Fay
"Earthship" - tyre/earth house - New Zealand
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About me
Fay, 72 years old. Proud eco warrior.
My place
Otaki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington and Palmerston North, (70 kms from both). It is located on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway on their routes between Wellington & Auckland. The town is sited close to the banks of the Otaki River, some three kilometres from its outflow into the Tasman Sea. It is divided into three main parts, Otaki Beach which is a mainly residential area, the larger and more inland Otaki township which contains shops and residential areas and along State Highway 1 near the railway station, the part known as Otaki Railway. The surrounding district is agricultural, with market gardens and olive and grape growing. The economy of the town is largely based around service industries for the farming community.
Projects
I am almost halfway through building my dream Earthship and because of my age (72 yrs old though still active!) and the unconventional building style, I am not able to qualify for a standard mortgage. I am mostly working with volunteers however I am at the stage of the project where I need to pay for professional services and further material costs in order to complete my dream home to council standards. This project has been 15 years in the pipeline. I worked with an engineer first to develop the house plan, submitted it to council for building consent and then due to council requirement, I had to engage an architect. I now have a building consent and have been working steadily with volunteers on the tyre walls for the last 2 years which are now almost completed. To date, I have spent over $100,000 which covered architects, builders, engineers and materials. I now need to engage a registered builder to do the timber framing for the front walls and roof. I have had this vision for the last 20 years and I have invested all my time and energy into this project. I would like to relax and enjoy my retirement in a few years time in a warm and cosy eco house knowing that I have contributed to alleviate environmental costs. I am open to receiving emails with other suggestions for funding solutions or volunteer support (builders/carpenters, plumbers, electrician (solar), roofing etc.). I also have an active Facebook page which has progress photos and is kept up-to-date with recent developments - Earthship – Ōtaki
Accommodation
Prototype earthships are available for sleeping. includes heating.
Food
Organic home kill meat, vegetables and fruit from the garden.
Photos
