Cath and Hans Owner Builders of a Strawbale home in the Pyranees

Building Our Dream in the Pyrenees ...

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<strong>The Dream</strong> - This is Ours

The Dream - This is Ours

03 Sep, 10

Hans and Cath wanted to get some land where they could build a house, raise some animals and grow some food. We looked in different parts of Victoria and knew when we saw the Pyrenees that was where we wanted to be. The idea was to have as self-sufficient a life style as possible. Raise some chooks, get some eggs. Have a cow, get some milk. Have some sheep, pigs and a steer, have some meat. Grow some veggies and eat fresh food. Have an orchard and make preserves. And the dream is to share this life style. Show others what is Read More

<strong>The Land</strong> - 111 Acres in the Pyrenees

The Land - 111 Acres in the Pyrenees

03 Sep, 10

We found the land in the Pyrenees near Avoca. 111 acres. It is partly paddock and partly treed with a hill to climb and views to savour. When it rains the dams fill and the fields turn green. In summer it is golden brown and scorched by sun and wind. It is beautiful. The first time we saw the land we climbed to the top of the hill and this is what we saw. We were overwhelmed and knew this was the place to build. Read More

The House - Straw Bale

03 Sep, 10

We decided on a straw bale house. Hans had read and heard a lot about them and given we are going to build this house ourselves as owner-builders it seemed sensible to do something that is supposed to be easy and eco friendly. The thermal mass of the house is brilliant for this climate to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. The temperature in a typical straw bale house should not vary by more than 10 degrees winter to summer. Read More

The Farm

03 Sep, 10

With all this space it seems right to plant olive trees, a large orchard with citrus of all kinds, especially Seville oranges so Cath can make marmalade, stone fruit trees, apples, pears and nut trees. Maybe even some grape vines. Veggie gardens and herb gardens will provide us and hopefully lots of visitors with fresh produce. Read More

The Bed and Breakfast

03 Sep, 10

When the house is built and the farm is started we want to build three cabins for people to come and stay in. If the shire is willing to give us permission we would love to put them on the top of the hill and other spots which best capture the views and give people the feeling that they are away from everything. Read More

Latest Comments

Good stufff! Really useful to see a build that's a… Written by shelley Knoll-Miller
Yea, it is impressive, congratulations. Written by ray
Hi Guys, fantastic stuff, thanks very much for the blog.… Written by Ray Wittenberg
Cath, Thanks for sharing your progress. Mom and I enjoyed… Written by Sue Bendell
Wow, it's really taking shape. Looking nice. Thanks for the… Written by Shelley Knoll-Miller

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