Passing the Torch: Why We're Selling Our Slice of Paradise

After years of stewardship, we're ready to pass the torch

There's a moment that happens most mornings here at Oakvale Farm. The sun breaks over the eastern ridge, the mist lifts off the Pappinbarra River, and if you're quiet enough - really quiet - you might spot a platypus gliding through the crystal-clear water below the house. We're not morning people (anyone who knows us will tell you that), but even we've dragged ourselves out of bed for platypus sightings enough times to lose count. It never gets old.

But here's the thing about beautiful moments - sometimes the most important gift is knowing when to share them with someone else.

Our Time Here

Harvey with Eboni, our herd matriarch who we lost a little while ago but still miss.

When we first arrived at this property, our children were small. They've grown up swimming in these river holes, learning to identify birds (we can now confidently pick a kingfisher from a wren at fifty paces), fishing for bass with family and friends, and yes - complaining about helping move cattle or fix fences. That's farm life.

We've watched them catch their first fish right there in that deep hole below the big river oak. We've seen them learn to be gentle with our cattle, understanding that even tough old Eboni (who we lost a while ago but still miss terribly) would stand still for a scratch if you approached her right. They've collected eggs, picked fruit from trees planted long before we arrived, and discovered that real freedom looks like 130 hectares to explore.

Now one is heading off to university, stepping into their own next chapter. That's the natural order of things.

What We've Loved Most

The river, obviously. Every single day. Whether it's been an afternoon spent watching turtles sunbake on logs, those perfect summer evenings when the water's so clear you can see bass cruising the deeper sections, or just sitting on the bank after a hot day letting the water work its magic. The Pappinbarra River through our property has been our constant - (almost) always flowing, always pristine, always offering something new.

If we're honest, we've often taken it for granted. When you live somewhere this beautiful, it becomes your normal. It's only when guests arrive and you see their faces - the way they stop and just stare at the water clarity, or how excited they are when they tell you they've spotted a platypus - that you remember how extraordinary it actually is. We do appreciate it. Deeply. But appreciation and stewardship are different things, and we're ready to pass that responsibility to someone else.

The gardens have been Heather's particular joy, especially her dahlia obsession. What started as a few tubers has turned into a full-blown collection - different colours, sizes, varieties. Spring through autumn, there are dahlias blooming somewhere on this property, and Heather can tell you the name and growing quirks of every single one. The hours she's spent dividing tubers, planning colour schemes, and filling the house with fresh blooms have been some of her happiest.

And the wildlife. Beyond the platypus (though they're the stars of the show), we've watched families of wrens returning year after year, flying in with those particular fine grasses from across the river, weaving them into intricate nests in the fruit trees. The engineering that goes into those tiny structures is remarkable. Kingfishers stake out the same fishing spots season after season. There are enough finches and honeyeaters around that drinks on the balcony feel like sitting in an aviary.

The Camping Chapter

A few years back, we started welcoming campers to the property. Partly to share this special place with people who valued nature, but let's be honest - also to generate another income stream off the farm. Agricultural income alone is unpredictable, and diversifying made sense.

What we didn't expect was how much we'd enjoy it. City kids learning that cattle are friendly (mostly), that rivers can actually be clear enough to see the bottom, that you can pick fruit straight from trees. Families discovering their kids could entertain themselves for hours with nothing but a riverbank and their imagination. Guests reading reviews from previous visitors and arriving with this anticipation - then finding out the reviews undersold it.

Reading those testimonials, seeing their photos, hearing their stories about spotting platypus or their kids catching bass - it crystallized something for us. This property works as a business. Not just in theory, but in practice, with real bookings, real income, and genuine market demand.

Why Now?

130 Hectares is a lot when your kids are leaving home

Our children are at that age where their worlds are naturally expanding beyond these 130 hectares.

One is heading off to university, the others in high school and they'll be planning their escapes before we know it.

They'll always carry this place with them - the confidence that comes from genuine independence, the grounding that comes from real work, the peace that comes from knowing what a platypus surfacing looks like.

But they don't need 130 hectares anymore.

And neither do we.

We're ready for our next chapter. Something smaller, something that allows us more freedom to travel, to visit wherever our kids end up, to have adventures that don't require someone staying behind to feed cattle and maintain 130 hectares. We've realized we've been stewards of this property, not permanent owners. Every property eventually moves to its next custodian. That's just how it works.

What Comes Next for Oakvale Farm

Here's what excites us about selling: someone else gets to create their story here.

Maybe it's a family like ours was ten years ago - looking for space for kids to grow, animals to raise, and a river to call their own. Maybe it's someone who's been camping on other people's properties for years thinking "I could do this myself" - and now they can, with a proven operation already in place. Maybe it's a couple ready for their tree change, wanting to escape Sydney's pace and wake up to something genuinely beautiful. Maybe it's someone who wants to teach city kids about country life and gets paid to do it.

Maybe it's someone with a vision we haven't even imagined yet.

The infrastructure's all here. The water security is exceptional (that 16 megalitre licence isn't something you find easily). The homestead's dual living design offers flexibility we've loved - ground floor for guests or extended family, upstairs for privacy. Three-phase power, solar systems, quality fencing, multiple shedding. The camping business is established with a track record and bookings to prove it works. Someone's getting a turnkey operation, whether they want to farm, host guests, or simply live.

What We'll Miss (And What We Won't)

We'll miss the afternoon river sessions. The perfect summer evenings at the water. The sound of rain on the tin roof. The cattle (including Eboni's memory). Heather's dahlia garden in full bloom. Watching wrens return with their carefully selected grasses from across the river. The swimming holes. The privacy. The sunset views from the balcony. The pride in showing visitors around and watching their faces when they see it for the first time.

We won't miss moving cattle in 40-degree heat. We won't miss worrying about fences when the water rises. We won't miss the sheer acreage of lawn maintenance. While we love hosting them, we definitely won't miss cleaning paddocks before campers arrive while simultaneously managing everything else a working farm requires.

The Invitation

If you've read this far, you're probably one of two people: someone who's stayed here and understands exactly what we're talking about, or someone who's dreaming of exactly this kind of property.

If you're the latter, come see it. Not as potential campers, but as potential owners. Walk the river frontage. Stand on that balcony. Watch the light change across the valley. Imagine your coffee routine in that kitchen with river views through the windows. Picture your own children (or grandchildren, or nieces, nephews, friends' kids) discovering what genuine freedom looks like. Think about whether you'd enjoy welcoming guests to experience what you get to experience every day.

This property has given us more than we could have asked for. It's time for it to give that to someone else.

The Details

Property: 1024 Pappinbarra Road, Lower Pappinbarra

Land: 130.2 hectares (321 acres) with 1.5km river frontage

Price: $1,999,000

Agent: Matt Miller, Wauchope Real Estate

Contact: 0403 599 016 | matt@wauchoperealestate.com.au

Full listing: CLICK HERE

Photo gallery: CLICK HERE

Schedule inspection: CLICK HERE

We're still here for now, still running the farm, still welcoming campers until we transition to new owners. But we wanted to share our story, because selling a property like this isn't just a transaction - it's passing on something special.

Here's to your next chapter, whoever you are. We hope you love it as much as we have.

— Heather, Harvey & family

P.S. - If you've camped here before and are now thinking "wait, I could actually own this?" - yes, you absolutely could. You already know what you'd be getting. Several of our best camping guests over the years have mentioned they'd buy a place like this "if they ever found one." Well, you found it. You just have to commit to more than a weekend. 😊

Comments are open - we'd love to hear from past campers sharing their favourite memories, or from anyone considering making this their home.