Since 2009 we have been practising natural living. Our actions and activities focus on establishing and refining a sustainable, enjoyable and meaningful existence that works in harmony with natural systems.
Motivated by the converging problems of environmental degradation, over population, peak oil and climate change, we employ permaculture principals and philosophies to develop resilient living systems with a focus on biological environmental restoration, food production and living in balance with nature.
Educate yourself about these important topics or come visit, learn or work with us at blockhill.
Learn more about sustainable living and organic gardening, energy efficiency and permaculture design. Explore, discuss and take part in practical, land based activities. We offer a selection of informative and educational activities and workshops for individuals and small groups.
Since 2012 we have been sharing our knowledge, produce and lifestyle with eager and willing participants.
If you'd like to come and stay and help out with our day-to-day activities, we happily exchange some of your time and efforts throughout the day for education, inspiration and comfortable accommodation surrounded by the permaculture food forest garden.
A peaceful retreat surrounded by organic (permaculture) gardens and native bush. Relax in the hammocks during the sunny days or soak in the fire-bath under the night sky. A cosy cottage on a rainy day with beautiful private views looking out over the beech trees.
The Eco Cabin is a studio style single room which includes a mezzanine loft bed (queen mattress) with an additional fold-out futon bed downstairs. There is easy access to an outdoor composting toilet and fire-heated/solar-heated shower, as well as a fire-heated/solar-heated outdoor bath.
Cooking facilities include a wood fired cooktop and oven. There is also a toaster, double hotplate and toaster oven for your convenience. The cabin has running water, mini fridge and kitchen bench for preparing meals.
Enjoy the private deck overlooking the native bush, ideal for bird-watching and relaxation.
Come to Blockhill for the day! Bring a picnic and your gumboots. Explore our young food forest, meet the Kune Kune pigs, free-range chooks, and Muscovy ducks. A great place to enjoy the country with the birds and bees. Suitable for groups of 1 - 8 people.
Adults $10 - Children $5 - (Children under 5 yrs - free)
Blockhill is located between Kaikoura, Cheviot and Hanmer Springs and not far of the main highway 1. We are a suitable stop on your journey or a nice day trip from the city. Check out the map for more precise directions.
A food forest includes a diverse range of trees, shrubs, vegetables and vines to grow healthy, organic food in a multi dimensional, functional and interdependent biological system. Arranging plants in natural, beneficial relationships creates a resilient, highly productive and attractive landscape.
Water is the essence of life and as such we need to be thinking about how to make best use of what we have. The most important work we do is to implement solutions for capturing, storing, diverting and infiltrating rainwater and runoff. This helps build soil, nourish crops, prevent erosion, minimise drought and reduce or eliminate irrigation needs. Learn about the art of land shaping for natural rainfall catchment, a practical guide to water harvesting and management. Make the most of the water available, direct surplus water away from wet areas towards dry areas. Use swales and terraces to halt the flow of water and nutrient off the land and allow it infiltrate and hydrate the soil.
Plant material for grafting and starting new cloned plants. Get known varieties of fruit trees and other perennial, practical forest garden plants. Availability changes with the seasons.
Browse our selection of organically grown vegetable, flower and tree seeds. Hand harvested in Autumn from healthy plants growing in the blockhill forest garden.
Our collection sometimes includes imported seeds from popular permaculture shrubs and trees that are difficult to source locally.
Natural forest gardens - consultation, design, implementation. Helping you achieve food security with beautiful edible landscapes that water and fertilise themselves while feeding you and supporting a healthy, diverse ecosystem.
This article aims to give you an introductory overview to laying out and creating infiltration swales. The information is based on experience gained during the design and construction of over 40 swales.
Details Quick and easy to grow, this fantastic bee plant can get up to a meter tall, covered in purple flowers. As it produces a large amount of plant matter it is also useful as green manure or mulch. Produces plenty of seed for next season.
Details This leafy plant can grow to a meter and a half with its tall colourful spires of flowers. Being a legume, lupins fix nitrogen in the surrounding soil for use by other plants making them a useful as well as attractive addition to the garden or orchard. They are also a nectar source for bumblebees and other insects.
Grafting is the process of adding part of a known, desirable tree onto existing, growing roots of a similar species. This can be done for a number of reasons such as having many types of fruit to one tree or influencing the characteristics of the tree such as size, soil requirements and disease resistance.
Details Fast growing, drought resistant nitrogen fixer (legume). This small tree has white flowers which are loved by bees, bumblebees and native pigeon. Grown as a nurse or support tree during the establishment of more long term tree plantings. Useful as a quick canopy / umbrella over citrus, avocados etc. or used as physical scaffold for climbers such as grape, kiwifruit etc. Good firewood from mature trees.
Pour hot water over the seeds and soak for 24 hours before planting into course sand.
Water is the essence of life and as such we need to be thinking about how to make best use of what we have. The most important work we do is to implement solutions for capturing, storing, diverting and infiltrating rainwater and runoff. This helps build soil, nourish crops, prevent erosion, minimise drought and reduce or eliminate irrigation needs. Learn about the art of land shaping for natural rainfall catchment, a practical guide to water harvesting and management. Make the most of the water available, direct surplus water away from wet areas towards dry areas. Use swales and terraces to halt the flow of water and nutrient off the land and allow it infiltrate and hydrate the soil.
Laburnum