Could you build your own treehouse?
It’s fair to say that at some point in our lives, most of us have wished we could live in a treehouse.
But for the family behind Te Aka Treehouse in Nelson Creek on the South Island’s West Coast, their passion became a project and then a reality.
They started in 2018 with 23 hectares of land that included a strip of native rainforest and some historic mining tunnels harking back to the days of the gold rush, and built their own off-grid, eco-paradise high in the trees.
They are a creative pair with good practical skills; Dave, 50, originally hails from the United Kingdom and specialises in building skateparks, while Lisa, 51, who was born and raised in the area, works as a high school relief teacher.
It was while on holiday in the United States and staying in a treehouse in Montana that the pair decided to take the plunge and build their own.
“I guess we first saw this idea on TV shows and things we thought, ‘Well, that would be something cool to do.’ When this land came up, we realised this property just had so much potential to do something unique,” says Dave North.
The couple designed the treehouses themselves, then worked with a draughtsperson and an engineer to create a plan that would be accepted by the council. They then took on the challenging build on their own.
“Pretty much just with friends and family helping right the way through,” says Dave.
It was not an easy task.
Dave says the hardest part was “getting the structure up”.
“Not being on the ground makes it pretty tricky. So you can't even serve scaffolding very easily: It’s a bit of a challenge.
“Once the poles are up, getting the first structure attached to the poles, once we got something to work on, that was when it became a building project more than an acrobatic project,” he says.
It’s been something of a drawn-out process, delayed at times by Dave needing to travel away from home for work, sometimes for up to six months at a time.
Due to juggling finances and build resources, the family decided early on that process of creating their treehouses, and their new home, would need to happen gradually.
Early in the build process, they rented elsewhere, then they lived in the treehouse until their new home, also on site, had been built to a stage they could move in there.
Then, they completed building the second treehouse so they could welcome guests, and now, they’re finally finished with their own home.
If you feel tired after just reading all this, imagine how they’ve felt executing it. Overall, the build of the treehouses has taken four years, opening to the public just before last Christmas.
If the saying rings true, the proof’s in the pudding.
Lisa says the family have had their share of lows in the process. But their time living in the treehouse was “fantastic” and it’s now time to “take a step back” and appreciate what they’ve achieved.
“We know we've done something right for people's well-being, because people say they just honestly feel so relaxed when they get in there. And we’re looking after the forest.”
“The feedback from them has been pretty amazing. So that’s what makes us happy, to know that we're giving something to people and to share what we love.
“I did like it though when you woke up in the morning and if you stood up in bed, you could just look across the gully and see at eye level, birds flying up the valley,” says Lisa.
The family have been running both a “critter control” programme, trapping rats, and a wasp control programme. It’s all part of combining their passion for the forest with their passion for sustainability.
“I was born on the West Coast, but I know this is a pretty special property,” says Lisa.
“And I think what's kept us going is we know it's for the future. It’s for our children and their children and to preserve something on the Coast.
“We feel like we're here to protect it for future generations.”
The main treehouse has a bathroom, kitchen and large deck, while the second treehouse has a double bed with a single bunk above.
In total, the treehouses can sleep five people, but North suggests that at full occupancy, it’s best suited to two couples and an older child.
The treehouses are rented together as one unit, and although they are five metres apart, are connected and accessible via a pathway at their rear.
Entirely off-grid, solar power and water is connected to the treehouse from the main residence.
Located 35 minutes drive from Greymouth, the Norths assure there’s plenty to do in the Nelson Creek area.
Whether you want to go on one of the area's many walks, take a family tour of the gold mining caves on the property that date back to the 1880s, or simply sit on the deck as they once did to enjoy the peace of the forest.
Staying at Te Aka Treehouse is $500 per night, with a minimum two-night stay.