We do like to be beside the seaside.

Across Australia the areas which have the fastest growing populations are the outer coastal suburbs. Census statistics from the 2006 census show that most of these people have moved to the coast from inland regions and State capital cities.
As a result of internal migration from 1996 - 2001 the State of Queensland had a net population gain of over 82,000 people.

This is not a new trend. In 2003, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted population analyst Bernard Salt, "Eleven million people now live inside a capital city and a third concentration of Australians has emerged in the last 20 years on the provincial coast," he said.

In 2004 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, "The Federal Government will be urged to establish a program to fund vital infrastructure to meet the needs of growing coastal populations.
The push will come from the recently established national seachange task force which seeks ways to best manage the population drift toward coast communities."

People move for many reasons. Mention holidays to most people and you are likely to evoke memories of sea and sand. It seems that when we want to unwind and enjoy ourselves, the coast is a good place to be.
And and climate is a big factor. The though of never having to live through another cold winter or another stinking hot inland summer has it's appeal.


Temperature variations between inland and costal locations on a large landmass can be considerable. The sea acts as a moderating influence on the coast because a large body of water is a slow but good conductor, warming steadily over the warmer months beore starting to cool again. Land on the other hand heats and cools quickly. The technical term is Continentality.
A costal location like Edinburgh, Scotland can have mild summers (11 to 19 degrees)and cool winters (1 to 6), while in Russia, Moscow, the same distance from the equator as Edinburgh, has warm summers (13 to 23), and freezing winters, -9 to -16).

For those about to Seachange a benign climate has a direct bearing on sustainability and the ongoing cost of maintaining your lifestyle in the future.

By living in a climate where you dont need heavy winter clothing;
Where a well designed house can be heated and cooled naturally;
Where the sun can heat your hot water;
Where you can be paid to feed solar power back into the national grid;
Where you can grow vegetables all year round.

The environment benefits and you feel good because you are reducing your carbon footprint.

And you spend a lot less on bills so have more disposable income.

Your seachange move to the right location can lead to a win win situation for you and the environment.

The tide is high.

By definition a seachange involves living by the sea. Not necessarily on a waterfront property, but certainly close enough to be cooled by the sea breeze.

The most desirable and therefore expensive properties have in the past been located as close as possible to the water. Water views are seen as very desirable and uninterrupted ocean views are the stuff of real estate agents' dreams.

Absolute waterfront property has in the past commanded the highest price but climate change is forcing many to reconsider the wisdom of living at or close to sea level.
Extreme weather events, flooding and unusually high tides have the potential to threaten many waterfront properties.

According to The New South Wales, Australia, Department of the Environment and Climate Change "In the coastal zone, storms may combine with a rise in the sea level to worsen coastal erosion."

On the Australian east coast the highest tides in 18 years have just been experienced. Known as King Tides these annual events are seen as a glimpse into the future when water levels will be higher than today. This year the New South Wales, Australia, Department of the Environment and Climate Change co-ordinated a project to photographically record the event. Benign weather patterns meant that in New South Wales, this month's King Tides passed without much incident.

Further north but still in Australia AAP reported a very different story.

"Emergency services are on standby in north Queensland as forecasters warn of heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds in and around Townsville and Mackay.
A combination of torrential rain and king tides inundated about 100 homes and closed roads in Cairns on Monday.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michelle Berry said the highest falls overnight were south of Cairns.
Ingham has recorded 314mm since 9am (AEST) on Monday, Cardwell had 249mm and 237mm fell on South Mission Beach.

There is a lesson here for all of us. It sure would might be nice to have the beach at your doorstep, at least until nature conspires to turn your home into a houseboat.

The woman and I have already had the very unpleasant experience of watching your house being flooded with runoff from propety on higher ground. Its hard to imagine what might happen if eight inches (200mm) of rain falls on your house in two days. I would rather know that my house is never going to flood. So this time we bought land on the high side of the street. If the sea level ever rises by 20 metres we will be in trouble but I am willing to bet that it won't happen in my lifetime!

When you decide to move, make sure you pick a location out of reach of rising waters and high enough to ensure that run-off does just that - runs off your property and into the drainage system.

Buying somewhere to live.

We all have experience of finding a roof over our head so I wont bore you with the bleeding obvious or pretend that I have any secret knowledge about how to get your piece of paradise at a bargain price.

