We never expected SO MUCH Mud in rural New Zealand

Building an off-grid homestead in rural New Zealand sounded like the dream… but we never expected the mud!! After relocating and renovating an old farmhouse onto our raw off-grid land in New Zealand, we’ve spent the last two years building our DIY off-grid homestead completely from scratch. From muddy driveways and drainage problems to restoring old infrastructure and preparing for winter, every stage of this off-grid journey has tested us in ways we never expected. In this episode, we race to prepare our New Zealand homestead before heavy rain and winter weather turn the entire property into even more of a mud pit. We reroute our steep driveway down to the house, dig drainage swales for stormwater, move shipping containers, sow new grass, and restore a vintage Rayburn wood cooker that will soon become the heart of our off-grid home. Living off-grid in New Zealand has been one of the hardest and most rewarding things we’ve ever done. What started as bare overgrown land is slowly becoming a self-sufficient family homestead built with our own hands. This episode captures the real side of homesteading and off-grid living: the mud, the pressure, the exhaustion, the setbacks — but also the deep satisfaction of creating a simpler and more intentional life for our family. Alongside the homestead work, restoring this old Rayburn reminded us of a different era… when things were built to last, repaired instead of replaced, and passed down through generations. In a world of disposable products, bringing this old wood cooker back to life feels incredibly meaningful. This is part of our full DIY off-grid homestead journey in New Zealand — building a more self-sufficient life from the ground up while sharing the real highs and lows along the way. Check out the full playlist of our off-grid New Zealand journey in chronological order:    • I Cleared Raw Land With Zero Experience to...   In this episode: Off-grid living in New Zealand DIY off-grid homestead build Preparing a homestead for winter Rural New Zealand lifestyle Building a driveway on steep land Homestead drainage and water management Restoring a vintage Rayburn wood cooker DIY house renovation and homesteading Self-sufficient family living Raw land development in New Zealand Off-grid family life with kids Homesteading in rural New Zealand Thank you so much for supporting our family and following our off-grid homesteading journey here in New Zealand. After years of hard work, this old place is finally beginning to feel like home.