“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
– Oscar Wilde
Living the dream.
We believe in making conscious choices and priorities in life that aligns with our values, not social norms. Living a more sustainable life with fewer possessions and with a smaller carbon footprint—and always follow our heart—is something we are passionate about.
It is about freedom and happiness.
Freedom is a deeply rooted core value that we both share and one reason we yearn for a more sustainable and independent lifestyle living off the land. This pursuit of freedom is ultimately about happiness and it is the result of a personal journey we like to call a life reboot.
For years we lived a rather nomadic lifestyle, hiking across the world, but when covid hit we chose New Zealand as our base. While we still love to explore, we are also ready to put down some roots. We want to feel a sense of belonging somewhere, and to contribute, both to the land and to the community. So we decided to follow a long-standing dream of finding a magical place to park up the bus and live off the land. We have always gone our own way and we share a deep desire to integrate into the rhythm of the natural world rather than falling in line and conforming. The homesteading dream brings us one step closer to realising a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle. It brings us one step closer to freedom.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, wow!”
— Hunter S. Thompson
Nothing like a complete burn-out to help you put things into perspective.
My need for a reboot came after years of chronic stress which led to a work burn-out which left me unable to function for over a year. I needed a pause to reflect on how I ended up here and, above all, to ponder all the big questions in life and it forced me to do a lot of soul-searching to find myself again.
The road to recovery was long, but once I cracked the code it happened very fast. It was when I reconnected with nature and started hiking. Coming home from my first long-distance thru-hike I knew that I would never be the same. While I knew that I could never return to my previous way of life I still questioned the sanity of nonconformity.
Can you really just quit conventional life and choose to live differently?
Since walking woke me up I decided to just keep on walking and see where it would take me. Halfway through a 3000km tramp spanning the length of New Zealand, it happened! I finally knew who I was and how I wanted to live my life! The things I once thought I wanted before was no longer important. I could not for the life of me figure out how we allow ourselves to end up trapped in the rat-race. I just wanted to be free and happy!
Coming back from this physical, emotional and mental crash has been an incredible journey. Having my entire body pull on the breaks also made me reevaluate my priorities in life. I feel grateful. Grateful for the awakening and grateful for the chance to take a different path.
Being immersed in nature for long periods of time can heal even the most frazzled minds, like mine. Finding a partner to share this love of nature and adventure with is truly amazing! I feel very fortunate.
The Pursuit Zone (english)
Minimalism pretty much means not to have too much because you actually don’t need it, and if you are like me don’t want it.
So what is stuff?
Stuff is stuff and it doesn’t matter so much what it is, but rather, what purpose does it serve in my life and do I need it or not.
I like keeping things simple so the less stuff I have the more freedom I have. This doesn’t mean I can’t have nice things, it just means I make a thoughtful choice of what I want in my life.
So I really enjoy knowing the stuff I have is really important to me. It brings me joy and serves my daily needs. I love knowing I have everything I need today. I am quite content.
