Motueka family home embraces traditional and contemporary off-grid living

Mongolian round tents are a reasonably common sight in the Tasman area, and they instantly knew a yurt would be perfect for them.

The concept of this ‘eco village’ (called Te Manawa, ‘The heartland’) ticked all the boxes on the couple’s list: it had native bush, sea and mountain views and spring water and was situated in a fertile river valley.

Remko, Kiri and Olle love their “simple, low-impact, time-rich” life in an eco village set in 68 hectares of native bush.

When they arrived, their section was covered in wildling pines, obstructing potential views of the valley and presenting the first of many challenges that Tessa and Remko faced over the next 10 years.

This accumulated knowledge of the rhythms of their environment allowed the family to design and create new outdoor spaces to both complement and protect the surrounding land.

When tested by chilly Motueka nights, the yurt proved to be solid, strong and cosy, and the couple were smitten.

The three separate yurts are connected by landscaping, decks and pathways all crafted by Remko, who is passing his skills on to Kiri and Olle.

In 2011, a second yurt was erected as their family grew to four and son Olle Manu was welcomed into the world.

Sustainability is not just a lofty ideal but a way of life at Te Manawa.

“We are off the grid and together we have installed a power system that runs on solar and hydro power,” says Tessa.

The round shape of the yurts means that conventional furniture is often the wrong fit, so Remko handcrafted a kitchen to perfectly suit the home’s curves.

The texture and colourways of the canvas they chose were also intrinsically natural, which complemented the tones of the land and the couple’s vision for their property.

The structures connected to the yurts have earth roofs that provide natural insulation.

The couple built their first yurt armed with downloaded instructions, limited building knowledge and only two tools – a drill and a saw.

The couple home-educate Olle and Kiri, and enjoy the closeness of the eco village and wider communities within the river valley.

The family are always on the hunt for space-saving design solutions, such as the addition of bunks for the children and other clever storage ideas.

This accumulated knowledge of the rhythms of their environment allowed the family to design and create new outdoor spaces to both complement and protect the surrounding land.

By the time their second yurt went up, the family knew they had something special. “We were converted to this lifestyle,” says Tessa. “Simple, low-impact, mortgage-free and time-rich; we felt blessed.”

The yurts are a stunning showcase for the natural beauty of wood and their unique lattice construction offers both solidity and a connection with the outdoors.

Granite and sand were used for building mixes and wall plasters. Local manuka and kanuka trees were carefully pruned to allow space for the structures.

The property takes full advantage of its stunning views over the Tasman coastline.

Even the bathrooms have a healthy dose of indoor-outdoor flow so guests can bathe without losing sight of the view.