What I will do is briefly mention some of what we learned in the quest for somewhere to build.

Having chosen the general location where you want to live you then need to get specific.

Even if you plan on becoming an entirely self-sufficient hermit, there will be a town nearby and a local authority who will seek to relieve you of serious money for the privilege of living within their jurisdiction.

A major decision is whether to buy an established home or a vacant piece of dirt on which to build your sustainable dream.

In most locations the prospect of buying a purpose built sustainable home is slim indeed.

The theory behind sustainable housing ideas such as passive solar design, have been known to man since before the might of the Roman Empire.
But in The West, almost no one cared until the last few decades.

And even now the majority of new domestic housing only conforms in part to environmentally good design because governments are forcing new homes to incorporate energy efficient features.

Existing houses can be made much more environmentally friendly. You can of course retro-fit products such as solar panels or water tanks to an old house. And vegetables can be planted in even the smallest of gardens.

But the fact remains that if you want to live in an environmentally friendly passive solar designed house with all the good features, you are probably going to have to build new.

That means you will be buying an old house to demolish or vacant land which is zoned to allow a house to be built upon it.

There are some land buying tips here from a US based website.

Closer to town, vacant land may be hard to find and will almost certainly be more expensive than land further out. Out of town, services may be less well developed so that you may for example have no connection to sewerage or you may have to rely on collecting your own rainwater.

The lack of services such as town water and sewerage can be seen both as an expensive inconvenience and a blessing.
You have to install your own rainwater tanks and pumps but you will never again have to pay the water utility company for water.


The same goes for sewerage. Modern residential sewage disposal systems such as Biolytix are very efficient and can be used to water your garden as well. And you dont pay any bills related to sewerage.


The Woman and I decided on some land which is zoned rural-residential. Its basically subject to the same regulations as an urban building block but is much larger in size at just over 4,800 square metres.

For the same price we could have bought five acres (20,000 + square metres) further out of town but we feel our block is large enough for us to do all we want without taking on the extra work involved in maintaining anything larger.






Even a vacant block of land has to be maintained. Neighbours will not tolerate overgrown grass or weeds which could be home to vermin, or dead trees and shrubs which could be a fire hazard. Be prepared to do some yard work or pay to have it done.

The land you buy has to be suitable for what you intend to do with it and whilst that sounds too obvious, there may be factors which make it unsuitable. Such factors may not be immediately obvious.

You may want to read The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries note Some Precautions When Buying Rural Land

Try to find out what it the land was used for in the past.

Amazingly, some land is actually toxic, poisoned by previous use.

In the past Organochlorines such as DDT were routinely used around buildings for termite control and on vegetables and fruit for pest control.

Arsenic was used in sheep dip and on deciduous fruit.

High levels of Cadmium can appear in soils which have been heavily treated with phosphate fertilisers.

The list goes on. Beware.

Also make sure the water table is where it should be and will not be rising to meet you the next time it rains heavily. Check that there are no underground streams which could undermine your buildings or cause damp problems.

Its up to you to ask the questions. Talk to the locals, talk to the neighbours.

Sellers are unlikely to advise you that you will be under the flight path of a proposed runway.

When it comes to price you are less likely to get ripped off than when buying an established house but you still need to look at what similar properties are selling for and be prepared to pay a bit extra for land which has features such as sea views.

And always haggle. Be prepared to walk away if the vendor will not negotiate what you think is a fair price. Like any saleable commodity a block of land is only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay for it.

As many of us have found to our dismay, events beyond our control such as the recent financial crisis can wipe many thousands off the value of real estate. If you can take advantage of the downturn then lucky you.

But if you are buying somewhere to build your dream then paying a premium to get what you want is worth it because if all goes to plan, what you are buying is your future happiness.


Only you can decide if the house you want will go on the land you buy.

Remember that there is a lot more to placing a house on a block than just making sure it will fit.

Passive solar design requires that the house be oriented correctly and that solar panels can be located to receive unobstructed sunlight.

Prevailing winter and summer winds may also influence where the house goes.

There may well be practical considerations which stop you obtaining maximum benefit from passive solar design.

Proximity to neighbours or building to maximise nice views may mean a compromise in the quest for maximum sustainability.




Our block used to be part of a pineapple plantation. It has a slope of about 1:13 and the house will be built on the higher part of the block.

