Living lightly

Shane Rush and Nicki Murray-Orr are living on six-and-a-half acres on the outskirts of the Karangahake Gorge near Waihi.

Both are interested in taking responsibility for providing as much of their own food as they can, and living lightly o the land. e principles of permaculture have provided the framework for the design of their land and home.

Nicki works as a gardener and runs edible gardening workshops, based on permaculture principles. Shane, a builder, is involved with Vital Harvest, the couple’s permaculture consultation and design business. ey specialise in domestic gardens and lifestyle blocks with the aim to inspire and educate others to grow food, build resilience and utilise their land.

Permaculture discovery

“I was brought up in Auckland, but always wanted land after spending holidays on my Uncle and Aunty’s farm in Dannevirke,” says Shane. Despite growing up on a farm in Gisborne, Nicki worked in investment banking in London and New York and recruitment when she returned to New Zealand.

“On an acre in Waihi, we grew veggies and fruit trees, but it was starting our family and reading a book about raising healthy kids on nutrient-dense food and avoiding processed foods that really opened our eyes to how we wanted live.

“We discovered permaculture, which really appealed to us, and bought our current block in 2016, full of plans to live more sustainably,” says Shane. e couple designed their house themselves and Shane built it while the family lived in tents on the property for around four months.

A solar passive house relies on utilising the sun for warmth in winter and minimising summer sun to keep it cool in summer. Winter vegetables store for months in the specially-built cool room on the south side of the house.

“ e house had to be north-facing, have high thermal mass concrete oors, minimal windows in the western walls, and lots of north-facing windows,” says Shane.

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