Building an off-grid cabin in the Coromandel bush is teaching us far more than construction skills. Surrounded by native forest, wildlife, and the daily realities of tent living, every stage of the build requires patience, adaptability, and respect for the environment.

From muddy tracks and changing weather to the sounds of ruru at night and kākā overhead at dawn, the bush shapes every part of the process.

In this post, I share the experience of slowly building our cabin at Shambhala while living closely with nature. It is a story of simplicity, resilience, and learning to work with the rhythms of the bush rather than against them, all while surrounded by the untamed beauty of the Coromandel ranges.