia, and I grew up in a rural village in Catalonia, surrounded by nature and simplicity. From a very young age, I felt a strong connection to art in all its forms, to plants and rivers, and to the invisible movement that flows between people and their environment. Curiosity has always guided me, leading me to explore different cultures, ways of life, and new perspectives.

My path into natural building began unexpectedly, when I started constructing a small cob house with my father, without any prior knowledge or experience. That project became a turning point: it awakened a deep passion for natural building, grounding me

and connecting me to the earth in a transformative way. Since then, I have been committed to learning, growing, and sharing this practice that combines creativity, sustainability, and a profound respect for the natural world.

In February of 2025 I participated in a CruzinCobGlobal Advanced Cobber Certification workshop in Kenya, followed by an oven workshop.  I was very happy to get a formal instruction and learn the proper techniques for all the elements in a complete build.  I made many new friends including local Kenyans, and got to see a new country and learn about its culture as well.  Since then I haven’t stopped. I organized my own bench workshop at a festival, and continued with more learning, including a second CCG Full Build workshop in Belgium as a return student in the summer of 2025.  My next project is bringing cob to children in the schools so I can inoculate them at a young age with this amazing practice and skill of natural building.  Since I studied early childhood education, this would be a wonderful way of bringing two passions together to create a new life path.  

This will be my first Assistant position and I am excited to prepare over the next 4 months, so I can offer the best of myself and my knowledge thus far as Cob Assistant to Claudine.

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION

Students should fly into Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, or come in via Melbourne, Australia.  Check ChatGPT for the best flight rates.  From California there are direct flights to Melbourne for USD$500.  Emirates and other Middle Eastern airlines serve as connectors between Europe and Australia via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, etc. 

 

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT

Very Early Bird Rate: 2200€/USD$2600/AUS$3900, paid in full by November 8th, 2025

Early Bird Rate: 2300€/USD$2700/AUS$4050, paid in full by December 8th, 2025

Standard Rate: 2400€/USD$2800/AUS$4200, paid in full by January 8th, 2026

We are offering 4 work trade positions which give you a 250€/USD$300/AUS$450 discount for working one hour each weekday from 6:30am to 7:30am either on the site prepping materials and other work as guided by the Instructors or preparing & putting away breakfast. Two persons for each service.  These are the first options to go. Depending on when you pay in full, the discount is taken off the appropriate amount, so if you want a work trade, apply promtply.

For US residents, payment can be made using Zelle, Paypal and  Venmo to claudinedesiree@gmail.com. Europeans and other international students can pay using the Wise app/website using the same email or the following IBAN:  BE44 9673 1046 6145.  We are happy to send you an invite to Wise which gives you a free first transfer of 500€.

Please contact claudine@cruzincobglobal.org or Whatsapp +1(831) 212-7225 to register and ask any questions.

To hold your spot (there are 12 for new students and 3 for returning students), you can make a 50% deposit.  The balance owed depends on the date of payment in full. Final payment deadline is January 8th, 2026.  Return students (who have already taken a 5-week workshop) only pay for food and ar secondary assistants getting a deeper experience.
 

CANCELLATION POLICY

Students who have paid and cancel by November 8th, 2025 can get a full refund minus a 5% administrative/inconvenience fee on the amount they have paid.

Students who have paid and cancel by December 8th, 2025 will receive a credit for a future workshop within two years minus a 10% administrative/inconvenience fee.

Students who have paid and cancel after December 8th, 2025 will not receive a refund or credit unless they have proof of an emergency situation or other reason out of their control, in which case they will receive a credit for two years minus the 10% admin fee.
 

SEE YOU IN THE MUUUUUUD!

 

 

 

Location: Stefan's Adventure Land