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George Clarke’s Homes in the Wild US Season 1 Episode 4
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FunTranscript
00:00From the windswept cliffs of Australia's coastline to the ancient silence of the New Zealand bush.
00:11That is without any shadow of a doubt. One of the most amazing journeys I've ever been on.
00:19I'll venture to places where the landscape still calls the shots.
00:24Every decision is shaped by the elements and the isolation.
00:36Look how beautiful this is. That is unbelievable.
00:42What I've discovered isn't just clever design. It's passion.
00:48This is a healing house. It's like our marriage.
00:52It's creativity. Looks like some alien ship that's landed from outer space.
01:00And it's survival. On an island that doesn't have a corner store, you can't just shoot down and get a little side of something.
01:08Because out here, you meet a different kind of person.
01:14Friend or foe? Definitely friend.
01:18Daring. I want Pat's house. I want her house, I want her shower, and I want her bathtub.
01:24Innovative.
01:28And deeply connected to the land they live on.
01:32My grandfather must have really loved my grandmother to have built a room like this for her.
01:40Should we move on? Because we're going to cry.
01:42Join me, George Clark, and together we'll discover some of New Zealand and Australia's wildest halls.
01:53Today's journey begins one hour north of Auckland, in the coastal town of Sandspit.
02:17But it's time to say goodbye to the car, because where I'm going, there's no roads.
02:27Carwo Island was formerly the home of one of New Zealand's first governors, Sir George Grey.
02:35These days, it's a hot spot for weekend sailors and curious day trippers.
02:41With a commute time of just 20 minutes from the mainland.
02:45And yet, despite being so close, it feels wonderfully remote.
03:02But for its full-time residents, this isolation presents a few challenges.
03:08The ocean is their only road in, out, or even around the island.
03:17There are no convenience stores, no connecting roads.
03:22And who knows who your closest neighbour might be?
03:26My first port of call is in the bustling Bonacord Harbour.
03:41I'm on my way to see my good friend and fellow architect, Ken Crossham,
03:45and a house he's designed to withstand the elements.
03:49Ken, how are you doing mate?
03:54George.
03:55How are you?
03:56Good to see you.
03:57Welcome back to NZ.
03:59It's been a while, how are you?
04:00Been a while, really good, how are you?
04:01I'm fantastic and all the better for being here.
04:04Look at that, it's absolutely stunning.
04:06It's great isn't it?
04:07Welcome to island life.
04:09Come on mate, let's have a look.
04:13I've known Ken for years, and I've been delighted by his buildings.
04:19So I can't wait to see his take on the holiday haul.
04:23What Kiwis call a batch.
04:28Come across the game thing, George.
04:29No, that's one way to get to your house.
04:32Time for.
04:36I wouldn't like to walk across that after five days.
04:39I'll be straight in the water.
04:44At the end of this course walk, the beach house Ken designed
04:47is hiding in plain sight.
04:58So Ken, this is it.
05:00It's very unusual.
05:02What's unusual matter?
05:04George?
05:05Well it's very much a closed shop.
05:08Well, it's a very elemental little boat shed.
05:11You know, the idea was we're sitting here on the water, on a jetty, with a ramp up to a boat shed.
05:18Beautiful. I love that.
05:20Why is it all closed off?
05:22It's a pretty brutal environment here, so we wanted to protect it from the elements.
05:26Does it get battered?
05:28It gets hugely battered.
05:29You know, this faces the sea, and even though it's a pretty sheltered bay, it gets big storms in here.
05:35You look at some of your other buildings, you do like them to be kind of folded up.
05:38We do a lot of coastal work, and so a lot of the projects kind of are holiday houses.
05:44If we can close them up, it protects them.
05:47That just gives security on every level, doesn't it?
05:50It does. You could be an architect.
05:54Can we open her up?
05:56Come on, let's do it.
05:57Ken, that is outstanding.
06:15Opening these doors doesn't just show off Ken's amazing veranda with its beautiful bay view.
06:21It also gives the first glimpse of an unexpectedly inviting interior.
06:33It's fantastic. Beautifully done.
06:37It's kind of like a pineapple. You know, it's kind of juicy and warm and luscious on the inside.
06:43I like that.
06:44And a bit crusty on the outside.
06:45I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe a building as a pineapple.
06:48Juicy on the inside and hard and protective on the outside.
06:52Shall we go inside and have a look?
06:53Yeah, let's have a look.
06:59So, shall we start living room?
07:05Oh, Ken, that is really beautiful.
07:10This three-bedroom, two-bathroom batch is so tranquil and perfect for a holiday retreat.
07:19It is very warm and very cosy, isn't it, in terms of the colour and the palette of materials.
07:27The outside is that translucent industrial sheeting.
