Mel Oliver had a lot to consider when she went looking for her dream home in the country. She wanted to get back to the land and to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle, but with a teenager at home, she knew it wouldn’t be fair to move out to the country permanently. “I wanted the best of both worlds,” Oliver says. “My son, who thinks I’m a bit woo-woo and weird, wanted to be close to his friends. So when I found this property, it was perfect. It was in town, but it was like living on a little farm.” The property gave Oliver everything the little family wanted, “including goats, sheep and a cow”.
“When I moved in, the fridge and the lights would only run for half an hour once the sun went down. So all my renovation money went on a new solar system, solar hot water, a new battery and a backup generator.”
Oliver also did a lot of work in the garden, caring for 30 established fruit trees and creating a “food forest” to feed the family all year round. The property provides enough produce to pickle and preserve, and fill the chest freezer year round. “It’s so idyllic. I get home and it’s just peaceful. I’ve got little fantails flying around the native area out the back.”
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