* Rural

“OWN your own National Park” says the blurb for Snowline Ranch, and for once the blurb writers have hit the mark.

Snowline Ranch is 516ha of natural Alpine country, located in the Moonbah Valley near Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.

It is now on the market with expectations of more than $1.5 million.

Rendezvous Creek and Mowamba River border the property, making it ideal for trout fishing.

It could hardly be more perfect for those seeking to escape the rush of city life — which is exactly what the present owners did.

David and Christine Last fled Sydney five years ago and have absolutely no desire to see the big smoke again.

The high-profile couple, who ran a $40 million tourism business in a joint venture with American Airlines, decided enough was enough.

Christine was a wine promoter on Sydney’s north shore while David toured the world establishing his outbound tourism business in markets like the Caribbean and South America.

When American Airlines purchased David’s interest in the business, the couple decided to escape Sydney’s increasingly aggressive and hectic lifestyle.

“I hate the word sea-change, but that’s what it was,” says David. “We searched the country for our nirvana, and we found it in the Snowy Mountains.”

Snowline Ranch sits on the designated snowline in the Moonbah Valley, next to the Kosciuszko National Park.

The valley was first settled in the 1800s by the McGuffog family, and the ranch is part of the original McGuffog’s Run.

It is classic “Man From Snowy River” country.

The Lasts bought Snowline Ranch from a failed businessman who had invested $2.8 million to create his own private sanctuary, including a modern seven-bedroom house and two three-bedroom houses for staff.

The Lasts developed the ranch as a retreat and a working cattle property. To cater for David’s particular sporting mania, a nine- hole golf course was added.

They are selling in order to be closer to their adult children and impending grandchildren. However, the Lasts have no intention of returning to Sydney but will look at coastal property.

`We have found there is another life out of the city,” said Mr Last. “There is another life outside the mainstream. It just takes a bit of courage and guts to cut theties from the corporate world.

“What we have found is that living in a small country community is extremely fulfilling. In the city, invariably you never get to know your neighbours.

“We have the fires going all the time, it’s just sensational, including the kitchen fire, which we use for wood-fired bread — all those sorts of things that used to happen around the kitchen that brought families together.

“We got involved in a lot of community activities. I’m now chairman of Tourism Snowy Mountains and the Community Forum for the Kosciuszko National Park.

“Christine has headed the local arts festival and we’ve both found contributing in this way to be very enriching.”

Snowline Ranch will be auctioned on November 21 by rural property specialist Chris Meares & Associates.