#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Australia & New Zealand Travel Forum >  >  Wayne and Johnny Go Upcountry

## Wayne Kerr

Having recently closed the big teakdoors of Thailand and Asia behind us for a while the family and I took off down under for some much needed R&R. Next up is a few years kicking around the Pacific Islands but before we could get onto that I had a few things that needed doing on my new joint perched up in Australias Great Dividing Range. Hope you enjoy the pics.

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## Wayne Kerr

To cut a long story short I’d been on the lookout for some land up in the mountains of Thailand for years and found diddly squat that I really liked. Anyway I got a call at Christmas from me old mate Johnny Longprong telling me he’d found the perfect mountain for sale, great views, river ,bit of a waterfall etc etc. Only downside was that it was located on the east coast of sub-tropical Australia. I wasn’t too keen on the joint at first but ended up taking the plunge a month or two back and put a deposit on it. Upside is that it comes with 3 little shacks but they’ll need loads of work before being much chop.

So first thing to do after pissing off from LOS was a trip to check the joint out properly. Johnny tagged along before pissing off back to his mango farm in Uthai Thani. Johnny is used to roughing it out bush but the state of the shacks scared Mrs. Kerr a bit so we ended up camping out most nights. My plan is to do the shacks up (oh and scare off the ghosts of course) before renting them out for weekends and the occasional family getaway. Not sure how much I’ll get done up there in the next few years but they’ll certainly give me something to worry about should I ever have a mid-life crisis. The idea of having a mountain getaway in Aus rather than LOS is slowly growing on the missus but I suspect I may have traded one too many “leave passes” for this.


^ This humble abode is now known as “Chateau Kerr” … some say it has a certain rustic charm


^ View from off the back of the joint 


^ This shack is half way down a hill in front of Chateau Kerr, needs a hell of a lot of work, with rotted floor boards you can barely walk on


^ This one is next door to the one above … I’d like to set this up as a small bush study/office for myself and Johnny … but will have to fell a few trees first to get the timber to fix it


^ As you can see the main shack is also falling to bits but lots of nice timber and corrugated iron in it which I hope to be able to use most of when renovating

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## Wayne Kerr

Main thing pissing Mrs. Kerr off is the lack of a suitable toilet/shower. So the first job I’ve been tasked with is turning this small shed that was used for storing firefighting equipment into a decent outdoor composting dunny with a solar powered shower. The missus wants me to turn it into something like the flashy one below we came across in one of the nearby national parks. Having absolutely no idea about carpentry etc I reckon this will keep me busy for a few years.

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## Wayne Kerr

^One of the hills on the north east of the property overlook the coast and a large coastal lake which is located half way between Seal Rocks and the town of Forster in New South Wales


^ The creek this waterfall drains into marks the northern boundary, unfortunately the waterfall is on the other side and is near impossible to get down into, looks good though


^ View over a small river that runs through the valley down below


^ Small billabong at the bottom of the hill in front of the shack, will be near impossible to pump water up to the shacks. Johnny pointed out I’ll need some new rainwater tanks for the water supply which I’ll busy be busy paying for by slaving my arse off over the next few months


^ A nice little creek for a spot of fishing


^ Some cool looking trees we call “blackboys” ... thousands of years old these suckers are




^ Entrance to a small remnant rainforest in one of the smaller valleys

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## natalie8

Looks great. How is it in the winter?

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## Wayne Kerr

Here’s a few assorted pics of our camp sites during the trip. Johnny went looking for local dope plantations most afternoons whilst Wayne Jnr and I manned the fire, cooked prawns, and went looking for a bit of wildlife. Bloody great part of the world for a get away.


^ Main road running through that part of the world


^ My favourite camp site at the bottom of the property


^ Camp site sits right next to this brackish water river, loads of bull sharks in there which take kangaroos (and probably humans too)


^ Same river, different direction


^ River with morning mist on it, I was tempted to swim at dawn but it looked very sharky  :Smile: 


^ Doing our bit for global warming

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## Wayne Kerr

One of the best things out there is all the wildlife. Unfortunately the only critter I have any skill at photographing is the double breasted mattress thrasher and nearly of my animal shots turned out crap.


