- When Cyclone Gabrielle hit Northland, an off-grid property in Dargaville remained fully operational.
- Owned by Maureen Buchan and Hans Fischer, the sustainable home is on the market for $380,000.
- The property features solar power, water tanks, and a successful orchard and vegetable garden.
When Cyclone Gabrielle swept through Northland, one fully off-grid property in Dargaville stood firm. While homes around it lost power or battled floodwaters, 5 Church Street, owned by Maureen Buchan and Hans Fischer, remained fully operational, its systems humming quietly above the chaos.
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It was good news for the couple, who built their sustainable home strictly by the book. Set on a generous 2284sqm section and now on the market for just $380,000, the property is a model of resilience, sustainability, and affordability.
Buchan and Fischer thought it would be their home for life, and wanted it built to a high standard, she told OneRoof. “It's quite unusual for an off-grid property to be fully consented, and we did from the beginning want to do it properly,” Buchan said.
It’s a far cry from some off-grid homes in Northland, which conjure images of DIY setups and patchwork systems.
The property sits on 2284sqm of land and comes with solar power, water tanks, and an orchard. Photo / Supplied
A social worker by profession, working in the mental health field, Buchan was lured to New Zealand from Scotland to study Tai Chi, with Kiwi-based master Wee Kee Jin.
Although based in New Zealand, Kee Jin is much better known in Europe, where Buchan would attend his twice-yearly workshops.
“I had trained with him for a few years, and I came to New Zealand to do that. I worked at Auckland DHBs, became a resident, and stayed.” Buchan met Fischer in Auckland and moved up north when they saw land for sale immediately across the road from the property owned by his father and stepmother.
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The couple bought two ready-built pods from Whakatane-based Podlife. The initial plan was to build four metres above mean sea level, to future-proof the property. "But then the council wanted us to go up on foundations, which is why it's up so high. That was the minimum floor height the council would allow.”
The geotech work to comply meant the build was more complicated than they had intended. That paid off when Cyclone Gabrielle blew through. "We were up high. We still had power because we're off-grid. We were sitting pretty with a really good view of other properties that were not faring so well.”
The property is much more than pods on stilts, however. "We have our solar setup that was designed by Power Station. We have our own water tanks. We have a natural flow system, with the black water deposited into a tank with tiger worms. They take care of that," Buchanan said.
The pods, built by Podlife, contain the living spaces, kitchen and bedroom. Photo / Supplied
“The grey water goes into another tank with filters, then into a third tank where it's filtered and treated even more. Then it goes out onto an evaporation field, which is a raised area on the section. We can tap into that, to irrigate the fruit trees, but haven’t actually done that.”
Buchanan and Fischer have really taken to the good life, planting an orchard that provides lemons, mandarins, grapefruits, apples, plums, peaches, avocados, and feijoas.
So successful is the couple's orchard and vegetable garden that they sell fresh and preserved produce at a local farmers’ market.
They expect the next owner will be someone like them. “I'm thinking it would probably be people who are interested in being off-grid and living a simple life," Buchanan said. "There's enough room to try different crops and experiment, and have fun with growing more than enough veggies for yourself.”
PGG Wrightson listing agent Erin Grbin said she was blown away when she first visited the property. "I was just like, wow, this is cool. Definitely something a bit different, something a bit quirky and a little bit out there," she told OneRoof.
“You have beautiful views of Tokatoka [peak] from up the top there. They have well-established gardens. It’s all brand new, and it has been done properly."
- 5 Church Street, in Dargaville, Kaipara, is for sale for $380,000
