Living off-grid is a way of life for Pippa Walker. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Off-grid living has become an increasingly popular lifestyle choice for people across Aotearoa, and here in Northland it’s no different. Reporter Brodie Stone spoke to those who have made the move to living off-grid about why, and how.
The rising cost of living has turned the focus to the issues surrounding living in a mainstream way, prompting people to assess how they live and consider other options.
The Northern Advocate has met two people choosing the off-grid life. One is a single woman based in a rural valley, the other a man whose family have planted themselves on a hilltop overlooking the beach.
In the valley where she lives, Pippa Walker says, there are “hundreds” of people around her who have chosen a self-sufficient and off-grid lifestyle.
Her journey started 10 years ago when she began living on a bus. She then bought a block of land based in a picturesque valley and started creating her dream home, living in a tent, before moving into her home.
With five children out of home and 11 grandchildren, she said the decision to take control of her life came from a sense of instability and wanting to always have a roof over her head.
The solar panels Walker has provide enough power for two houses. She’s planted more than 100 fruit trees, and her water source comes from a spring she found through water divining.
The food she grows is seasonal, including cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, beans, spring onions and berries as well as a plethora of herbs. Much of that food had been grown from seeds she had saved since she was little.
“I’ve been this way inclined since I could walk. I’m old-fashioned.”
Three cows provide milk and two beehives produce about 15 litres of honey annually.
While she sources staples such as flour, pasta and treats from shops, she says she gets a “big kick” out of growing, picking and preserving her food.
To live a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, Walker says, you need “research, good tools and a hell of a lot of faith in yourself”.
She gets disappointed with people who try the lifestyle for six months and then quit. It’s a time-consuming lifestyle and a constant work in progress.
“Learn as you go. If you’re going to wait until you know everything, it’s not going to happen.”
She says her goal is to always be 100 per cent off-grid — apart from loo paper, she jokes.
“I’m not giving up loo paper, I’ll hoard it if I have to.”
It’s been a long road for Walker, with humble beginnings living in a tent and van. While her journey continues, for one Tutukaka-based family their journey is only just beginning.
It took six years to have their first baby, and Josh Western and his wife decided they wanted to give everything they could to their two sons, Wolfie and newborn Reef.
“We didn’t want to be a family with mum working and the kid at daycare. We didn’t go through everything we did to choose that.”
They spent time travelling across Aotearoa in their self-contained van, but when it was time to put down roots, they chose Te Tai Tokerau.
They now own 12ha of rejuvenating bush that overlooks the pristine Poor Knights. It wasn’t easy to get there, though, the family had worked hard to pay for their dream location.
Western works as an ambulance officer, and his wife is a nurse. He says the biggest factor for choosing to go off-grid was that it enabled the family to spend time together and lowered their living costs.
“We had a big mortgage. and it was hard to keep on top of, now it’s a chance for us to live modestly,” Western said.
The family like to hunt and gather for their food and hope to develop a vege garden once their home is fully built.
“It all comes back to family. A good, healthy family with good, healthy food,” says Western.
“Living modestly opens up so much. Just jump in. You’ve just got to commit. The longer you say, ‘Oh, another year,’ the further away it is, and interest rates go up.”