We're doing it

We're searching for 100 acres plus.
Ok, so in another thread I know a few of you said this was a tough gig. The thing is, where we can afford to buy is in Farming Zones...and there's that 40hectare ruling now for building. As it happens, DP has ruled out a small holding and is very keen on running steers on 100 plus acres. And I have more scope for breeding horses eventually, without getting grief from DP that we have no room.
We've found some in the Strzelecki area and there's one we'll look at in Korumburra. Feedback on these areas WRT childcare, schools, ABA groups, fire brigades, local shopping, live music scene, horse riding clubs, homebirth and BFing friendly doctors would be much appreciated! And how do you find travel time to Melb (well, outer east Melb)?
We're looking for vacant land so we can build a strawbale house, so it will be a while before we've built a shed to live in, even, so that we can begin proper building.
DS is very excited about the prospect, as am I.

Wow, I've got no advice but I just wanted to say how exciting! That sounds like a fantastic idea and I hope it all works out for you!

Put an offer in on a place yesterday...just waiting now...

Maya, if you're looking near korrumburra nae nae is probably a good person to ask about local services and stuff.

hoping you get your response on your offer soon! i'd love to have a decent piece of land to run cattle and stuff - but don't think it will ever happen ... sigh.. i will live vicariiously through you lol

Good luck!!

Good luck!! Really hope your offer is accepted. Got everything crossed!!

good luck huni. i really hope your offer is accepted xox

Aiiiiie fingers crossed! You'd be maybe 30 min from the beach? That's fun.

Ahh cool fingers crossed for you.

My brother and his fiance live in Korrumburra built there home (moved in to it October) but have lived down there for 2 years. They love that it is close to beach (30 - 40 min drive) and not far from fountain gate, he is a teacher and travels between 3 schools and seems happy with the 3 schools but they are secondary. Only downside for them is the distance to other side of melb eg western burbs and beyond.

We're in! Just have to wait for the vendor statement to be drawn up so that we have something to sign and pay for!!!
Bloody Nora, we're actually gonna be doing it...and it's not scary at all!
Now, where to fence off paddock for horses...
So, we're gonna lease most of it to a cattle farmer for a while (as in more than a year) so they can take care of fertiliser and hay cutting etc. We keep some small tracts for ourselves (my plan to breed a couple of horses, DP to start up his own little herd) and build. That's all ;)
DP reckons he wants to build on top of the hill, with us wanting to go solar power for the house, we dont' need to worry about how much getting power up that hill will cost, it will just be phone. DP is really keen to get that view to the Prom! Plus, more scope to put a pool in next to the house and have some flatter land to keep the horses on closer to the house (nervous to have them too far away where I can't see them easily). Then it's a long quad bike ride down the hill (all quad bikes to have roll bars!!), down the road and up the other road to get DS to school...ay! schools! Better look into that, and kindy's...
Wow, I have to learn some farm-talk fairly quickly!
Nelle - It took us about 40 mins tops to get to Venus Bay (where we're planning a family holiday home between MiL, us and BiL), so it's ideal.
ETA: Feeb - I love how it's close to the important things - beach, shops, beach, and ... beach! Meh, who needs the Westies, anyway? He he!
Thanks girls! I thought this would be a long journey, but it's unfolded quickly. From here it's gonna be long, though - moving, building, moving then building again.
I've got a friend in Fish Creek who is also CFA, so she can give me the lowdown on that front (pardon the pun), and she's also excited to have a friend move INTO her area, for once!
Thanks, BG, will pick Nae Nae's brain soon :)
Still, nothing's signed yet, so I'll put a lid on my excitement and get through this week till such a time as I can get all excited again... ;)

yay! you're allowed to be excited even if the paperwork isn't signed! it's a big deal! congrats - sounds like it's all coming together nicely

Ok, then, I'll just stay excited :)
I love how we found a place that met the criteria and isn't a half hour drive from anywhere inhabited (like the other place we thought we'd buy before Sunday)! We wanted a farm, but not to be remote, for various reasons. I reckon that with DP's job now, he could get work locally in a few years' time (he only just started where he is) because it's in the water industry and he'll have skills and qualifications soon enough (they're paying for him to study).
I love that we'll be near a big town (can take the girl out of the city...!), but on our patch of dirt, too, living what we wanted to live for so long before we even met each other!
I will still miss walking to my local retailers with my little shopping cart :(

you'll have to walk your shopping cart out to the yummy vegie patch you can set up out there!


mmmm fresh veg

*BG goes to raid the fridge for snow peas from the garden yesterday....