07:31And then you come in here and it's all very cosy.
07:34This place is used in the wintertime, and so this is that more closed down space.
07:41So you've intentionally made this a little bit more intimate.
07:45And tighter at this end.
07:47Do you know what? I hadn't noticed that.
07:48No, you've literally shifted the stairs and the hallway to be at a slight angle.
07:55Yeah.
07:56So the living room is wider at that end, but really narrow at this end.
07:59And it's quite nice, cos when you stand here, it kind of compresses that view.
08:03It really, really frames it, doesn't it?
08:05It's amazing what a diagonal does in a plan.
08:07You know, it actually becomes so dynamic.
08:09You open up this end and you actually close down that end.
08:13Oh, I see.
08:15What a difference in the kitchen.
08:17It's the opposite, isn't it?
08:18It's literally the opposite.
08:20At that end, it opens up, but here it gets tighter, narrower, narrower,
08:25which makes the kitchen very efficient.
08:27Really, really functional.
08:28Tucked back.
08:30And so it's easy.
08:31Grab something.
08:32Got obviously the fridges and freezers in here.
08:34And what's great, Ken, is when I'm even looking at all the details of it,
08:38there's just no fuss at all.
08:41There's no decoration.
08:42You know, there's no skirting boards.
08:44There's no linings.
08:45But that's the thing, you know.
08:47Keep it simple.
08:48Keep it basic.
08:50Ken's simple design shines through.
08:53And the result speaks for itself.
08:57But he has made one choice that baffles me.
09:01You've got a sheet of corrugated metal right outside the window.
09:05You can't see anything.
09:07So that's part of the shuttering.
09:09The whole house closes down, just like the doors at the front,
09:12just to protect it.
09:13Hang on, let's have a look.
09:14How does that work?
09:15Simple slider.
09:16A gentle push on the shutter.
09:18And it's guest aid.
09:20There you go.
09:21Little gas struts.
09:22That's beautiful.
09:23When you come into the central space, it is like being in a barn.
09:24And I mean that in the nicest way.
09:25Well, that's, yeah, I take that as a compliment.
09:26It's beautiful.
09:27The detailing is kind of agricultural.
09:28It's very, very simple.
09:29We express the brackets, the bolts, the screws, and, you know, you see the slider.
09:32So that's a door.
09:33So you've got complete flexibility to close spaces off.
09:35I mean it is like closing a barn door.
09:36It just happens to be a beautiful polycarbonate one.
09:37But you can't see through.
09:38Look at the light through that.
09:39Yeah.
09:40It's not prissy or kind of refined.
09:41Yeah, you can see all the brackets.
09:42Agricultural beauty.
09:43It's not prissy or kind of refined.
09:44Yeah, you can see all the brackets.
09:45Agricultural beauty.
09:46It's beautiful.
09:47It's very, very simple.
09:48It's very, very simple.
09:49It's very, very simple.
09:50It's very, very simple.
09:51It's very simple.
09:52We express the brackets, the bolts, the screws, and, you know, you see the slider.
09:53So that's a door.
09:54So you've got complete flexibility to close spaces off.
09:55I mean it is like closing a barn door.
09:58It just happens to be a beautiful polycarbonate one.
10:00But you can't see through.
10:01Look at the light through that.
10:02Yeah.
10:03It's not prissy or kind of refined.
10:04Yeah, you can see all the brackets.
10:05Agricultural beauty, that is.
10:06And, you know, the volume in here.
10:07Kind of get this feeling of height and space.
10:08And, you know, what that does to the spirit is kind of nice.
10:09And so we wanted to reinforce that by creating a grating that you walked through and under.
10:23So you get all the light coming through the slats on the landing and through the balcony and everything.
10:40It's really difficult to get something that beautiful and looking that simple.
10:46I mean even the treads on the staircase are just really, really simple.
10:51And if it's simple, we know.
10:54It's not simple.
10:55It's really difficult.
10:58Ken's Barnhouse inspiration also extends to ventilation.
11:07I've noticed you've got these tiny little pop-up openings on the first floor.
11:11Standing here you can feel the draft.
11:13So, you know, what we've got is we've got openings through so that the hot air is exhausted.
11:18And there's a constant draft in the summertime.
11:24You've got Japanese minimalism.
11:26Then you've got the boathouse inspiration.
11:28And then you've got an agricultural barn.
11:31I don't know how you've managed to bring all of those beautiful themes together into one house and make it look so coherent.
11:38Do you want to come up and see it?
11:39Yeah, let's do it.
11:40I just love it.
11:45The simple gaps that you go through just lets all the light filter through.
11:48It feels lighter and lighter.
11:50The space above the living room runs the same diagonal and is split into two.
12:00The room at the back has bunk beds for the kids.
