Thought I would join in and say hi , so hi !! arty: So myself and my partner just last weeek purchased 6 acres in Forrest, Victoria - about 2 hours south west of Melbourne, where we have lived for almost ten years ... I was raised in a real hippie commune on the mid north coast of nsw, and allthough straying from my "roots" through my teens and early 20's in the big city. I have come full circle and want to strive for a self sufficient, energy effcient and more satisfying lifestyle on the land. The location specifics do pose a few issues: the high rainfall average of 1200mm anually, the marl type soil doesnt drain well (but the apple trees allready there seem to be doing ok) and im sure the soil has suffered compaction due to years of heavy cattle grazing on soft wet ground. Our block is essentailly old pasture that had been subdivided, and built on in the 1950's. The house has been renovated, and has features such as grey water recycling and solar hot water. The rest of the land is basically a blank canvas - and quite daunting - but I have a growing list of plant species and ideas - and now its just one step at a time - with plenty of help
Welcome Luke There are plenty of good folk on this forum that will be only too pleased to help with any questions you may come up with. Even the moderators are OK (well, sorta)
