3170 Bairnsdale-Dargo Road Glenaladale VIC 3864

Rich in history and beautiful natural features, productive land and plenty of water, 'Cambooya', Glenaladale is being offered for the first time in 70 years. H ...

Rich in history and beautiful natural features, productive land and plenty of water, 'Cambooya', Glenaladale is being offered for the first time in 70 years. Held by the Howden family over that time, 'Cambooya' encompasses 674.34ha (1,666.29 acres) and stretches between the Bairnsdale-Dargo Road and Friday Creek Road, a stone's throw from Beverleys Road. The hard work has been done and solutions put into practice, with electric fencing, including a dog exclusion fence on part of the boundary and electrified chain flood crossings. The weeds have been sprayed, rocks picked up and bush has been cleared, plus a large dam is used for irrigation along the Iguana Creek flats, and the sheep and cattle yards have been built to last. There are three creeks on the property, Iguana, Raymond and Friday Creeks, and plenty of dams, the majority of which have been fenced off with a trough system put in place to ensure constant, clear drinking water for stock. Paddocks The land is divided into 27 paddocks with pastures based on cocksfoot, sub clover and native grasses The property is currently home to 950 sheep, 300 lambs and 150 cows and calves plus almost 60 replacements, and is quite self- sufficient, with the ability to irrigate pasture and cut and store hay. Each paddock features shelter for stock in times of rough weather. Housing 'Cambooya' features two cement-rendered, three-bedroom homes a short distance apart, plus a bungalow, ensuring plenty of space. The main home has a modern kitchen and lovely floorboards and has recently been fully rewired. Both homes have solar hot water, and each is on a separate power meter. There is also a tennis court between the two homes and an above-ground pool, giving plenty of options for outside fun and entertainment. A well-built chookhouse near the homes, plus fruit trees and a vegetable garden supplies home-grown goods for the family, with the gardens supplied by dam water. Outbuildings and yards The large three-stand shearing shed offers plenty of space, used to shed about 300 sheep, and the steel and timber sheepyards have an iconic 40-year-old oak tree in the centre for shade. The shearing shed's features are solid, the ramp from the yards into the shed is concreted and the shed has ironbark stumps, as well as a new roof. There are also plenty of holding paddocks around the shearing shed and nearby cattle yards, making weaning easy, whether it's sheep or cattle. The circular-designed cattle yards, constructed with railway steel and timber rails, are large enough to hold 150-200 head and the concrete loading race can be used for sheep or cattle. There is also water to both yards, with the troughs connected to a pressure pump. A second set of steel cattle yards stands on the eastern side of the property, large enough to hold 50 head of cattle and will also hold sheep. The shearing shed has an attached lean-to machinery shed and is home to one of the main electric fence units, plus a 20-tonne silo. The open-sided hayshed has a new roof and holds about 180 five-foot round bales, while the old dairy is still standing and used as a workshop, complete with power and water and a 14,000L tank. A lockable chemical shed and a three-bay machinery shed complete the shedding at 'Cambooya'. Irrigation The large dam, built in 1998, is approximately 50 megalitres and has its own 37kw pump, with independent three-phase power supply and an electric fence unit that powers the northern and eastern sides of the property. The irrigation pipework has been laid underground to turf valves for lateral sprays, with the capacity to run 60 sprays, plus the ability to provide protection for the hay shed and livestock in containment paddocks. The flats along Iguana Creek equate to 18ha (44.5 acres) and have grown lucerne and pasture, and there is a strip grazing set up with fixed water points. Natural features and history The hidden but magnificent Iguana Creek Gorge extends for kilometres down the creek, offering scenic walks and tranquillity in nature, with recent sightings of bandicoots, lyrebirds and platypus. The owners say the extensive native bushland is not subject to covenants and offers the potential for native vegetation offsets or carbon credits. There is even a walnut grove down along the creek, where houses in yesteryear once sat, and historically speaking the property has been home to the old Iguana Creek township, which was complete with Gillies Hotel, a store and a racetrack. As for modern day towns, Lindenow, with shops and primary school, is 15 minutes away, with Stratford 30 minutes to the south-west and Bairnsdale 30 minutes to the east. For further information contact Michael Capes 0418 514 258.