12:05While the cozy front bedroom provides access to the view.
12:10The master bedroom gets the same wide aspect as the kitchen below.
12:20As well as an ensuite.
12:24And in the back of the house we've got the utilities.
12:27So on this level we've got this bathroom and on the bottom level we've got a bathroom as well.
12:31All the pipe work, drainage, the lot, that side of the house.
12:34That's it.
12:35And then all of this becomes free.
12:37Yeah.
12:38I just love the shape of the windows.
12:41Beautiful landscape, panoramic.
12:46That's not bad, Ken.
12:49And you just kind of hover out here when you're part of the bay.
12:53If you get bored looking at this view, and I can't imagine how, there's a whole separate area out back for hosting barbecues, having a spa and just relaxing.
13:08I could spend all night in Ken's incredible house.
13:12And I'm going to have to, because the tide's gone out and we're stuck here until it comes back in.
13:24Trust me, I'm not complaining one bit.
13:30Ken.
13:32Beautiful house.
13:33But with an island built, you've got to really think about everything.
13:37Yeah, it's way more complex.
13:38Because everything comes over on a barge or a boat.
13:42You can't just pick up, you know, a box of nails.
13:45Because, or another sheet of ply or something.
13:49So, you know, it's really, really important to be thinking about what you're putting into the house and how it's actually put together.
13:55It pains me to even ask you this question.
13:58Does it become more expensive?
14:00It is more expensive to build on an island.
14:02The logistics of getting barges for a start, getting boats across.
14:07And also if the labour force is on the mainland and having to come across each day.
14:12So yes, no, it's more expensive for sure.
14:14And what about power, water?
14:16Yeah, so they're self-contained.
14:18You have to collect and rain harvest on site.
14:21Sustainability is really, really important.
14:23We're trying to keep the carbon footprint down.
14:25And we're thinking about issues of durability.
14:28It's a very corrosive environment.
14:31Maintenance, it's hard to maintain.
14:33So what are the materials that actually kind of suit this position?
14:38And as an architect, what gives you the most joy and pleasure about building a home in the wild on an island?
14:52Well, I have to say this site, but it's pretty good, George.
14:55I'll drink to that.
14:56Cheers, man.
14:57Cheers, buddy.
14:58So good to see you.
14:59Nice to see you.
15:00It's been an absolute pleasure.
15:02Ken's given me a warm welcome to Carwall.
15:05I can't wait to see what else this rugged island has to offer.
15:10With the abundance of boats moored around Carwall Island, it really does feel like a holiday hotspot.
15:27But for a small group of people, Bonacord Harbour isn't just a getaway.
15:33It's home.
15:35And it's not only the heart of the island, it's the heart of the action.
15:42Now, there might not be any cars on this island, but thankfully, there is one pub.
15:49This is the Carwall Boating Club.
15:52A community-owned institution that provides the essential for its 700 members all year round.
16:00From diesel to laundry, and in the fairer seasons, beers.
16:06At the helm of this island lifeline is local legend, Dan.
16:11Hey, George.
16:12Dan, very nice to meet you.
16:13Do we hug it out or not?
16:14Yeah, mate.
16:15We do.
16:16Oh, I love that.
16:17You have a hug already.
16:18Well, welcome to Carwall Boating Club.
16:19Do you know what?
16:20Thanks for having me.
16:21It's beautiful, but I'll tell you what, it's busy.
16:22Unbelievably busy.
16:23Look at the size of that queue, which is kind of understandable when you're the only pub.
16:29What's it like working here and being part of this community?
16:32Oh, great.
16:33Like, we get all the boaties in.
16:34People come from, like, kayaks, small rowboats to 200-foot super yachts.
16:39And everyone's just here to enjoy themselves.
16:41It's great.
16:42And there's no doubt about it.
16:43You can tell that this is the heart of the community, isn't it?
16:46I mean, the food looks amazing.
16:47The beers look amazing.
16:48Everything's great.
16:50What are the people like?
16:51I mean, because it's quite an isolated place.
16:53I'm assuming that might reflect on the people that live here.
16:56Yeah, we've got all sorts here, mate.
16:58You have to be a little bit different to live here full time.
17:01This is about 70 to 80 people that live here, and it can fluctuate to about 5,000 during summertime.
17:09And with numbers like that, all waiting for a cool brew, I'm more than happy to jump the queue.
17:16Now, I'll grab a handle.
17:18Sawmill Pilsner is a beautiful local beer.
17:20I love a Pilsner, mate.
17:22How's that for a port?
17:24That is a beautiful port.
17:25Is that all right?
17:26If you ever need a job, you know where to come.
17:28Mate, I'll tell you what, I would happily work here, mate.
17:31Cheers.
17:32Mate, I'll see you here.