^ Wayne Jnr chasing a small goanna for the barbeque


^ Have a nasty set of claws on them these suckers which can do ya a bit of harm


^ Goanna head … Wayne Jnr and I thought he looked to good to eat


^ Wayne Jnr chasing the brushtail possums


^ Bloody vicious little suckers they are too


^ Tree monster carved by the local red necks  :Smile:

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## Wayne Kerr

Oh yeah … not to forget the good old bush tucker. We scooped these prawns out of the local river by the bucket load. Succulent little bastards  :Smile: .

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## Wayne Kerr

We also hope to get some of the primary rainforest areas on the property listed by the government as private conservation areas which locks them up from any sort of development for 99 years. But this will likely to take years to happen to organise the wildlife surveys and so on to make it all happen. Hopefully I don't go broke in the meanwhile but I doubt any one will buy the joint so in the worst case scenario it would make great dope growing country. Anyway I'm sure Johhny has some more pics he'll come and post soon.

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## natalie8

Yum!!!

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## kingwilly

damn I love the aussie outback, thanks for sharing mate!

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## Wayne Kerr

> Looks great. How is it in the winter?


Well it is autumn now and all last week it was about 28-30 Celsius in the day. This we have some coastal storms so a bit cooler. In the dead bang of winter the days are about 23-25 C, down to about 10 C at night  :Smile: 




> damn I love the aussie outback


This is all within 50km of the coast, but yep you sure feel you are a long way from everything  :Smile:

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## MeMock

Hi Wayne,

Great to catch up on what you have been doing. Your new place looks fantastic, well done and thanks for sharing!

I recently bought a block in Australia as well but it doesn't even come close to your in terms of scenery, not sure how many acres of canola yours would grow though!

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## Rural Surin

Lovely pics Wayne. Good to see that Aussie still warrants some 'green' time. :Smile:

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## Panda

A little piece of heaven!

That river looks like it would hold Bass.

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## dirtydog

Its great the way they have hidden the mains electric cables, don't even see where they go into the buildings  :Smile:

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## Loy Toy

> damn I love the aussie outback, thanks for sharing mate!


And the Pommies gave if too us for free!  :rofl: 

Wayne that is god's country and whilst scrolling through your fanatastic photo presentation I got a tear in my eye.

Fook I miss the smell of the Aussie outback, the forests and even the great wildlife!

I am so pleased for you and your family mate!  :Smile:

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## mobs00

Looks great! Sign me up for a months rental.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Wayne that is god's country


I thought he was in Australia?  :Confused:

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## terry57

Brilliant photos Wayne.

Cheers

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## Bexar County Stud

Cool photogs, looks like an awesome spread, dude.

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## Super Swan

Great pics mate.

Brought back some good memories from a year I spent in Australia.  The Australian countryside is beautiful.

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## general mark

i can get those exact same prawns from woolworths for $12.99 a kg...

next time, ask me first, i can save you a lot of time and money too......

 :tosser1:

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## phuketbound

Beautiful area, and what a view from your new piece of property! How far are you from civilisation? Who cares, eh!  :Smile:  Look forward to more pics. 

Your son was a brave boy getting so close to the critters.

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## Wayne Kerr

> i can get those exact same prawns from woolworths for $12.99 a kg...  next time, ask me first, i can save you a lot of time and money too......


Oh yes I'll surely be in touch  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Loy Toy

> I thought he was in Australia?


 
He is mate...................can't you tell by the beautiful clear sky;


And the abundance of fresh free prawns;


And that wonderful smile from an innocent young man who knows how lucky he is to have Aussie blood!  :Smile:

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## EmperorTud

> Originally Posted by Loy Toy
> 
> Wayne that is god's country
> 
> 
> I thought he was in Australia?


God is an Aboriginal now?

