Stone, earth and wood - this home is a real Japanese Peach

A home of great character, creativity and warmth, 83 Araluen Road is listed with Michael Dalton of P & P Real Estate for $730,000 and is a must-visit property.

This beautifully presented rural retreat provides gorgeous views of the great dividing range and the fertile Araluen Valley. You almost feel as though you are alone in the valley, however the land size is an eminently manageable 2.7 acres approximately (1.09 ha).

Araluen is a small town of around 168 people. It is near Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, within Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.

Where once Araluen was one of New South Wales’s most famous gold towns, today it is famous for stone fruit, organic vegetable farms, resident writer Jackie French and the valley’s great beauty.

This prestige two-three bedroom home will suit a range of buyers and is located only 20 minutes from Braidwood, 1 hour from Batemans Bay, 1 hour and 20 minutes from Canberra and about 2.5 hours from Sydney (Campbelltown).

It is a stunning home in a bushland setting which is spacious, unique and highly desirable.

The property itself is a one-of-a-kind, solar-passive, off-grid, handcrafted residence. On entering the property you are immediately impressed by the beautiful walls built from local Araluen creek rocks, which were hand-selected by the current owners during the build.

Entering the main living area and you are again struck by the enormous recycled American Oregon beams and soaring 4.3 meter high raked ceilings with stunning timber sash windows, and solid slate floors.

A main feature of the home is the fireplace, which is a unique and impressive design, hand-constructed with fire bricks. This is not only a piece of art, but it also radiates the heat back into the large room and draws external air to remove drafts and dryness from the air.

This interesting house has been constructed with design and energy efficiency as top priorities. It has an aesthetically pleasing combination of red brick, creek-stone, and warm rammed earth walls, both externally and internally; timber-framed windows, whitewashed internally lined ceilings, slate flooring and a solid concrete slab.

The property was originally built with a Japanese influence, and some resonance of this is still here today. The traditional Japanese dining area (pit) can easily remain, or the floor level can be lowered with easy conversion to a western-style dining room.

The two main bedrooms flow seamlessly into the beautiful north-east facing courtyard, protected by thoughtfully planted trees and shrubs, and jaw-dropping views. A mezzanine level provides various options for storage or other usage.

A Japanese tatami area is perfect for additional sleeping, or for yoga, stretching or just lazing around with a cup of tea and a book.

The kitchen has a slow combustion Rayburn stove with wet back for hot water heating, and also a gas oven and stove top. There’s a striking sink area completely enrobed in stainless steel, and also granite benchtops and a walk-in pantry.

The bathroom contains a Japanese hand moulded bath and was recently updated.

The property holds three water tanks (approximately 22,000 litres + 55,000 litres + 4,500 litres), with rainwater and bore options (the current owners have used the licensed bore water for drinking and internal use due to the extremely high quality). There is also a windmill and submersible pump for the bore.

Your own beehive is located in a feature yellow box tree. The hive fertilises the expansive fruit trees and flowers perfectly, plus there is over 1 meter of fertile top soil to approximately 50 per cent of the block.

This unique microclimate makes the perfect place to live, holiday, or spend your weekends away but also to grow beautiful fruit and vegetables.

Araluen is a historic gold town located in its own fertile Araluen Valley, about 23 km from Braidwood. It has a unique microclimate, sitting at approximately 160 meters above sea level. The district is renowned for its stone fruit, in particular peaches, most notably the pale-skinned, white-fleshed, fragile and incredibly flavoursome Fragar.

Fully fenced, the property has an enormous garage with panel lift garage door, and a solar system with battery storage, which is easily upgradeable should you wish to add additional solar panels. The earth is ready for your input.

This home is a must-see. View by appointment by phoning Michael Dalton on 0402 227 675, or visit P & P Real Estate to arrange a visit and inspection.

Original Article published by Lisa Herbert on The RiotACT.