Lifestyle block

He’s into his bikes; she’s into her horses. This Rotorua couple makes a living out of their hobbies. Words: Lyn Barnes Photos: Tessa Chrisp Huge hollows and hillock, as if giant rabbits have dug enormous burrows into the land, run alongside a steep drive above Lake Rotorua. At the drive’s end is Southstar, the family home of Jeff Carter and Sarah Carter Hall and the headquarters of their separate businesses. Jeff runs Southstar Adventures, a company operating on several continents, designing…

Explore the three-stage renovation of a Greytown home, showcasing design evolution and creativity in transforming the living space.

If it weren’t for chocolate and coffee, Angela Clifford and her family would be mostly self-sufficient food-wise from their bountiful organic block. Words: Nadene Hall Images: Angela Clifford, additional images: Made North Canterbury Who: Angela Clifford, Nick Gill, Ruby, Flynn & Matilda What: The Food Farm Land: 6.5ha (16 acres) Where: Amberley, 50km north of Christchurch One step out their front door and you enter the heart of The Food Farm’s huge permaculture garden, bursting with annual…

Despite being exposed to the salty winds of the coast, this family garden boasts an impressive and productive, easy-care vegetable patch

Can you make a living from your lifestyle block? Give up your day job and lead the good life? Yes. But. Words: Sheryn Dean Many people make a good living from a small block of land. Most people don’t. The difference isn’t the size of their block or their ability to grow a particular crop. An enterprise on a lifestyle block faces the same challenges as any other small business, but it has one extra, unpredictable, uncontrollable factor: Mother Nature. SHERYN'S TIPS FOR SUCCESS 1. Have a…

French architect Julie Villard has built a quiet, airy, compact smart home above a noisy port. Words: Nadene Hall Images: Kirsten Sheppard Who: French architect Julie Villard & partner Edward Where: Lyttelton, 12km south-east of Christchurch What: cross-laminated timber house, 9 Homestar The elegant, clean roofline of architect Julie Villard’s smart house has a secret. It’s out in plain sight, but a lot of people don’t spot it. “If you open an architectural book you’ll never see gutters or…

Discover how cattle farmers built their dream home in rural North Otago, combining style and functionality for their lifestyle needs.

Looking to renovate your outdoor area? Take a look at some of our favourite garden renovations for the ultimate landscaping inspiration.

Photo: Dreamstime Green grass, blue skies, peace and quiet, cows, sheep, chickens, a pony, an elegant garden or a food forest full of heritage fruit trees. But there's important questions to ask yourself before you commit to moving to a block. By Nadene Hall Where you start looking may be predetermined by where you work. If so, the issues will be: • the time and length of the commute • whether the area suits your goal, eg growing conditions, support services. 1. THE COMMUTE A long commuting…