17:33Honestly, I work here for free.
17:36Rather than holding up the line any longer, I thought it best to take in the atmosphere alongside some more of the island's full-time residents.
17:46So do you live on the island permanently?
17:48Yes.
17:49What's it like?
17:50It's relaxed.
17:51Beautiful.
17:52Very quiet.
17:53Very quiet.
17:54Well, it's not so much today.
17:55But that's the thing, right?
17:56The people that come here, they're all on holidays.
17:58That's such a good vibe.
17:59Can you imagine this would be like a multi-multi-multi-millionaire's island?
18:03No.
18:04It's kind of not.
18:05There's people from all different backgrounds.
18:07And I think that's what makes it so special as well.
18:10How does it add to the quality of life not having cars and roads and lorries and trucks everywhere?
18:16Zero visual pollution, zero audio pollution, zero pollution pollution.
18:21Zero anything pollution from the sounds of it.
18:24Yeah.
18:25Zero stress.
18:26Yeah.
18:27And one way the islanders avoid and wanted pollution and stress.
18:32Lovely to see it.
18:34Is by making the most of the hard-working mail-bought.
18:40Which doubles as a passenger ferry and triples as a grocery delivery service.
18:48Which explains how I managed to hitch a ride to my next Cowowo Island homeowner.
18:58And local woodturner, Gavin.
19:03Gavin.
19:04George.
19:05Very nice to meet you, sir.
19:06Well, you're working before you even get here.
19:07Yeah.
19:08I've got you a lot of stuff, mate.
19:10This is the groceries.
19:11Everything you need?
19:12Yeah, mate.
19:13Where are we heading?
19:14Uh, there's a place right there.
19:16That's your house up there?
19:17Yeah, mate.
19:20What a spot.
19:22But how on earth do we get all of this up there?
19:26Well, come on over.
19:27I'll show you.
19:28Okay.
19:29Grab a box.
19:30Okay.
19:31What a location.
19:34I haven't even seen your house.
19:37And I'm jealous already.
19:39Oh, shit!
19:40Um, Gavin, you're not supposed to drop it all.
19:45Yeah.
19:46Yeah, I think my wife might have something to say about that.
19:50Thankfully, there's a safer pair of hands, or rather rails, to take these boxes the rest of the way.
19:59This is the winch, my friend.
20:01Crikey!
20:02You've got an entire winch, and you've built the whole structure to get anything you need up the hill.
20:08The whole house went up there.
20:09You're joking!
20:10Obviously, the barge comes in and offloads all the packets of timber on the wharf, but then you've got to get it from here up to there.
20:19Hang on a minute.
20:20The whole house?
20:21Every single piece of timber?
20:22Yep.
20:23Every nail, every screw?
20:24Yep.
20:25On that?
20:26That's the roofing iron.
20:27We flew the roofing iron up, because the poor builder says we can do everything, but please don't make us take like 11 meter long roofing iron up there without bending it or twisting it.
20:37But everything else went up here.
20:39It was the best thing we've ever done.
20:41With many of the island's homes built on this type of dramatic coastline, I can't imagine this is an issue for just Ruth and Gavin.
20:55It's good that they've got that winch.
20:57It's good that they've got that winch.
20:58I would not like to carry stuff all the way up here.
21:02But as a hard-won reward, oof, I get to stand by and watch the winch do the heavy lifting.
21:10There she comes.
21:11That's brilliant, that.
21:12It boggles the mind to imagine how many times this homemade winch would have travelled up and down to haul a horn worth of equipment to this height.
21:29It's not a bad life.
21:39Gavin came into possession of this precarious cliffside site through his wife, Ruth, whose family have had a love affair with Carwall Island for generations.
21:50The family bought this piece of land, leaving it largely undeveloped as a place to both camp and enjoy nature.
22:00I think they originally planned to maybe retire here.
22:03It didn't quite happen, so it actually just stayed as an empty bush section.
22:06So I guess when Ruth and myself were kind of looking around thinking about, you know, where could we build a house or buy land and stuff, we kind of went, oh, we could actually come to the islands.
22:16It's beautiful, mate.
22:17You like it?
22:18Really, really beautiful.
22:22This two-story, three-bedroom home rises gently from its surroundings.
22:29Beautifully positioned and full of character, it somehow doesn't shout for attention.
22:37A lot of timber.
22:38Everything about the house is basically wood.
22:40The house is actually called to print, which is Welsh for the wooden house.
22:44And why a Welsh name?
22:46Ruth's grandma was actually a Welsh lady.
22:48It seems like the logical step for us.
22:50I love the fact that you've picked a Welsh name to name your house in New Zealand.
22:56And why the big sloping roof in that direction?
