Frank
VIP Member
APF Life Member
Posts: 1,864
Likes: 2,739
Email: frank@ausprep.com
|
Post by Frank on Jan 22, 2015 21:24:55 GMT 10
Sounds like a good spot frostbite, welcome to the forum aswell.
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jan 23, 2015 10:00:36 GMT 10
Man that looks great. I've seen the house before, must have been on another forum or somewhere.
|
|
|
Post by wellrounded on Jan 23, 2015 16:54:48 GMT 10
We had the same problem with a neighbour and a fence frostbite. We told him "good luck". This borders onto a section of our bush, he has beef cows. The reason the existing fence was a mess was the roos. No point replacing it, it'll be the same in 12 months. He replaced it, didn't bother to send a bill. Now a few years later it's a mess LOL. We counted 700 roos in his back paddock one morning, no fence is going to stand up to that kind of punishment.
|
|
|
Post by wellrounded on Jan 23, 2015 17:17:59 GMT 10
I'm aware of the laws. But he'd have to take us to court to get it, we knew what would happen to his lovely new fence and we weren't going to fund his little experiment.
Edit to add : And as the law also states he would have received a VERY regular bill for emergency repairs to his lovely new fence every time a roos mangled it, IF he'd pursued it into court. I charge $80.00 per hour plus materials. He isn't here often enough to have a bloody clue what happens on his property and I'm pretty sure we we're the only one of his neighbours to set him straight about his city attitude to country life.
|
|
|
Post by SA Hunter on Jan 23, 2015 19:50:25 GMT 10
Jealous!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jan 23, 2015 21:27:55 GMT 10
We had new neighbours recently and we made it very clear we don't want a fence and can't afford one anyway.
Luckily they don't want one either, but what level can they go to to prove you do have money, or at least enough to pay for a fence. I guess a court can get your bank records
|
|
|
Post by SA Hunter on Jan 23, 2015 22:44:40 GMT 10
Ok, Ok, Ok, rub it in!!!!!
Drooling over the goat stew!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Peter on Jan 24, 2015 0:14:38 GMT 10
I'm guessing the river is full of fish & yabbies too...
|
|
|
Post by Peter on Jan 24, 2015 9:29:06 GMT 10
I like idea of using firearms to catch a fish...
|
|
peter1942
Senior Member
Posts: 146
Likes: 267
|
Post by peter1942 on Jan 24, 2015 13:37:42 GMT 10
If I was starting out on a block of rural land today I would seriously consider the use of shipping containers. I would use a large container for a kitchen, dining, lounge and some storage. Another large one I would convert into bedrooms, probably four, by cutting doorways along one side and I would use a small one for a wet area containing shower, toilet and laundry.
Shipping containers have the advantage of not needing an expensive foundation or a concrete base that in some instances will need to be installed by a supplier of ready mix who will then go and tell others in the building game what you are up to and where.
Another advantage is that regardless of your site it will not, in most cases, need to be levelled as all three of the containers can be at different levels/heights as long as they are close enough to each other so that they can all be connected and under the same roof which will not only keep the interiors of them cooler in the summer months but will also be a great method of catching water. Verandah's added to the two large containers would also add to their practicality.
I have listened to people and read a fair bit about the idea of heading for the hills in a SHTF situation and I am still to be convinced that it would be the best of ideas. We live in an area where there is a lot of state owned (public land, forested), land used for agricultural purposes as well as privately owned blocks and I would, I believe be as safe here as anywhere if, and when the lights go out. One of the advantages we have is that we know our neighbours, we know what they do for a living and we know in most cases that like us if anything untoward were to happen the majority of us would be prepared to help each other.
We have a creek that runs through our place and up until 30 or so years ago it ran for several months every year. In the 20 plus years we have been here it has ran twice. If you have running water today is it still going to be running tomorrow or several years time when you really need it and will you be relying on it so much that you have neglected to put in a catchment dam or suitably sized tanks?
Arable land is a must. When you have eaten your six months supply of shop bought food the only other way you are going to get your proper nutrition is by growing your own. It does not matter what gardening system you opt for, hydroponics, wicking beds, raised beds or whatever they need to be in place and operating from the day you move to your retreat. Preferably six months before.
