Hey there, and welcome! I’m Candice, and I’m so glad you found your way to our blog. Whether you’re here by chance or out of curiosity, I’m excited to share our story with you.
The Big Move
In September 2022, my husband, Sven, and I, along with our two wonderful cats, made the big move from the chilly streets of Canberra to the sunny warmth of Queensland.
Why the change? Well, the cold just wasn’t for us anymore. After years of dreaming about a different life, we were inspired by incredible YouTubers who leaped, packed up their lives, and tried something completely new. Their courage pushed us to follow our dream of building a simpler, more self-sufficient lifestyle.
Why Farm Life?
Though Sven and I don’t come from farming backgrounds, the idea of living on a farm has always appealed to me. Growing up in South Africa, farm life was a dream that always felt out of reach due to safety concerns. Violent crime targeting farmers made it an impossible dream to pursue.
But here in beautiful Australia, it feels like that dream is finally within our grasp. After five years of searching, we found the perfect piece of land in Queensland.
The Best of Both Worlds
Our new home is a perfect blend of semi-rural living, with the added bonus of being only 20-30 minutes away from some of Queensland’s most beautiful beaches. We feel incredibly lucky to have this combination—peaceful country life with the beach just a short drive away.
Our Little Slice of Paradise
Our new home is a perfect blend of semi-rural living, with the added bonus of being only 20-30 minutes away from some of Queensland’s most beautiful beaches. We feel incredibly lucky to have this combination—peaceful country life with the beach just a short drive away.
We’ve got just under 2 acres (7,000 square meters) of land to work with. It’s both exciting and a little overwhelming, but we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and turn this space into the homestead of our dreams.
Here’s what we’re hoping to create:
A Food Garden: Our dream is to grow fresh produce that we can harvest and preserve as our gardening skills improve.
Bees and Chickens: We’re planning to get bees for honey and pollination, and chickens for fresh eggs. While we won’t be raising animals for meat, these additions will bring a lot of joy to our homestead.
Sustainable Living: While we’re not quite off-grid yet, we’re hoping to add solar power to reduce our reliance on external energy. We’re already harvesting rainwater, which means no water bills—a small win in the right direction!
Watch:
Taking It One Step at a Time
Is the task ahead of us daunting? Absolutely. Have we quit our jobs to focus on homesteading full-time? Not yet. Unlike some of our favourite YouTubers, we don’t have the resources (or the guts!) to go all-in just yet.
The truth is, we’re in our 30s with a mortgage to pay, so for now, we’re balancing full-time jobs with our homesteading journey, taking baby steps toward our vision.
Would we love to do this full-time? Absolutely! But for now, we’re learning as we go, celebrating every little win, and enjoying the process.
Join Us on This Adventure
Follow along as we take life in the country one step at a time. We know this journey will have plenty of challenges, mistakes, and hopefully, a lot of triumphs as we figure out what it really takes to become “mini homesteaders.”
Whether you’re curious about country living, dreaming of starting your homestead, or just enjoying a good story of trial and error, we’d love for you to come along for the ride!