22:58It took us ages to figure it out, but mid-summer, it'll keep the sun right out of the house entirely.
23:04But then, of course, in wintertime, the sun can actually shine all the way through the house.
23:08Brilliant.
23:09You spend five years building on paper, you know.
23:12Is that what you did?
23:13Yeah.
23:14I love making stuff.
23:15I love designing stuff.
23:16My wife, Ruth, she's got heaps of cool ideas as well.
23:18So it's time to figure out where to actually put the house, because it's quite a big section.
23:23Yeah, we actually came and stayed in tents here.
23:26Kind of a little bit shy about cutting stuff down to go, oops, oops, that wasn't the right spot.
23:30Let's go somewhere else.
23:32We're totally off-grid.
23:34Totally off-grid?
23:35Yep.
23:36Solar panels for electricity.
23:37Only water we get is caught on the roof.
23:40If you can be off-grid, absolutely do it.
23:43And come on, with this weather.
23:44Yeah.
23:48With such thought outside, I can't wait to see what's being done inside this wooden wonderland.
24:03Come on in, George.
24:04Oh, man, that's beautiful.
24:10You like that?
24:11I absolutely love it.
24:12And as I kind of expected, a lot of timber.
24:16Yeah.
24:17A lot.
24:18You've had fun in here, haven't you?
24:19Yep.
24:20I mean, I can see why you put the kitchen in that position.
24:23Yep.
24:24It's prime spot, isn't it?
24:25We do enjoy some food, so it's something which we really want to have as part of the house,
24:29not as a separate box hiding over there.
24:32Absolutely.
24:33Let's have a closer look at your handiwork.
24:35I love the kitchen doors.
24:37They're beautiful.
24:38You've got the odd handle, but most of it is handle-free with that gorgeous detail that
24:44you've put in there.
24:45That's stunning, that.
24:46And then talk me through this, because it's very different to what you've made on this
24:50side.
24:51I'm glad you noticed, mate.
24:52This is actually the original table the builders made.
24:55It's always been here, and it's just so hard to get rid of it.
24:58It's lovely.
24:59It's kind of literally a cover sheet of plywood.
25:01That's quite a beautiful story, the fact that that table helped build the house.
25:05Exactly.
25:06And I'll take your island unit.
25:07Every cabinet and surface speaks to Gavin's skill and love of timber.
25:18And beyond the windows, the landscape feels like an extension of that same care and craft.
25:24Look at that for you.
25:27This is where I eat breakfast every morning.
25:29Do you?
25:30I am jealous as hell.
25:32What do you eat for breakfast?
25:33Well, to be honest, in that position, I'll eat absolutely anything, and I'll be happy.
25:38Shall we have a look at the rest of the house?
25:41Yeah, come on.
25:42Come on.
25:43After you.
25:45It's been a Herculean effort building this home on a hill.
25:50Hauling up fixtures like this giant bathtub, or this stove.
25:58How on earth did you get that up here?
26:00Did you use the winch?
26:01Of course.
26:02Of course.
26:03Standard.
26:04Stripped everything off it that we could possibly, all the doors, all the wings, all the backing,
26:08all the plates.
26:09And you being a woodturner, I mean, that is the perfect light shed.
26:14Well, you know how we make lampshades like that?
26:16Go on.
26:17You make a bowl.
26:18Yeah.
26:19Then you kind of go a bit deep.
26:21You're kind of making a bit of a hole in the bottom.
26:23Oh, wait, it's actually through making a mini-mistake.
26:25It's a little mini-mistake.
26:26I didn't realise that.
26:29That is brilliant.
26:31Yeah, so I now actually make lampshades on purpose.
26:34Yeah, I mean, that definitely looks like there's a bit of perfection in that one.
26:37Gavin has a whole room dedicated to showcasing his perfection.
26:46Oh, mate.
26:48That is stunningly beautiful.
26:53And this is what keeps me busy.
26:56That's a lot of your life right there, isn't it?
27:01That's your passion and love, that.
27:02There's quite a few hours in each bowl.
27:04I mean, the variation and the look and the different timbers that you've used.
27:08I mean, it looks like a shop.
27:10It is my shop.
27:11I get that, but you're in such a remote location, right?
27:14You haven't got much pass and trade.
27:16Yeah, no.
27:17There's no people just wandering by and coming into your shop to buy a bowl.
27:20I always feel privileged when people do make the effort to actually come and see my stuff in person.
27:25And do you make them all here?
27:26Yeah.
27:27I've got a lovely workshop downstairs.
27:29Let's go.
27:30You want to see us?
27:31Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
27:32Now, I love a good workshop or shed, but Gavin's is something else.
27:39Oh, mate.
27:41How's that for a wood life?
27:42Oh, hang on.
27:43Before I even get to the wood life, look at this.