A good number of the small blocks in our area do not have much tree cover on them but by the use of judicious plantings good tree cover can be established in about a five year period. In many cases by joining a Landcare group assistance can be obtained in the purchase and planting of native trees.
Fencing. Several of our boundaries are with public land and I have fenced them with stock lock/ring lock, 7/30/90 using second hand steel posts. For strainers I use box stays as I believe they offer the best value for the job they do and in many years of fencing I have never had one fail. The ring lock is about $360.00 for 200 metres or about $1800.00 per kilometre. Not sure about the price of new steels but $9000.00 per kilometre sounds a bit rich to me.
I have never thought that shooting rabbits with a 7.62 would be practicable. My neighbour who lives approximately 750 metres from our place shoots rabbits and hares with a .22. We can hear the sounds of the rifle shots from where we live. The local rifle range is over seven kilometres from where we live, when the day is calm we can hear the larger bore rifle shots from here.
It brings me back to what I said in a previous post. ‘The reality is, you cannot hide, you cannot become invisible. Those of us that already live in the rural areas will see you coming, we will see what you are up to and we will make our judgements on you according to how you behave, how you respect our lifestyles and property’.
If and when you get your retreat, and for whatever reason you use it you will become one of us and you will then look and make judgements about the newcomers after you, the same as we do and those that were here before us did. Do not be afraid in talking the people who already live in an area, remember when we/they came here we/they faced the same issues you are/will and we have already overcome them.
|
|
shinester
Senior Member
China's white trash
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 3,578
Email: shiny@ausprep.org
|
Post by shinester on Jan 24, 2015 15:48:17 GMT 10
It's not ideal of course, a .22 would be much better, though a subsonic 308 would make it more hole than mist.
|
|
|
Post by Joey on Jan 24, 2015 16:10:50 GMT 10
We had new neighbours recently and we made it very clear we don't want a fence and can't afford one anyway. Luckily they don't want one either, but what level can they go to to prove you do have money, or at least enough to pay for a fence. I guess a court can get your bank records You can always say, "Look I live in a flipping shipping container" lol
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jan 24, 2015 18:51:36 GMT 10
I'm sure by now you guys are familiar with my shipping container house, so I won't post any more pics. Suffice to say that although we haven't moved in yet it's working out well even on hot (38C) days. In fact the breezeway between them is always pretty cool.
I also 2nd the neighbour thing, I know and get on well with 3 of them so far, all 25-acre blocks so that's 100 acres we "control" but more in fact because of the way things are located. We really own an entire ridge line of high ground which is nice. We all seem to be on similar pages and I can see the beginning of a MAG here. These blocks were only sub-divided about 15 years ago so there are no old families here, we're all relative new comers.
As for plinking, I'm pretty sure subsonic 22s would not be heard, something to find out I guess.
|
|
peter1942
Senior Member
Posts: 146
Likes: 267
|
Post by peter1942 on Jan 24, 2015 21:07:34 GMT 10
frostbite I am not sure I can see the point in a fence as the one you mentioned in your post or what it would be used to contain, or I suppose more to the point, keep out.
Would you be able to post a photo of it.
I have erected many a stock fence in my time and seven strand stock mesh has always been enough for sheep and to keep the boundaries secure.
For cattle a hot wire added to the top in some areas is a must.
Put a barbed wire on the top of a fence and the cattle love to scratch their necks on it. Replace it with a plain and when they rub on it the neck hairs tend to wrap around it and catch and they seem to be not so happy with it.
|
|
peter1942
Senior Member
Posts: 146
Likes: 267
|
Post by peter1942 on Jan 25, 2015 9:16:57 GMT 10
10,000 acres equals about 40.5 square kilometres. It depends on the shape of the property as to the length of the boundary but at a guess it would be about 28 kilometres. If you have a look at www.gallagher.com.au you will find that they will have electric fence units that appear to be suitable for the task. Probably the best idea would be to have two units, each one doing half the length of the fence so if one part of the fence develops a fault you do not have to start looking for it by having to travel all of the way around the fence only to find out the fault was 100 metres from where you started from. Maintenance on a fence that long would be an issue. Wildlife would cause the hot wire to get caught in other parts of the fence and it could be nigh on a full time task in repairing the hot wire and eliminating the shorts. In the good old days boundary riders were employed to check the fences but in this modern age it may well be done by the use of a drone.
|
|
|
Post by pheniox17 on Jan 25, 2015 10:57:41 GMT 10
Just a little observation...
