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.
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
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...
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
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.
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