Sythe still in the bush (update thread)

Where do you get your water?

9000L water tank connected to our 100 sq meter roof. We get 1000 ml a year rain here so it never goes empty. We also have a large dam about 40m from the shed.

Interesting stuff.

Have you had any problems with wild animals?

We thought we'd have problems with wild dogs but they haven't come up here recently. We'd seen paw prints in previous years before we moved here.

We do have trouble with carpet pythons eating our chickens though. We originally had 16 chickens.

 

[Emperor Nero]

Python hunt in the near future?

I feel this would be difficult to achieve in the US. Especially if you were looking to make a profitable farm. Also about the privately owned land thing, I didn't know if Australia had some sort of program that dolls out unused government land for this sort of project.

Do you have any bills you still have to pay monthly?

 

[Giantnobhead]

woow, much respect my man

 

[Viscerated]

is the internet good enough to....stream?

 

Python hunt in the near future?

I feel this would be difficult to achieve in the US. Especially if you were looking to make a profitable farm. Also about the privately owned land thing, I didn't know if Australia had some sort of program that dolls out unused government land for this sort of project.

Do you have any bills you still have to pay monthly?

No I have title free and clear and it was a private sale.

Our only bills are food (although increasingly we make our own), fuel and the Internet. (And yearly rates/property tax of around $1000, if you count that.)

Have you looked at land? It's not expensive unless you want road frontage, power and water. There's plenty of wilderness all over the world going for peanuts. The US is no exception. If you want to live off grid it isn't very difficult to get started. Work hard, pay off your debts, sell all your shit that you don't need, and live cheap for a few years until you save ~$50k, then find a good sized parcel of land, buy yourself a 4wd and a chainsaw and man up.

Look for yourself (US listings) : http://www.landandfarm.com/search/?...alse&Auction=False&SortBy=Price&CurrentPage=1

 

I see you got some slaves in your little village now

 

[Sanctuary]

Was it difficult convincing your girlfriend to turn to this lifestyle or was she as passionate about it as you?

 

[SuF]

No I have title free and clear and it was a private sale.

Our only bills are food (although increasingly we make our own), fuel and the Internet. (And yearly rates/property tax of around $1000, if you count that.)

Have you looked at land? It's not expensive unless you want road frontage, power and water. There's plenty of wilderness all over the world going for peanuts. The US is no exception. If you want to live off grid it isn't very difficult to get started. Work hard, pay off your debts, sell all your shit that you don't need, and live cheap for a few years until you save ~$50k, then find a good sized parcel of land, buy yourself a 4wd and a chainsaw and man up.

Look for yourself (US listings) : http://www.landandfarm.com/search/?...alse&Auction=False&SortBy=Price&CurrentPage=1

You really just need to live anywhere not near anything and land will be quite cheap.

 

[SuF]

Do you have any sort of rifle or shotgun or what not?

 

Was it difficult convincing your girlfriend to turn to this lifestyle or was she as passionate about it as you?

More passionate than I am. I would settle for a semi-rural house with a big garden and backyard. She was so keen on this place when we found it though, and still is.

You really just need to live anywhere not near anything and land will be quite cheap.

Exactly. You pay for the grid. If you want road frontage, water and power you're looking at millions. If you are going to provide that stuff yourself and don't mind driving an hour or so to the nearest town, you can get the same land for 1/20th that price.

Do you have any sort of rifle or shotgun or what not?

Not yet. Here in NSW you have to have a gun safe which is bolted to your floor. I have a concrete slab for my shed which was v. expensive given how far out the concrete trucks had to get. I am not keen on drilling holes in it. I will have to come up with another solution -- maybe bolt it to the floor in the outhouse or something.

I have a machete I sharpen regularly, that's about my only weapon at the moment. I am thinking of getting a composite bow as these don't need a license here. My brother has one but he's broken all his arrows in about five minutes of shooting. I'd need to look into getting a proper hunting one rather than a sports one.

 

[S]

Do you miss city life it all? What about your friends, do they come down often/you go to them?

 

[Imagine]

Isn't medicine/birth control also an expense? (Like real question - I'm guessing you two might get pretty bored at some points...)

Also, how are you paying taxes if you aren't generating any AUD? Just from what you have saved up?

