At some stage during early 2019, we started questioning what our living plans were to be for the next few years, or perhaps longer. Essentially, we enjoyed living in Melbourne, so that ruled out moving interstate but whenever we looked at houses in other Melbourne suburbs, we’d return home after fruitless searches and realise we liked our current Ashburton home, with its spacious and landscaped yard. To be honest, short of a multi-million-dollar seaside mansion, we were content with what we had.

Susie, however, was now a regular on the ‘net looking at properties and right out of left field suggested a fifty-acre plot north of Daylesford, so we put in a bid very quickly without much thought but plenty derring-do. To cut a long story short we missed out, but during that window I did a lot of research into off-grid rural properties and became hooked on the idea, so started driving regularly to the Daylesford area to look at available plots. I focused on the 20 to 50 acre farming land category, but favouring those that had proximity to Daylesford and essentially good road access, as opposed to fifteen minutes of dust or mud on unmade roads, with commensurately greater bush fire concerns.

On one trip I found an alternative plot and the following day took Susie for a look-see, but it really didn’t suit our wants, so we chucked it in and departed, until we saw a sign at the next road junction. We discussed it, had a quick look and didn’t like it, but for reasons unknown rang the agent who told us to wait and she'd be there in ten! The result was an extended personal tour on a property well out of our budget, but very enticing to us, so much so we made three further visits that day; we just kept going back.

Next weekend we visited to look at other properties, but you guessed it, ended up for visit number five. So, we put in an offer. It got rejected. So we put in a second offer that also got rejected.

Then, a month or so later we were out sampling champagne at Domain Chandon and got a call from the Agent congratulating us on our purchase. Somewhere, somehow, somewhy our second offer had been accepted. Then we drank more champagne; we were landowners!