Add Category![119 Rabbages Rd, Yapeen - for herald sun real estate](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After digging out an old gold mine at 119 Rabbages Rd, Yapeen, the homeowner converted it to a wine cellar.
An off-grid property near Castlemaine where the owner hosts dinner parties inside a historic gold mine-turned-wine cellar offers buyers a unique prospect.
Set on 21.2ha of private bushland, the house at 119 Rabbages Rd, Yapeen – named Mopoke Hill – is for sale with a $1.75m-$1.85m asking range.
Cantwell Property Castlemaine director Nick Haslam says the owner bought the block, won over by its views of the Pyrenees and Mt Beckworth, and had the house built about 15 years ago from materials including stone sourced on-site.
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The owner dug out the circa-1880s, 100m-long mineshaft that had been partially filled with sediment.
“He found remnants the miners left behind, some old tools and supports,” Mr Haslam says.
Although the former mine did not produce much gold in its lifetime, the owner has found an innovative use for it, converting the temperate space into a wine cellar.
“It’s next level,” Mr Haslam says.
“He’s hosted dinner parties in the mine under candlelight.”
The garden includes a man-made pond with a waterfall.
The entrance to the former mine, now a wine cellar.
Stone sourced from the property was incorporated into the build.
Mr Haslam described the home as great for entertaining, with an outdoor west-facing stone-paved terrace and a courtyard where the walls are covered in a Virginia creeper and ornamental grapevines.
The garden is planted with Australian natives and has an idyllic sitting area next to a pond and waterfall, an enclosed vegetable garden and sheds.
Guests can stay in a separate self-contained one-bedroom cottage with a kitchenette and bathroom.
Inside the main home, the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area connects outside via a servery window at the breakfast bar.
The kitchen has a gas cooktop with an under-mount oven, Stirling Thermalux solid wood stove and Miele dishwasher.
There’s also plenty of room to dine outside.
The former mine measures about 100m in length.
Large windows take in the green views, while a Cheminees Philippe solid wood heater adds cosiness.
A polished concrete floor, hydronic heating fuelled by the Stirling Thermalux solid wood stove, electric wall heaters and a split system also feature.
The kitchen is fitted with a gas cooktop with an under-mount oven, Miele dishwasher and bar-style seating at the stone-topped island bench.
Luxurious touches in the main bedroom include a walk-in wardrobe and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the surrounding bushland.
The views are pretty spectacular.
From the kitchen, a servery window connects the indoors to the outdoors.
A self-contained one-bedroom cottage provides guest accommodation.
“It is the most wonderful view,” Mr Haslam said “It feels like you can see to the end of the world.”
In one of the bathrooms, the freestanding bath is in front of a floor-to-ceiling picture window.
Another bedroom, featuring a built-in desk and shelving, can be used as a home office.
Mr Haslam says the residence was designed to be as sustainable as possible, with the bonus of no utility costs thanks to the 24-battery solar system and generator backup, double glazing, solar hot water, a gas hot water system and two water tanks.
Two dams provide additional water for Mopoke Hill.
The cottage has a living room, a Nectre Bakers Oven wood heater, kitchenette, bathroom and stairs leading to the bedroom.
The home is a 15-minute drive of Castlemaine and 25 minutes to Daylesford.
Other handy features include a double garage and another garage and workshop.
The house is within a 15-minute drive of Castlemaine, 25 minutes to Daylesford and an hour and 40-minute drive to Melbourne.
“It’s a unique weekender or one for a smaller family who want to be close enough to a small town and all its conveniences but still have plenty of peace and quiet,” Mr Haslam says.
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