27:46I mean, this is...
27:47Have you, like, set this up for me today?
27:49Did you put extra shavings on the floor to make it look even cooler?
27:52No, this is...
27:53Is this what it's like all the time?
27:54This is weeks of shavings.
27:55I'm just going to shake your hand for one of the best workshops I've ever seen in my life.
27:58Come on.
27:59This is, like, carpentry heaven.
28:02Where does it all start?
28:04Honestly, I started woodturning as a bit of a de-stress for my day job.
28:08Do something where I can start with a rough piece of wood and end up with a beautiful little bowl in one session is a great de-stress.
28:18Gavin will spend up to a month crafting a ball, with up to five on the gore at a time.
28:25Throw that on.
28:26Proper, proper, proper.
28:28I'd happily spend a month in this workshop, but I'll have to settle for a quick spin.
28:37Just make sure you've got that.
28:39I am that way.
28:40Yep.
28:41And make sure you've got contact on your to-rest first.
28:43You're just skimming the edge, you're not pushing it.
28:47Beautiful, mate.
28:48You look like a pro.
28:49No way.
28:50I think you're just being nice because the camera's on.
28:52I am being nice, but yeah, it's looking good too.
28:54I am being nice.
28:55Look at that.
28:56I'm even decorating myself.
28:58You've got the visor on me.
28:59Yeah, I know that.
29:00That was my gag.
29:01Oh, sorry.
29:02This timber treasure is a testament to Gavin and Ruth's vision and persistence.
29:19By going off road and off grid, they've turned a family inheritance into the home of their dreams.
29:27And they're not the only ones.
29:32Gavin wants me to meet his neighbours who I've been told are quite an interesting couple.
29:37And we've got an interesting project.
29:40Hello.
29:41Are you Simon?
29:42Yes.
29:43Simon, nice to meet you, mate.
29:44How are you?
29:45Good, thank you.
29:46Yes, because there's a lot of hills around here.
29:47Yes.
29:48And I'm a bit knackered.
29:49No worries.
29:50Well, hop aboard.
29:51Can I jump in?
29:52It's going up.
29:53Thanks, sir.
29:54Lovely to meet you.
29:57This gravel driveway is as close to a road as you can get on Carwall Island.
30:03Beautiful, isn't it?
30:04It certainly is.
30:05Oh, it's gorgeous.
30:07Oh, look, that's a wide turn.
30:28But it took 60 years before Simon took on the challenge of building on this difficult terrain.
30:34A challenge which demanded an unconventional solution.
30:46We're here.
30:47Oh, darling.
30:48Hello, hello, hello.
30:49Hello.
30:50Are you a hugger?
30:51I'm definitely a hugger.
30:52Definitely a hugger.
30:53This is incredible.
30:56Did you build it?
30:57Yes.
30:58We built this 10 years ago and put most of the work in ourselves.
31:02So why a yurt of all the structures?
31:05One of the reasons is simplicity.
31:07Yeah.
31:08It's a simple structure.
31:09It was simple to build.
31:10Also cost.
31:11It's very expensive building on an island, shipping materials here.
31:14But there's something magical about them, I think.
31:16I mean, they're kind of steeped in history.
31:18They've been used for nomads who would put up their beautiful tent or their yurt and then move on to another place.
31:24Well, this one certainly isn't like the old Mongolian ones, which cramped, dark and smell of sheep.
31:37What location?
31:38My word.
31:39It's absolutely fantastic.
31:41And I haven't even seen the inside yet.
31:43Come on in.
31:44Welcome, George.
31:45After you.
31:46Looking forward to this.
31:47I don't know quite what to expect.
31:49Oh, my word.
31:53It is one beautiful, stunning open plan space.
31:59There's no need for a grand tour.
32:01Everything is on display.
32:04And their quirky personalities and non-force practicality immediately shine through.
32:13It's a perfectly considered interior layout with a welcoming warmth at the centre.
32:23The centrepiece really is open in the Vedic architecture.
32:26The idea of the sacred space, of the home being open to the cosmos.
32:30And it's really acoustically powerful in there.
32:33There's no hiding, though, is there?
32:35No, there isn't.
32:36There isn't.
32:37This is us.
32:38Even the place where one would usually go to hide is unashamedly on display.
32:46At least its proximity from the main dwelling keeps the living space from smelling like the yurts of old.
32:54Not only that, but this glassed-in structure doubles as a greenhouse.
32:59And, of course, there's the support structures, including the solar panels, that power up this canvas palace.
33:10Living in a yurt, what's it like?
33:12It brings a sense of simplicity to life.
33:15You don't want to be too complicated.
33:17You just want to take things easy.
33:19There's always plenty to do up here.
33:24The yurt began as a holiday home, but it proved irresistible.
