Hi from Beachmere

[AndyH]

Hi all, I really got into self sufficiency by accident. When I left my last job I bought a yacht and we (Wife, 3 kids and a dog) moved onto it for around 6 months for some much needed down time. The previous owner had left a book on the boat called Sailing the Farm: a guide to Homesteading on the ocean. Reading that book was the first time I had heard about homesteading and self sufficiency and I was hooked! the feeling I got from catching and foraging food from the ocean for the family was..... it's hard to explain, it just felt right, it was Great!
Anyway long story short with 3 kids about to turn into 4 a house we had looked at purchasing a few years earlier came back up for sale and we bought it. We have a large saltwater river as our rear boundary from which we catch everything from Prawns and Mud crabs to Mangrove Jack and Sharks, so a lot of our food comes from there.
Some of the fruit tree's we have (Mostly young, a lot still in pots and some established) are, Mangosteen, Black and Yellow Sapote, Star fruit, banana, mango's, coconut palm, Acia palm, Blue Berry, Gac fruit, Mulberry, Jack fruit, Sour Sop, Jaboticaba, Panama berry, Lychee, Longan, Orange, Apple, Lime, Brazilian Cherry, Coffee, Guava, Miracle Fruit, Passion Fruit etc. We also keep chickens and quail and I'm about to build a few raised garden beds for vege's and herbs.
Looking forward to learning and getting to know all



Hi Mark, I've been watching and loving your videos for a while now, (I'm ex 6 RAR, got out due to injuries) and when I first started watching them, I thought "this bloke looks like he's Army" lol, then I saw the figure 11 and type D targets in the background Since then I've been trying to work out what rank you would have been, I guessed SGT though, as you are a hell of lot nicer than any of the WO's where I was
Love your work mate, I'm just about to start building raised garden beds, changed my plans after watching your 2nd last video(Thanks a lot)

 

[Auron Leonhart]

Welcome AndyH! I agree, Mark has some awesome videos, learn a lot from him. See you in the forums

 

[Mathew R]

I was hooked! the feeling I got from catching and foraging food from the ocean for the family was..... it's hard to explain, it just felt right, it was Great!

I thought "this bloke looks like he's Army" lol, then I saw the figure 11 and type D targets in the background

I'm just about to start building raised garden beds, changed my plans after watching your 2nd last video(Thanks a lot)

WELCOME! And congratulations on your victories of becoming self sufficient, finding that book and finding a like minded group to share your story with!
Also on the new addition to the family!

I have noticed a strong connection with bettering mental health and growing produce within my garden and with my family.

There is a primal bond with catching, growing and providing food for yourself and family which feels grounding in the best of ways.

I am a former SIG with a young family wanting to learn more about self sufficiency, if you need an extra set of hands for gardening, I'm only 30 minutes away.

-Mathew

 

[AndyH]

Hi Mathew, thanks mate Yeah mate Grounding is a great way of describing it, just trying to slow down a bit, still feels like I'm supposed to be somewhere or late for something lol.
Thanks for the offer mate, likewise if you need a hand with something give me a shout, I just finished putting together my 4 raised garden beds, 4m long by 1.2m wide, just have to start thinking about what to put into them

 

[Mathew R]

I recommend Greens to begin with if the new beds are in a highly sunny position, and also some organic - link and triple boost liquid fertilizer will give them a crazy headstart.

I started in baskets to see if I had the basics down pat and they seemed to work.
My Wife and I just bought our first house and I have felt " On" for the past two months with so much to do but so little Needing to get done. I need to slow down and ground myself a bit more, take the time to enjoy the smaller things. Pics to follow.

 

[AndyH]

Cheers Matty, that looks great mate, I've just have to put the bracing in put them in place and fill them up and I'm away

 

[Mathew R]

I had to read that twice as I didn't see bracing the first time. But defiantly a great idea! Do you mind disclosing the total cost and man hours it took to build those? And any special materials as they might be alot cheaper then my 2.4m x 600 sleeper idea I had!

Also what was the height?

 

[AndyH]

Yeah mate no problem, I had the same idea then wasn't really keen on the chemicals in the sleepers plus the cost after I did the math. For all that you see in the pictures (ex roofing corogated iron, corner angle and screws) total cost was $262, and took about 3 hours all up to screw them together. There is a guy on gumtree that sells the 2nd hand iron sheets and when I told him what it was for he said he has the angle and screws for it as well, and he delivered it all....bargan! The height is 850mm

 

[Mark]

I guessed SGT though, as you are a hell of lot nicer than any of the WO's where I was

I was a WO at 6 RAR TOCWO (I ran the Transport Platoon from 2003 - 2006 including the Battle Group's vehicle fleet in Timor) so I hope you don't think less of me lol...

Thanks for joining our forum Andy and sorry I didn't get to you in a timely manner I've found it hard to keep up with all my online commitments over the past 12 months. I'm not winging - it's a good thing that people are supporting my content - I just wish there was more time in a day to acknowledge everyone.

We have a large saltwater river as our rear boundary from which we catch everything from Prawns and Mud crabs to Mangrove Jack and Sharks, so a lot of our food comes from there.

This is my utopia... a property to grow food that also is backing onto a seafood source

Gee, those corro rasied beds you built are good - well done.

 

[AndyH]

I was a WO at 6 RAR TOCWO (I ran the Transport Platoon from 2003 - 2006 including the Battle Group's vehicle fleet in Timor) so I hope you don't think less of me lol...

Wow I only just missed you, I got to 6 in 2010, I was in B Coy for a year then Recon for 4 years (The hardest but the best time I had in the Army) then back to B Coy

Thanks for joining our forum Andy and sorry I didn't get to you in a timely manner I've found it hard to keep up with all my online commitments over the past 12 months. I'm not winging - it's a good thing that people are supporting my content - I just wish there was more time in a day to acknowledge everyone.

All good Mark, I know your a busy man, I'm just glad to be here and love what your doing

This is my utopia... a property to grow food that also is backing onto a seafood source

Haha, well we are practically neighbors, if you ever want to for a fish or throw some crab pots in let me know, I have the Tinny tied up out the back, it would be my pleasure

Gee, those corro rasied beds you built are good - well done.

Thanks, I'm ready to fill them now, I'm thinking of putting "Aged forest mulch" on the bottom half and I'm trying to source the right soil, any suggestions on where to go for good soil around here would be greatly appreciated