 

[Laptop65]

Well if the community ever does a massive meet up where everyone will meet up in one place in the world, it looks like we've found the place... (plane tickets to anywhere are gonna be expensive though).

How often do you live there a year?

Do you plan to live there permanently eventually?

What are firearm laws like in Australia? From what I've heard they're pretty strict on 'everything' there and it must be pretty difficult to get one.

What state (or part) of Australia is your farm in? How are are you from your urban home?

 

[nodnarbusn]

More passionate than I am. I would settle for a semi-rural house with a big garden and backyard. She was so keen on this place when we found it though, and still is.



Exactly. You pay for the grid. If you want road frontage, water and power you're looking at millions. If you are going to provide that stuff yourself and don't mind driving an hour or so to the nearest town, you can get the same land for 1/20th that price.



Not yet. Here in NSW you have to have a gun safe which is bolted to your floor. I have a concrete slab for my shed which was v. expensive given how far out the concrete trucks had to get. I am not keen on drilling holes in it. I will have to come up with another solution -- maybe bolt it to the floor in the outhouse or something.

I have a machete I sharpen regularly, that's about my only weapon at the moment. I am thinking of getting a composite bow as these don't need a license here. My brother has one but he's broken all his arrows in about five minutes of shooting. I'd need to look into getting a proper hunting one rather than a sports one.

Too bad about the gun laws out there, have you considered pellet guns? Im not sure if they are regulated out there but I have put a lot of meat on the table with them. Dont just get a cheap pump one if at all possible, go for quality. You can take lots of small game, and pests/varmints. A bow is nice, but there is a pretty high learning curve. Atleast before hunting becomes a realistic option.

 

Do you miss city life it all? What about your friends, do they come down often/you go to them?

We go up about once a month for a weekend. But we can't leave the animals for long on their own.

Well if the community ever does a massive meet up where everyone will meet up in one place in the world, it looks like we've found the place... (plane tickets to anywhere are gonna be expensive though).

How often do you live there a year?

Do you plan to live there permanently eventually?

What are firearm laws like in Australia? From what I've heard they're pretty strict on 'everything' there and it must be pretty difficult to get one.

What state (or part) of Australia is your farm in? How are are you from your urban home?

We are here full time.

Restrictive.

NSW. About 5 hours drive from family.

Too bad about the gun laws out there, have you considered pellet guns? Im not sure if they are regulated out there but I have put a lot of meat on the table with them. Dont just get a cheap pump one if at all possible, go for quality. You can take lots of small game, and pests/varmints. A bow is nice, but there is a pretty high learning curve. Atleast before hunting becomes a realistic option.

Pellet guns are regulated under the same laws. We're better off getting the license for a rimfire.

 

[I Bleed Duke Blue]

This is seriously the coolest thing I have ever seen. That's too funny about Pepper the pig eating the feathers.

 

[ConnorP]

Wow man that is crazy I would be scared Honestly have fun on your adventures!

 

[NickV]

While I'm over here choosing which law school I want to go to, you went from PT to this huh? Interesting. How long have you been at it now?

 

[SuF]

More passionate than I am. I would settle for a semi-rural house with a big garden and backyard. She was so keen on this place when we found it though, and still is.



Exactly. You pay for the grid. If you want road frontage, water and power you're looking at millions. If you are going to provide that stuff yourself and don't mind driving an hour or so to the nearest town, you can get the same land for 1/20th that price.



Not yet. Here in NSW you have to have a gun safe which is bolted to your floor. I have a concrete slab for my shed which was v. expensive given how far out the concrete trucks had to get. I am not keen on drilling holes in it. I will have to come up with another solution -- maybe bolt it to the floor in the outhouse or something.

I have a machete I sharpen regularly, that's about my only weapon at the moment. I am thinking of getting a composite bow as these don't need a license here. My brother has one but he's broken all his arrows in about five minutes of shooting. I'd need to look into getting a proper hunting one rather than a sports one.

I knew gun laws were bad but jesus. I live in NY and we have pretty bad gun laws for the US and you can still go to a store and walk out with a .22 without much trouble at all. And my brother got a collectors licenence (no idea what went into that) and he can get any semi-automatic, not banned gun (damn SAFE Act) that's at least 50 years old delivered to his door.