33:30And after spending Covid lockdown here, they've made it their full-time residence.
33:35I am struck always, there's this feeling of upward energy.
33:40You know, this is a healing house for both of us.
33:43I mean, without getting into a therapy session, I don't want to get too heavy.
33:46If you talk about a healing house, that's a big standard.
33:48I know, I know it is.
33:49So just give me a little hint as to what that means for you.
33:52So, um, it saved our marriage.
33:57It saved your marriage?
33:59Yeah.
34:00Seriously?
34:01Yeah.
34:02I fell apart because I hadn't looked at the trauma from my childhood.
34:04Through the being able to be here and heal, we were brought back closer and closer together.
34:09And for a while there, it didn't look like it may happen, but we did.
34:14I think it's absolutely magic.
34:15I really, really do.
34:18I'm really starting to appreciate how moving into the wild can change your life in ways you'd never imagine.
34:28Now, it's another beautiful day on Cowra Island.
34:41And today, I'm being picked up by Phil, who's known as an island weekender.
34:46Now, I'm off to see his batch, which I'm told is an ode to his childhood holidays.
34:52Well, that boat looks very cute and pretty fast.
35:03Hi, George.
35:04Phil, how are you doing?
35:05Good, yourself?
35:06That is a beautiful boat.
35:09There you go.
35:10Lovely to meet you.
35:11Likewise.
35:12It's an absolute pleasure.
35:13What a gorgeous spot this is.
35:14Isn't it amazing?
35:15So we're going to head to your place?
35:16Yeah.
35:17Let's jump in.
35:22Phil is an architect, and he's taken me to see the house he built for himself and his wife, Suzanne, in North Corve.
35:40Not bad at all.
35:41Yeah, but it's a fairweather boat, so the sea can get pretty rough, and it's not very good on that.
35:45Yeah.
35:46Phil's weekend retreat sits at the far end of the cove, where the tide comes and goes.
35:58Luckily for us, we've timed it perfectly.
36:03That's amazing.
36:04Absolutely beautiful.
36:07Getting a glimpse of Phil's place from sea level, it's impossible not to be intrigued.
36:13And after a thigh-burning climb up the hill...
36:18That's a few steps, mate.
36:20Yeah.
36:2180 steps.
36:2280 steps!
36:23The full scale of its magnificence slowly unfolds.
36:33And then just as you turn, you see your beautiful side elevation.
36:37It just blends with the landscape.
36:39I just love the way that you've got the beautiful verticals of those trees, and then it naturally just flows into the vertical rhythm of the timber cladding you've got on the outside.
36:50And you've gone for different widths, haven't you? Why is that?
36:52Yeah, I have. Oh, it's because the forest is random, so I just wanted to continue that through.
36:57So it sits really well in its environment.
37:00And what timber is it?
37:01Yeah, this is large. It's charred and scrubbed.
37:03And why did you go for a charred and scrubbed litter?
37:07Staining, you lose the grain, but with charring, much nicer texture.
37:13With this level of thought and detail outside, I can't wait to see the interior.
37:20Oh, my words.
37:30Phil's take on the Kiwi Batch is elegant and soothing.
37:36There's not even a separate bedroom.
37:39Only the bathroom gets privacy.
37:41But the tiered layout gives these living spaces room to breathe.
37:47And the nostalgic and comfort and decor celebrates Kiwiana.
37:53That's just stunning. It's just calm. It's beautiful.
37:58It's relaxing. That's the main thing for us.
38:01You've got to work hard to make something look simple yet beautiful.
38:05Yeah.
38:07I love the fact that you stepped it up. Everything's stepped.
38:09Absolutely.
38:10Yeah, it's quite a steep section, but, you know, we work with it.
38:12You know, you don't fight the land.
38:14And you've been able to be up here and have the same view as you do anywhere else in the house.
38:19I just love the fact that it's very simple.
38:23Three distinctive levels where you've got kitchen, upper level, dining, mid-level,
38:28and then your lounge and bedroom on the lower level leading out of the deck.
38:33Yeah, we didn't really want to, you know, cut the space up with walls.
38:36You know, so we used the cabinetry to delineate those spaces.
38:43Plywood, simple shelves where you've got a door, no handles.
38:46You can just pop that open.
38:48Oh, and I love your hob.
38:50That's proper old school.
38:51Yeah.
38:52You like a bit of vintage.
38:53Yeah, I do.
38:54We only bought two new things, the bed and the fridge.
38:56Yeah.
38:57The Kiwi batch was always a place that was constructed out of second-hand materials
39:01and hand-me-downs, you know.
39:07But this door?
39:08This door.
39:09Suzanne found this on the side of the road.
39:10No way!
39:11From a laundry and she rang me and said, quick, get the car quick.