Yay for you maya!

Woohoo! Congrats Maya :)

Wow! Sounds awesome - grats =)) How exciting!

Woo Hoo!!! Finance approved!! It's all systems go ;)
Found out today on the way home from a long weekend away...I'm so relieved, it's all happening...pinching myself...it's OURS!
Just goes to show ya, you don't achieve goals if you don't have them in your sights :)

A month tomorrow and we'll have a farm! Well, land for a farm - it's not a farm yet, it's a tabla rasa, my canvas!
I'm getting super excited about some communications I had with DSE about indigenous plantings, possibilities for getting grant funding for the areas I want to regenerate and rehabilitation for the creek etc.
I have borrowed lots of books on strawbale building and a book on the Home Creamery (will have to buy a copy, though!), for when we have a house cow (and I'm hoping to have a house goat, but only if I'm allowed to keep a few goats). I'm lobbying DP for some alpacas, but he's got some arbitrary policy against them and won't even read the articles in Small Farms about alpacas...WTF? I'll get round that, somehow ;)
DS is looking forward to moving to his grandma's, knowing that after that we'll go to the farm. We've almost decided to get him a battery powered quad bike for kids for his birthday in June.
The house packing here is mental - I'm packing for our stay at MiL's and packing for what's going straight to the farm, but in the meantime (between settlement here and the farm) our farm stuff is going to Mt Martha to DP's aunt's place...sheesh!
Once we're in at MiL's I'll be looking into the schools in the area. Not sure about kinder, as I may have to utilise the childcare at uni in Churchill and they have a kinder program. DD may be old enough to handle a couple of days at childcare next year so that I can finish my course. The only thing with that is that the course finishes in June and then DS will be facing a new kinder for only 6 months. Unless I just take him out all together when I finish and DD, DS and I just enjoy the farm together full-time until he starts school. I'm thinking out loud now, but this last bit makes the most sense to me ATM!
I've been in contact with the local rural brigade, but will be looking to transfer to the urban one. I'm in touch with a local ABA person, too (what a fantastic network this is!!).
All the reservations I had last year about moving are largely dissolved. People in my riding club think we're mad for having such large acreage, saying their 10 acres are hard enough to maintain. But then, they don't have a herd of steers to help out, they just have a few horses, and all that comes with having one species' parasites on pasture.
We got the cheque for the deposit on this house and that feels ace.
I reckon I should probably start a blog from here on in...once I've moved to MiL's and have some headspace :)
Thanks for your well-wishes, people, and for noticing my little woo-hoo.
Any other random bits of advice for a country newby? I've discovered there's a 'new residents' group at the local community house that I'll be joining.

I don't think you need much advice, I'm sure you will slot in to the lifestyle no worries :) There is loads and loads of funding available to you if you want to regenerate areas. We did it a few years back to fence off our creek and plant trees etc to stop errosion and it was well worth it - even if we did spend nearly a week solid on the computer getting the application done LOL. Start buying The Land newspaper though - a lot of the grants are advertised through there and it will also help you keep current on advancements in farming practice etc as well as give you a feel for key issues. Oh and if you do run cattle, you will have to get yourself set up for NLIS because even if you aren't seriously into it, you will still need to be able to trace your livestock's movements etc when being brought and sold.

Woo hoo for you all!!!! That's exciting. I hope it's not too stressful at the MIL... :p :hug:

That all sounds SO awesome! Enjoy!

I'm so jealous!!!!! Can't wait to see your progress in photos!!

How exciting!!!
I wouldn't worry about DS and kinder, they adjust to change really well at this age especially boys, I teach kindergarten (your prep) and have had kids leave for other schools after 6 months and been happy as larry. You are so positive about it all that will rub off on him and he will be fantastic.

