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www.thisisrural.com
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house and 62 acres: $285,000
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Many properties in this area do not have a large dam and very few have a bore.
This property has two of the largest dams in the area, a small dam and a good bore.
This property has more water than any other block in the area.
There is plenty of water for hobby farming and for growing your own vegies.
It is also possible to grow smallcrops using an inground irrigation system covering an area of more than two acres that is ready to plough.
During the last 14 years while the present owner has lived here, including during the worst drought in history, there has always been dam water for stock to drink.
During the major drought of 2007/2008 the dam levels became quite low but there was always water in at least one of the dams.
All three dams have depth indicators.
The capacity of the two large dams together has been calculated to be between 5 and 6 megalitres when full.
The rainwater tanks are more than three-quarters full most of the time. Even during the worst of the drought they were never less than half full, and that is without any attempt to ration water usage.
The house water supply is pressurised by a high quality electric constant-pressure pump with sufficient capacity to supply water to a large household.
The shed has a stainless steel sink with a cold water tap connected to the pressurised house water supply.
In the early nineties this property was operated commercially as a smallcrops farm
by a family of four including two grownup children,
with six additional employees.
The area under cultivation was 200 metres by 400 metres (20 acres).
Cultivation ceased when vegetable markets became glutted after heavy rains and vegetable prices sank so low that the cost of transport to markets was greater than the amount received.
Nowadays, food prices can no longer sink to very low levels because of the emergence of biofuels which in effect link the price of food to the price of oil.
Rainwater Tanks
The total tank capacity for rainwater storage is 15,000 gallons (68,000 litres).
Two 5,000 gallon (22,700 litre) aquaplate tanks collect rainwater from the roof of the house.
These tanks provide more than enough water for domestic use.
A bypass system, shown in the photo above, allows the initial flow of rainfall from the roof to be discarded to a pond,
thus ensuring that only clean water enters the tanks.
Mesh guards prevent frogs from getting into any of the pipework,
which means that the flavour of the water does not get tainted even during long periods of hot weather with little rainfall.
A third 5,000 gallon aquaplate tank collects rainwater from the roof of the shed.
Water from the shed tank can be used in the orchard.
The shed tank provides a reserve supply for the house, although it has never been needed for this purpose.
There is also a small water tank attached to a small shed.
Aquaplate rainwater tanks are made from zincalum with a food grade plastic spraycoated onto the interior
to ensure a healthy and clean non-metallic taste.
According to Bluescope Steel's website, the bases of aquaplate tanks are laminated on both sides to provide superior corrosion resistance.
Aquaplate tanks have a much longer life than tanks made from zincalum on its own.
Not only do the rainwater tanks supply more than enough water for the present owner,
but also a substantial amount of water is lost through the overflow outlets of the tanks when they are full
which happens quite often.
This means that the roof areas of the house and shed are large enough to supply rainwater to
at least two additional 5,000 gallon tanks
if a new owner wished to install additional tanks.
About Dams
Two of the dams on this property are among the best dams in this area.
But if you don't know much about dams then how can you make your own assessments?
Well, there is no need to simply take the vendor's word for it.
click here
to view a page about dams
that explains the features that you should examine when you are looking at dams.
Read the "about dams" page and then apply what you have learned to every dam that you inspect.
Dam #1
This large dam was constructed in approximately 1991 when the property was a smallcrops farm.
The dam receives runoff from several nearby properties which slope towards this property.
The back wall of this dam has
the best protection against erosion of any dam in the area.
The raft and the yellow punt go with the property.
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Dam #2
This large dam was constructed many decades before the subdivision of 1981,
when this property used to be part of a 5000 acre block.
The pioneers of yesteryear who built this dam selected the location as being the best place within several
kilometres at which to build the dam. For this reason alone this dam must be
one of the best dams in the local area.
Another reason to say that it is a good dam is that it has withstood the test
of time, and close inspection reveals that it is likely to continue to do so.
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The house can be seen in the background.
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Dam #3
This is just a small dam, less than two metres deep when full.
Bore
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The bore and winch.
The total depth of the bore is 37 metres.
Depth to the water surface is 23 metres.
Height of the water column is 14 metres.
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The bore has water of excellent drinking quality, which makes this property droughtproof.
The bore was drilled and was used with a pump when this property was a smallcrops farm.
The bore is still as good as new.
Nowadays, the bore is equipped with a hand-operated winch which can draw up water 8 litres at a time in a custom-built bucket.
The maximum flow capacity of the bore is not known.
The present owner once tested a small electric submersible pump in the bore.
With the pump operating at maximum capacity it delivered water at a rate of 60 gallons per hour without drawing down the level of the water in the bore.
The sustainable flow rate of the bore is therefore at least 60 gallons (270 litres) per hour.
Since the property ceased being a smallcrops farm
it has never been necessary to use the bore either for domestic consumption or for stock watering.
However, the bore has been maintained in operational condition
just in case of exceptional drought.
It can be put into immediate use, for example for irrigating crops,
or it can be kept in reserve as a guaranteed source
of good quality water.
The bore winch and its accessories are included with the property.
Irrigation System
A trickle-tape irrigation system was installed
when this property was a smallcrops farm.
The inground irrigation system can pump dam water to trickle feeders in parts of the eastern end of the block,
to standpipes in the orchard paddock and to standpipes beside the house and shed.
Two petrol-driven firefighter-type irrigation pumps are included with the property.
The area formerly used for smallcrops cultivation was 20 acres,
of which more than half was irrigated.
An irrigated paddock of between two and three acres has been kept
in "ready to plough" condition.
The remainder of the formerly cultivated area has been converted
to open pasture with some regrowth trees.
Management of this area has involved the removal of most new saplings,
selectively limiting the number of trees that are allowed to grow.
The irrigation system is in working order.
In the event of a bushfire
it could be used to
pump water right up to the house.
So this property is not only droughtproof,
but also the house has as much bushfire protection as it is possible to get anywhere in the bush.