If your looming at large blocks... Remember it has to be manageable...
10,000 acres is a massive amount of land, requiring a massive amount of work and most commercial farms have hired staff to help with the hard work...
As a bol... I can't see that size suited to most without the use if a large group...
So... To land size you only "need" roughly 10 acres per family (last I read maybe a little more) to cover the needs...
I would personally not look at large scale farms for a bol, a lol (live out life) location maybe, but I would still limit myself to around the 100 acre mark of "fertile" useable land... (No way in hell I would be able to afford it, your lookin at millions to tens of millions)
Then you have to work out what your going to use the land for?? Theres a challenge...
|
|
|
Post by pheniox17 on Jan 25, 2015 10:58:17 GMT 10
Looking *
|
|
peter1942
Senior Member
Posts: 146
Likes: 267
|
Post by peter1942 on Jan 25, 2015 20:48:21 GMT 10
With regards to the size of blocks it really depends on what is covered by each individual title.
There are many paddocks in this area that are covered by more than one title. There is a paddock across the road from us that is 60 acres in size and it encompasses six ten acre titles. In many of the areas covered by the older titles the individual blocks were anywhere from two acres upwards with many being five, ten and 20 acres.
Our block is eight hectares (20 acres) under a single title and with the amount of good black dirt suitable for gardens and the majority of the rest being in established trees we believe we would have a good chance of supplying most of our food as well as energy in a post SHTF scenario.
I believe that a fair comment to make would be that for most people wanting to find a bug out location size is not the issue but what they would be prepared to pay in dollar terms. We would have liked to have purchased a larger block but our finances said otherwise at the time but with the time and money we have invested here we have made it into a place where we feel comfortable.
Another thing to remember is that as we get older the dollars required to pay rates and repairs and maintenance can become harder to source so bigger may not always be best but adequate may be better. Aging is also another reason why heading for the hills too far away from existing services may not always be the best option.
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jan 27, 2015 10:50:00 GMT 10
Another thing to remember is that as we get older the dollars required to pay rates and repairs and maintenance can become harder to source so bigger may not always be best but adequate may be better. Aging is also another reason why heading for the hills too far away from existing services may not always be the best option. Much as I hate to admit it our choice of land was partly made by proximity to hospitals. Not that we're anywhere near needing them yet (AFAIK) but I'm thinking ahead. It's still 25 acres out in the hills though, so reasonably remote, bearing the above in mind. The rates are cheap, ~$900pa I think so even with bugger all money that shoudn't be an issue.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2015 22:09:03 GMT 10
Arrrr..Dreams, well most people know our story! We moved from the Gold coast to Tooloom NSW about 2.5-3hr drive! I wanted to make sure Jinny would be happy in the bush before we bought a place of our own!
Well nearly 3 years down the track and you could not drag her back to the City, even an over night stay with her boy's is too long, the traffic etc....
The land I have been looking at near Grafton is Ideal, it has everything everyone wants and is under 120,000.
Down side is cost of getting building material there. As it is 80km from Grafton with 40km dirt! But it is a dream block!!!!! With plenty of room for friends and family to set up on as well!
For us this is our BOL and our permanent home! If I was still working I would still buy it and set up for WTSHTF.
Dreams and reality can be worlds apart, but I encourage each one of you to never, never, never let go of your dreams!!!! as I have said often: Your journey starts with your first step!!!! Making that step is the longest part of the journey! Many obstacles will get in the way, even loved ones or close friends...but as I often say: Saw with the Eagles, and leave the turkey's on the ground!
Preparing for what is to come is that first step... Plan, plan, plan...see your dream as if it was in front of you and keep working towards it!
|
|