"Mikulov" - The Property

The Village of Captains Flat - This is the view of the village from near our front gate.



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We live on the family property, Mikulov, outside the village of Captains Flat, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) south east of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 100 acres is mostly forested, both with native eucalypts and planted Radiata pines (Pinus radiata). The bitumen road ends just past our house, and prospective visitors reach for a pen and paper when they phone for directions to get to Mikulov.
In all our years here, we could count on the fingers of one hand the folks who have arrived at our door saying “We were just passing by, so thought we would stop in.”

There are so many positive aspects to living away from the busy city. Kangaroos and yellow tailed black cockatoos are abundant and the occasional wombat tries to settle in under the house, until we crate and relocate the indignant marsupial. Blue tongued lizards are active through summer, and a few echidnas have been seen digging into the earth when startled.

The property was the former Lake George Mines Company site for underground mining of silver, lead and zinc. Mara's parents, Alois and Vanda Mikula purchased it after the Company was liquidated in 1963. The house we live in has been converted from the Company’s office building, and we are slowly rejuvenating it room by room. The first room to be completed is a guest bedroom - we have our priorities right, as visitors often stay overnight - and are now able to do so in comfort. The back part of the house is a series of workshops, much to Richard’s delight, as he has crammed in them all manner of tools, machinery and items of potential use. Mara has taken over the wardrobe in another apre bedroom for her craft items, and these have overflowed into a chest of drawers and many large cardboard cartons as well.

The large yards for the dogs enclosed by 1.8 metre high cyclone wire cemented into the ground open onto a grassed exercise area, similarly fenced.

Christmas trees are a lucrative sideline, with several hundred being pruned and shaped into an attractive and classic cone shaped tree through each year. These are cut and delivered to specific orders, mostly in Canberra, through December.

 

St Luke's Church

In 2001, the Centenary of Federation Year, Alois Mikula designed, constructed and fitted five stained glass picture windows for St Luke's Anglican Church in Captains Flat.   Click here to see the windows and read more about them.

 

Captains Flat

The Village of Captains Flat has its own Web Site at:  http://trak.to/captainsflat

 

 

Mills Cross Radio Telescope

Of interest locally is the Mills Cross Radio Telescope, operated by the University of Sydney.

Here are links to some articles about this radio telescope.

http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/astrop/most/

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/news/newsletter/oct01/focus_hist.htm

http://www.tip.csiro.au/History/PottsHill.htm

http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Mills.html

 

The Outsider Restaurant and Gallery

A very good restaurant, The Outsider,  is located in Captains Flat. The proprietors, Christine Simpson and Gunther Deix are friendly and warmly welcome visitors. Gunther is an accomplished artist and displays his works in the Restaurant and adjoining Gallery.  You can visit their website at: http://www.outsidercafe.netfirms.com