This property is for the bush lovers and conservationists, an owner built mudbrick and corrugated iron house is your greenchange or weekender. The house gives plenty of scope to make it your own or to simply enjoy the natural bush setting.
This house nestled in the treetops has been thoughtfully built to fit in and maximise its surroundings. Situated on 11 acres of high quality dry Sclerophyll bush, this split level home includes one bedroom, bathroom/toilet and access to a laundry. Upstairs via a Victorian Ash staircase is an open plan living and kitchen area with room for a small office space.
The kitchen is generous in size, fully equipped with a double sink, dishwasher, cupboards/pantry, solid preparation benches, a Chef upright four burner gas stove, grill and oven. The entire space upstairs has timber polished floorboards and is heated by a wood heater, complete with water jacket for boosting the solar hot water system on the roof during winter. For the summer months the Owner has used a small evaporative cooler. The Rylock windows and doors upstairs are all double glazed and the area is light filled with views out on all four sides.
Anyone wanting a larger house now or over time can extend in several directions - ideally on the southern elevation which could easily provide a wing of additional bedroom/s bathroom/s and more sitting rooms or rumpus areas. Alternatively, works really well for a caravan, tiny home or a mobile home to be connected to the house. Plans are available.
A generous deck and veranda wraps around the entire top story with large sliding doors providing two access points with a choice of sun or shade. The upstairs walls and roof have been wrapped in Air-Cell Insulbreak 90 insulation along with pink batts, this gives another R0.25 to the R4 ceiling and R3.5 in the walls and floor.
Living through the seasons
The house is powered by a solar system that has been completely upgraded with all new Jinco 475W panels x 6 with 25/25 years warranty, a 5kW Steca Inverter with 5 years warranty and 2 Pylontech US5000 4.5kWH Lithium batteries with 10 year warranty. This system was installed September 2023. This system supports everything in the house as well as the Septech Waste Treatment system and is backed up with a 6KVA generator that is approximately three years old. All of this equipment is housed in a lockable purpose-built shed located away from the house.
All water for the house is collected onsite and stored in two 22.5 thousand litre tanks, that’s a whopping 45,000 litres, and with the facility to pump up to a 3,000 litre header tank. There is also a 12,000 litre tank and 3,000 litre tank that is situated at the bank of two large (3.5m x 7m) sheds, these tanks are full but not used at the moment and are surplus to the house needs. There is a covered area also 3m x 7m covered area joining the two sheds.
The property comes with two working pumps, one of which can be connected to the dam for watering the garden or as a backup for the transfer pump used to pump up to the header tank.
The property in the past has had a good sized vegetable garden and the raised beds are still available and viable for those interested in growing their own vegetables.
The property is accessed by a central driveway which splits enabling access to the two levels on which the house is built.
One of the two sheds close to the house is used as a work room/tool shed, the second has been renovated and fully insulated and provides a second bedroom or guest room with a small living area and kitchenette. Cooking has been done either on a BBQ outside on their deck or a 2 burner gas camp stove. As there is no bathroom, it is used primarily as extra sleeping or it could be an artist’s studio. Complete with a wood heater, 12 volt power and water.
There is a single car carport between the two sheds. Other buildings close to the house are a three sided, deep woodshed and a locked garden shed.
The only fuel brought into the property currently is LPG gas to fuel the kitchen stove/oven and petrol to fuel the generator and pumps. Currently the owner is using one 45litre gas bottle every 12-18 months.
The property is serviced by Golden Plains Shire who Do regular road maintenance and rubbish collection, recycling and glass. NBN is available via satellite and is currently connected with Activ8me.
Commutable distance from Ballarat (30 minutes) and is the primary township for shopping, health and Education. There is Primary Schools in both Rokewood (10klms west of Dereel) and Napoleons (22klms on the way to Ballarat) Busses leave from the Dereel Hall for Napoleon’s and Ballarat schools.
Geelong is an easy hour to those after a day at the beach.
The 11 acre property has been protected by a Trust for Nature Covenant since 2018 and one of the neighbouring properties is also under the protection of a covenant. Trust for Nature remain interested in acquiring other properties in the area and have been very supportive to the current landowners.
New Owners to the property will receive a warm welcome from Trust for Nature and are available for help and information in relation to their obligations.
Both side boundaries have been left unfenced to allow wildlife access to the large corridor that exists from this property to the Kurucaruc Creek Valley and beyond into adjoining farmland. The stunning Kurucaruc Creek with intact riparian vegetation is within a 5 minute walk.
The property is situated on high quality sclerophyll bush and supports mammals such as the Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallabies, short beaked Echidnas, Brushtail and Ringtail Possums and the occasional Koala. It is also home too upwards of 4 species of frogs, 15 Orchid species and 35 bird species, including the largest Australian Owl, the Powerful Owl, also the Boobook Owl and the Barking Owl.
Dereel itself centres around the Soldiers Memorial Hall, the CFA, CERT Team and the men and women’s shed. Dereel offers a wide variety of community activities, walking groups, community garden, history and art groups. It is part of the Arts Trail each year and there are many artists in the community.
The surrounding areas include the Enfield State Forrest, providing extensive bushwalking opportunities. The area around Rokewood is home to some of the best examples of Victorian volcanic Plains Grasslands and associated wildflowers.
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