The Homestead
This impressive homestead is a 400 m2 architect designed, off-grid executive residence constructed in 2013. The homestead is sited to take advantage of the picturesque hilltop location with views over the Catombal Range and Curra Creek valley.
The passive solar designed homestead takes maximum advantage of its north-east facing aspect and incorporates a number of unique architectural features to maximise energy efficiency and eliminate external utility costs. These include:
• Siting, sizing & double glazing windows and doors
• Thermal mass initiatives including:
• honed and tinted concrete slab floor
• 130,000 litre concrete water tank included within the internal structure
• Elevated siting of clerestory windows to allow warm air movement
• Pitched north facing window awnings that enable winter sun to heat ground floor slab yet exclude direct summer sun from entering the residence
• Use of best available thermal & acoustic insulation in both external and internal walls
• Reverse cycle & evaporative air conditioning systems supplemented by ceiling fans.
• Large slow combustion wood heater
• This home far exceeds NSW BASIX efficiency codes.
'Cucciata' is an open plan home designed for entertaining with optimum acoustics within a 6m high atrium music room, lit by suspended Zumtobel lighting, that opens onto expansive outdoor and covered entertaining areas.
The homestead is off-grid and powered by a combination of a 6.8 kWh PV solar array and a 1 kWh wind turbine that feed into a battery store of 70 kWh. The battery store is supplemented by a 7 Kva auto start diesel generator.
The Cottage
The front 50-acre portion of the property is electricity grid connected and includes:
• 1 bedroom visitors cottage/commercial kitchen with 23,000 litres of rainwater tanks
• powered shed
• extensive vegetable gardens
• 10kWh PV solar array
• Curra Creek sited electric pressure pump
• Groundwater bore with 6 megalitre commercial irrigators license
• All weather cattle yards suitable for up to 30 head
Both Homestead and Cottage are landscaped with established water wise native trees and shrubs that attract an abundance of smaller birds and native fauna
The Farm - Grazing, Horticulture and Biodiversity Stewardship.
"Cucciata" is dissected by the Curra Creek separating the front 50-acre portion adjacent to the sealed Curra Creek Road from the remaining 80 acres located west of the Curra Creek. The 80-acre portion located to the west of the Curra Creek is off grid and in turn divided into three fenced portions. A hill paddock of 35 acres, a 10-acre homestead & fig orchard paddock and a 35-acre remnant grassy box woodland habitat containing a 1 megalitre dam, swimming pontoon, camp kitchen and BBQ/picnic area.
'Cucciata' is fenced into 6 main paddocks with hinge joint and barbed wire, all fencing is in good order and has either been constructed new or refurbished under the current owners 20 year management. The entire Curra Creek riparian zone is fenced to exclude stock and all paddocks are watered by gravity fed concrete sheep/cattle water troughs supplied by either dam, bore or pumped creek water.
The three permanently fenced paddocks to the east of the Curra Creek can be further dived into 5 cells using established solar energiser electric fencing. All 5 cells have access to clean stock drinking water via sheep/cattle concrete troughs.
These east paddocks have over 20 years been pasture improved with lucerne, strawberry clover and in 2011 premier digitaria.
To the west of the Curra Creek are two permanently fenced livestock paddocks. The Hill paddock of approximately 35 acres is lightly wooded enabling good stock shelter/shade. The final grazing paddock is a 35-acre remnant portion of grassy box woodland. Well fenced and watered by a 1 megalitre dam this paddock has been lightly grazed since current owners purchased property in 2002. Considerable native habitat value is placed on this portion of the property with an abundance of native flora dependant on seasons. The grassy box woodland has a number of water discharge zones that burst to life in wet seasons and stock are excluded during flowering /seed set periods. This portion of the property has value as a Biodiversity Stewardship Site with associated offset Credits.
The 340 tree fig orchard was planted during the period 2006 to 2009. The orchard is watered by a bore fed 120,000 litre steel tank located adjacent to a three bay machinery shed. The fig orchard consists of 4 x 200 metre long Tartura trellis lines that enable both close planting in a European style to maximise drip water efficiency and a structure upon which fencing and netting is placed ensuring exclusion of kangaroos and birds. No herbicides or pesticides have ever been used in the orchard.
Adjacent to the cottage is located 350 square metres of raised vegetable beds where tomatoes, pumpkins, jam melons, cucumbers, beetroot, garlic and other varieties have been grown. In this fenced area are also located fruit trees including apricot, nectarine, quince, olive, peach, plum, pear and pomegranate. This produce has been used in the cottage/commercial kitchen to create farm made value added products for sale at local farmers markets.
Although not certified organic the current owners have followed organic principles.
