At the end of last year we bought 160 acres of dirt in a beautiful spot in South East Queensland. We had no real plan, but to move in and let the kids run free.
There is a small number of cattle and a few horses, that were part of the purchase, which are now feeding well on the grasses the rain has so kindly reinvigorated. With a very steep learning curve we intend to work with the Bull and Cows here and sell of the calves as required. The horses here despite the fact I love having them around, are surplus to our current needs and will pose a cost we can't handle at this point. They will have to go soon.
Infrastructure consists of two dwellings, the first is an old timber home with four beds, which is in pretty good condition though in need of some renovation. We are yet to get power connected (Solar or otherwise) and are still using a rudimentary toilet and shower systems, which will have to be remedied by winter. The second, is a single bed, open plan building, built with materials mainly off the property. There is a good size 12V solar system which powers the lighting and fridge. There are also outside amenities here which could do with some fine tuning. This building is in a nicer location on the property, though not sizeable enough for our family. The fencing is in OK condition in most places, though in need of repair in quite a few locations in the more, hard to reach locations. There are timber yards that are also in need of a lot of work.
Looking forward, we have quite a lot of work to do, and that both excites and worries me. First stop is Power, the diesel gen is really starting to drain our available funds, while we wait for power companies and the like to sort out their shit. Water is in order for now as the weather is playing nice and keeping our tank full. A second tank has been purchased and awaits a prepared surface for installation. Heating may be a problem for winter as the house seems to be a little drafty, though we may reassign one of the wood stoves from the other house to help out this winter. The house will still need work on the roof, a bathroom, update to flooring and a number of other small jobs. While all the infrastructure type jobs are in progress I intend to get our food production systems in place. Aquaponics and earthen bed veggie patches will kick it off. I would love to revive the soil here and get started on a chemical free, sustainable permaculture strategy to provide a future proof food source for us and our friends/neighbours.
