6 Ross Drive

Some properties ask nothing of you the moment you arrive, where the driveway opens onto something already settled, already generous, already quietly wonderful. This home is one of those. Sitting on 4.12 acres (approx) just four minutes from the centre of Castlemaine, it offers the kind of life that is rarely found so close to town: a proper garden to lose yourself in, a paddock with room for a horse, a dam catching the light in the afternoon, and a home large enough for everyone to find their own corner. The rendered brick house, 220 square metres (approx) of it, faces north, the way country homes should, with the kitchen, dining and living all drinking in the solar north-facing aspect from morning through to the long golden hours of the afternoon. Timber floors run underfoot. Large windows frame the garden from almost every room. The wraparound verandah catches the breeze, and the view, and the deck looks out toward the rooftops of central Castlemaine, a reminder that while you are here, surrounded by all of this, town is never more than a few minutes away. The kitchen sits at the heart of the home, generous and well-equipped. A large island bench with timber tops and casual seating invites the natural gathering of people. A walk-in pantry keeps things orderly. The 900mm Smeg freestanding gas cooktop and oven, Miele dishwasher and storage make cooking a pleasure rather than a task. From here, the dining room with its large garden-framing windows and direct access to the deck flows naturally, and the formal living room opens to the verandah through sliding doors, where a solid wood heater makes winter evenings something to look forward to. The floor plan is generous and well-considered, with two separate living areas giving the household room to breathe. A central hallway connects inside to out, with direct access to the rear garden. The second bedroom with built-in robes overlooks the front garden, a third with built-in robes looks onto a courtyard planted out with pretty ornamentals and the fourth bedroom is ideally suited to a home office. All four bedrooms are carpeted in new carpet, and the main bedroom includes a walk-in robe and a private ensuite with shower, vanity and toilet. The main bathroom offers a bath, separate shower, vanity and separate toilet. The laundry is large, as a country laundry ought to be, with its own external access. Outside, the property rewards exploration. A 15x9 metre garage with two roller doors and three-phase power handles whatever needs handling. The dam, the paddock, a 92,000 litre water tank and the dual street access, from Ross Drive to the front and Mitchell Parade to the rear, speak to a property that has been thought through. The garden itself is a real achievement: ornamental plantings, deciduous trees and natives have been layered together over time to create something that moves beautifully through the seasons, from the bare-branch quietness of winter to the full flowering abundance of spring. Double glazing, reverse cycle zoned ducted heating and cooling, an integrated solar power system, solar hot water and the solid wood heater ensure that whatever the Castlemaine weather decides to do, the house holds its warmth and its welcome, and does so efficiently. The Goldfields walking track is close by. The schools, cafes, shops and Saturday morning rhythms of Castlemaine are four minutes down the road. This is a home built for the long run, for slow Sunday breakfasts in a sun-filled kitchen, for afternoons lost in the garden, for the kind of everyday life that is genuinely hard to leave.