Thanks all!
Got The Land and Weekly Times in my bookmarks now :)

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Just goes to show ya, you don't achieve goals if you don't have them in your sights :)

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Too true...

Settlement day today! We have it!
We went to see it yesterday and I fell in love all over again. It's gorgeous in summer and lush in late autumn! Can't wait to go on Sunday with the dogs (their first time) and have a good walk around the hills part of it. I wish we had a horse float so that I could bring my horse for a spin.
After much angst, we're well on our way.
So, I have my garlic growing bible and I'm now looking into alpacas for myself (DP can do his beef cattle), just researching it for now.
Our individual childhood dreams have just materialised. Now, to build the shed.

Hi Mayaness! How exciting! We are about to move to our new piece of land where we will also be building our strawbale house. We are going to be doing most of it ourselves (DH has already designed it and just needs to approved by his dad who is a draftsman). Exciting times ahead for us! Will be interested to hear about your building journey :)

How exciting, congratulations! I'd love to hear/see more about your straw bale house when you start building....it's something we're looking into in the future.

Woo Hoo! Can't wait to see how you go with the alpacas

Ok, so alpacas will have to wait, as they cost so much per head and we need something to graze NOW...so we met with the trusted local stock agent and on Monday we get the ball rolling with registrations, numbers etc. 100 head! Just for starters while we're not living there.
Krysalyss - what's your building timeframe? Blog your progress? Whereabouts are you? (not asking specifics, for security reasons ;) )
I'll scout for some retiree or rescue horses closer to the moving time, which entirely depends on how long it takes to convert the shearing shed...cos DP has changed his mind and decided the existing shed is doable!
There are STACKS of wombats around, so I'm hoping roaming dogs help them realise there may be better places to live that aren't on the fragile hills, at least not till we've had a couple of years to plant some trees to stabilise the soil.
We've had a Landcare guy come out for Ecotender to help us put a bid together to fence off the creek in the bottom sections.
We've met one of the neighbours and have yet to make ourselves known to the family on the other side, but hear they are very nice.
We've met the previous owner who gave us great info and starting points.
We ARE going to get a fourby wagon, instead of the dual cab ute DP was thinking of, cos we have to be realistic...DP wants a third child!
I've got us an ABN and we have to find an accountant who can deal with farming stuff (the local one here may be of limited use, even though we LOVE her).


The Landcare guy said he was thinking of the exact same thing re: garlic growing...thereby validating my plan to DP, who thought it would be one of my 'projects' that was better in theory than practice and that he was going to tolerate. Now because someone else says there's money in it he's taking it more seriously ;)
We've taken the dogs once and they were in seventh heaven. I have taken a squillion photos already. And this is without having found a house site yet (though there are several potentials).
But most importantly, I bought a large happy flag (in fucshia, poor DP is a bit embarrassed by it) and stuck it on the first gate :D

Wow Mayaness!!!!
it all sounds awesome!
i hope your blogging it all ;)

Oh yay for you! I totally missed this tread before so I'm happy to read how it's progressed :D

I was down at Kardella Sth not long ago at Djinta Djinta winery. Lovely spot! Grew up in Wonthaggi too.

It's been a while - nearly done with Melbourne :)
DP seems to be torn between the work he does and wanting to be down South. He says he'll stay here till he resigns, but he's non-committal with himself as to when that will be. He likes what he does, he hates the low pay, he got along far better with the other guy he was assistant to, before his braindead manager moved everyone around, and doesn't want to commute that far with those 'cons'.
Anyway, we have tanks installed for the caravan and shed site and I have to bite the bullet and go to a shopping mall for a Telstra shop to get a mobile internet SIM for our wireless router. I hate our local shopping centre! I'm a street front shopper!
Anyway, once we have internet I can organise VOIP and have a phone down there so that I feel better while DP stays here with his mum during the week.
I HAVE to make a move in the next two weeks because of kinder starting. I want DS to feel comfy in his new surrounds and to feel like he lives there IYKWIM.
Anyway, 105 head of cattle (steers) are ours, we have a caravan to live out of while we convert the shed and I'm working on painting our letterbox!

Woohoo! Glad to hear you're moving out there hun. I know it will be a tricky start, but just think where you'll be once it's all done and you're properly settled.