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## astasinim

The place looks superb Wayne. Great part of world you`ve bought there.

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## nedwalk

good on ya mate! how much of the mountain did you manage to freehold? or is she a lease

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## sabang

Absolutely beautiful Wayne.

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## hillbilly

Wonderful pics.

So what are you going to do about the electricity?

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## Wayne Kerr

> how much of the mountain did you manage to freehold? or is she a lease


Could only get 120 hectares freehold mate. Much of the surrounds is available as lease but didn't want that. 




> So what are you going to do about the electricity?


Yep this will be the most expensive bit and will be saving for that this year. In the short term we will be using a genset for power tools etc but hope to go solar which will involve building a small shed to house the solar batteries and other bits and pieces.

 I think this will set me back about USD15k and am going to try and source various parts myself in China/Thailand to cut costs a bit. At this stage I'm a real beginner with this solar malarky so if anyone has any good links to sites about solar setups for houses they would be much appreciated.

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## Marmite the Dog

It's a shame about that waterfall not being on your property as hydro-electric power seems to be much more feasible than solar.

Apart from your arse, do you get much wind up there?

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## Wayne Kerr

^ You're a friggin ideas man ... yes there is a far bit of wind ... and this silly bastard hadn't thought of wind power. Another thing to look into. Thanks  :Smile: .

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## mickeylo

nice pic' man thats  some great shots.

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## mrgolf

Great photos.  Enjoyed them very much.  Looks like you have your work cut out for you

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## paulspad2002

hey great pics man i love australia and lived there two years often venturing to the outback regions....loved it so peaceful and quiet....

may i ask how much this small lot of 120 hectares has cost u as u said its freehold right.....will the shacks upgrade improve the valuation and what kind of clientel do u plan on atrracting.oh and where is the exact location

nice plan stan

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## nedwalk

> hope to go solar which will involve building a small shed to house the solar batteries and other bits and pieces.


there are some decent govt rebates available if you are far enough from the grid, i think its 3 k or the country makes cost ineffective to get the power there, these are fed rebates i,m not sure what there is in nsw, but if you get stuck pm me and i,ll see what i can find for ya, re solar stuff

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## boatboy

> I think this will set me back about USD15k and am going to try and source various parts myself in China/Thailand to cut costs a bit. At this stage I'm a real beginner with this solar malarky so if anyone has any good links to sites about solar setups for houses they would be much appreciated.


Great looking spot mate, well done

Links for solar (I need it for the boat) some forums , generators and even some household fridges converted to 12 volt.

I'll list all I have and let you wade through them, not all are Oz, but they do have handy info on setting systems up

Victron Energy - Inverter/chargers - Inverters - Battery Chargers - and more
IOTA Engineering DLS Series AC/DC Power Converters and Battery Chargers for 12VDC Systems
Outback Marine Electical System
Technical Documents
Xantrex Technology Inc.
Boats, Yachts: Tips on Electrical System Use and Maintenance
Welcome to FRIDGE & SOLAR
Climate & Weather Data - Renewable Energy System Design Tool: Solar Irradiation, Wind Speed - Energy Matters
Sunfrost Refrigerator Models
Brisbane Solar Panel Specialists - Solar Energy for Home, Business, Caravan, Motorhome, 4WD and more - Springers Solar Power
Solar Power [at] ExplorOz
SOLAR FRIDGES
Rainbow Power Company.
Welcome
Solar Electric Discussion Forum by Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Powered by vBulletin
Ample Power Primer
Affordable Solar Panels,Wind Generators,Accessories
Specifications JIL Panels
WWW.KIPOR.COM
Honda Power Equipment - Generators
Grudge Importers and Distributors,Brisbane, Archerfield, Moss Street, Slacks Creek - Karts, ATVs, ATV, Motorbikes, Motor Bikes, All-Terrain Vehicles, Diesel and Petrol Pumps, Diesel and Petrol Engines, Compressors, Diesel and Petrol Generators, Hydra

Wind? these are rated as the best by yachties, noisy but pump out the amps
Air-X Marine 12V Wind Turbine


Should get you started

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## Wayne Kerr

Awesome, thanks mate  :Beerchug: 

Thanks too Neddy for the tips with the rebate, will have to look into that  :Smile:

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## sharon

I always love clear blue sky in Australia.  Nice pics, thanks.