The block will never flood and its elevated position in relation to adjacent blocks means that we will catch the breeze and take advantage of some water views.

Climate and Weather.

Climate vs Weather. According to the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change
A good description of the relationship between climate and weather is the saying "climate is what you expect, weather is what you get". Climate is essentially a long term description of weather patterns like rain, wind, temperature, sunshine and so on.


Certainly in Britain and possibly in the rest of the world too, the most popular way to start a conversation is to talk about the weather.

Living a sustainable lifestyle will require that you do more than talk about it.

When it comes to building a passive solar sustainable house, knowledge of the weather, or more correctly the local climate and the micro climate, is crucial.




When building a sustainable house it is critical that the local climate is taken into account.

The micro climate of your exact location dictates the type of house you need.

Can the house be oriented to take advantage of the climate and sunlight?

What types of building materials will be used?

Is there enough roof facing the sun so that PV solar panels and solar hot water heating systems can be installed?

The duration of sunlight you can expect on a sunny day can help you plan your solar electricity system. A Sunrise and Sunset Calculator can be found at timeanddate.com

How much insulation will you need?

Is double glazing justified?

Which way does the wind blow at different times of the day?

How can you use that wind to make your house more comfortable to live in and more energy efficient?

Is there a sea breeze?

In the previous post I listed some temperatures for where we will live.
Obviously what will be right for us will not always be right for others. Every location is different.


You can get mean average temperatures for most locations from a variety of websites.
These temperatures should be taken into consideration as you make your plans.

You should ascertain the path of the sun in your area at different times of the year.

Try to get a Sun-Path diagram like the ones here for your location.

Irrespective of climatic and geographical differences, the basic principles of passive solar design and sustainable housing remain valid wherever you build.

Even in cool and wet climates, passive solar principles should be incorporated into building design.

You might be far removed from a tropical climate but you can still make the sun can still work for you.

You want to move where?

As we said, The Woman and I will leave the big city of Sydney and move north to a coastal location where the climate is sub-tropical and the sea is in view.


Those of you who paid attention in geography classes will know that Sydney is in the state of New South Wales Australia and that a move north to a sub-tropical climate will land you in the state of Queensland Australia.




The location we have chosen to move to is known these days as The Fraser Coast.




We will live at Hervey Bay. Not in the city but on the outskirts, on a 4800 square metre, (One and one quarter acre) building block which is zoned Rural Residential and is in the vicinity of River Heads where the vehicular ferry crosses daily to Fraser Island.



Why choose to move to Hervey Bay?

The Woman and I know that Hervey Bay has its critics and if you want to read what others have to say, good and bad, just search the internet. For visitors the local council portray it like this.


We have been regular visitors to the area since 1986. We have seen the area grow at a tremendous rate over that time. Hervey back is no longer the little collection of sleepy seaside villages it once was.


With a population of over 50,000 Hervey Bay is now a major Australian tourist destination serviced daily by air from major Australian cities. A flight from Sydney takes less than 90 minutes.


The body of water which is Hervey Bay is one of the world's best locations for watching Whales. Hervey Bay boat harbour offers the shortest crossing Fraser Island which is world heritage listed.



Climate wise, our location looks some 10 kilometers east towards the more exposed Fraser Island from where these temperature readings were taken.
Mean Daily Maximum Temperature ranges from 29.4C in January to 21.1C in July. Minimum temperatures range from 22.4C in February to 14.3C in July.

Mean annual rainfall is 1,269mm. Average clear days 111pa with 118 rain days.

At various times of the year we have have had holidays in the area so we know what its like to live in Hervey Bay whatever the month is.


The exact location where people chose to live is usually dictated by their needs at that time. Schools, shops, public transport, distance to work, etc.

For us the criteria are different. Of course we want access to shops and restaurants and other services such as hospitals etc.

But our aim is for a move to a semi-rural lifestyle without sacrificing too much that a big town has to offer.

So we bought a large block with room for a permaculture garden.

Room for large rainwater tanks to collect all the water we will need. And room for solar panels.

We chose our location after careful consideration of many factors including the micro climate.

Sea breezes from the north and east will cool our elevated house.

All year round we can have a productive permaculture garden which never stops producing vegetables, fruit and eggs.

But dont take our word for it.

Check out a couple of internet forums which discuss the area:

http://frasercoastforums.com

www.herveybaycomputer.com/forum/index.php




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