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## crocadile

Nice spot you got there mate. If you are looking for rebates the web address is
Environment, Water and Heritage (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts - DEWHA) - Home Page you should find most of what you want there. There is also $1600 on Roofing insulation which i sure you will need living up there to keep the heat in.

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## Dick Farang

Nice pics.

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## Wayne Kerr

*Midnight Oil Frontman Scraps Australia's Solar Power System*




> TENS of thousands of households will miss out on an $8000 solar panel rebate after the Rudd Government abruptly ended the program three weeks early.
> 
> The Government's decision left solar retailers scrambling to push through thousands of rebate applications yesterday after they were given just eight hours' notice that the scheme would be finishing prematurely.
> 
> From today the rebate will be replaced with a far less generous solar credits scheme that retailers say will typically net Victorian households about $4000 for a one-kilowatt system. This will be cut over time to about $800. A one-kilowatt system typically costs about $12,500.
> 
> But while the new scheme offers less cash back to consumers, more people will have access to it because it will not be means-tested and small businesses will not be excluded.
> 
> Environment Minister Peter Garrett blamed the sudden move on a cost blow-out, from an original estimate of $150 million to $750 million a year, due to its unexpected popularity.
> ...


Always thought Peter Garrett was all talk ... looks like I will be slaving away for a few more months to get my solar system set up  :Sad:

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## nedwalk

i,m on the front line here wayne, we knew this was comeing, but not as ubruptly, in your situation though, there may be a glimmer of hope, for this rebate is only the grid connect systems, i think the rebate you need is still in the system, but domn,t fuck around get on to it as soon as possible, i,ll try and find out the form numbers you need, and maybe able to work out cost etc..

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## Chittychangchang

Ruddy good thread this, going to check out some of your other threads later.

Wouldn't have known they were on here, unless you posted in my "on my bike" thread.

Green blob sent :Smile:

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## wasabi

> ^ You're a friggin ideas man ... yes there is a far bit of wind ... and this silly bastard hadn't thought of wind power. Another thing to look into. Thanks .


Have you checked to see if there's a WiFi connection. WiFi would make it easier to up date us on your home progress.

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## Luigi

Lovely place, any interesting updates on it?


I remember that I missed you and your family by 5 minutes in Timba's one night way back in 2008.

Pity.... I coulda nicked your wallet if I was strong enough to lift it.  :Smile:

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## David48atTD

Someone tap Wayne of the shoulder (PM) ... maybe he doesn't know we are posting on his 7 year old thread.

*Wayne* ... I presume north of the Tropic of Capricorn?

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## bsnub

^ Ya he is posting in other threads so donno.

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## MeMock

I would love an update as well. Hey Luigi, so who were you posting as back in 2008? Did I meet you at Timbas?

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## Luigi

I don't think so, but I may have been sloshed on his Romanian wine.  :Smile:

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## MeMock

I remember lots of TDers, JW and great steak but no romanian wine.

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## Luigi

Yeah, he got a good deal on cases of it, and it was actually pretty damn good.  :Confused:

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## Norton

> Did I meet you at Timbas?


I met a few folks there. Can't remember who the hell was though.
I've stayed in touch with Timba. He moved on and was chef at Dean and Deluca. Left there and now a big wig at Central Group doing Tops food stuff. Good on him. Well deserved. A great hard working young man.

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## MeMock

Thanks for that update. I caught up with him once at a place on Silom but lost contact after that. Top bloke.

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## Topper

Timba is a great guy...the wife and I celebrated one of our anniversaries at his place back in the day.

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## Topper

Nothing but class is Timba.....

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