39:14Then we whipped around there and put it in the back and put some varnish on it and there you go.
39:19That's fantastic.
39:20Yeah, absolutely.
39:21Just a little slider.
39:25It's just got everything you need.
39:27You've got your lovely shower, bit of corrugated metal.
39:30Love that.
39:31Sink.
39:32That'll last another hundred years, though.
39:34Absolutely.
39:35Lovely timber cladding on the inside.
39:37Did you do all that?
39:38Did you distress it?
39:39Yes.
39:40Yes, we did.
39:41The colour is original, but we just put the belt sander over it quickly.
39:42I see.
39:43Yeah.
39:44That's come up a treat, hasn't it?
39:45It has.
39:48Phil's made utilising this cosy 12 metre by 7 metre footprint look simple.
39:55But of course, on an island, nothing is simple.
40:00You look at the structure, you think, well, that's really simple.
40:05It's a beautiful, elegant box with a sloping roof on it.
40:08But to build that simple box, you've really got to think about every single material.
40:13Yeah, so we needed to, we're very closely with the builders to decide some of those things.
40:18We've incorporated some bracing elements that were lightweight and easily transported and lifted into place.
40:24Lightweight engineered rafters for the roof.
40:27Because you didn't want really heavy stuff and need a crane.
40:29We did need to get a helicopter on one occasion.
40:32Did you?
40:33I bet that blew the budget.
40:34Yeah, it did.
40:38You got a helicopter?
40:39Yeah.
40:40There's me talking about simplicity and you're like, get the helicopter in.
40:43Why did you need that?
40:44But the thing was, we needed a water tank up the hill.
40:47And when you think about dudes trying to push it up a hill, it looks like ants trying to move.
40:53Something, right?
40:54Yeah.
40:55So, flew that over.
40:56And they also flew over the roofing material and they were able to position it straight on top of the roof.
41:02And if that structure wasn't enough, Phil decided to build some extra accommodation.
41:13But instead of doing a kind of really serious piece of architecture, a solid structure, instead he thought, we're going to build a little timber frame and we're going to build a canvas tent over the top of it.
41:25And this is a space where everybody wants to stay.
41:30I love it.
41:31It just summarises what a batch is all about.
41:34Not over the top, not pretentious, but beautiful, elegant simplicity.
41:39I'll be happy with this.
41:40And if a guest wants a private bath, the sheltered east side of the house delivers in spades.
41:52Now, when Phil had that beautiful old door that said bathroom on it, I thought, hang on a minute.
41:58It's a shower room.
41:59There's no bathroom there.
42:00But it's outside.
42:02Beautifully positioned.
42:04He's even got another shower out here as well.
42:06And look at that for a view.
42:08You're just looking through beautiful forests.
42:15And the really amazing thing, that's not even the best view.
42:20And then look at that.
42:22How good is that?
42:23Can I just move in?
42:24You won't notice me.
42:25I'll just kind of, I'll hide in the corner somewhere.
42:28I've bought myself a few extra hours at Phil's Palace as the tide is starting to go out.
42:39I've just noticed there's starting to be a little bit more mud.
42:42Yep.
42:43Than water.
42:44Does that completely go?
42:45That goes all the way out.
42:46It's really interesting to have the two aspects of it.
42:49When the tide's out and when the tide's in.
42:51You might just be able to walk along there and see your neighbors.
42:53Yeah, we just wander across and they wander across here and play golf out here.
42:57But you play golf out there when the tide's gone out.
43:00Out there.
43:01Absolutely.
43:02You are joking.
43:03No, I'm not.
43:04Golf's not exactly my strong point.
43:07But there's no way I'm going to pass up a chance to play on a course as unique as this.
43:15So, um, there's a slight technical problem.
43:18What's that?
43:20Well, this is a right-handed club.
43:21You only have right-handed clubs.
43:23Yes.
43:24And I am massively left-handed.
43:25Right.
43:26This is my excuse before I even try and hit this ball.
43:29Okay.
43:30There we go.
43:31This could go anywhere.
43:33Oh!
43:34Well done!
43:35They wouldn't let you into the members club.
43:37No.
43:38With that footwear.
43:39No.
43:40Definitely not.
43:42Okay, you ready?
43:43Yep.
43:44No.
43:45No.
43:58No.
43:59Take that, tiger.
44:01Take that, Tiger.
44:07Lawtide isn't just good for a quick round of golf.
44:11It also opens up a path for fellow Carwar Island weekenders
44:16to wander over to Phil and Suzanne's for a drink.
44:21There's two areas around.
44:22It's either here or over there or up there or down there.
44:26It's such a great thing.
44:28People joke about it, right?
44:29But when I'm here, I'm living the dream, plain and simple.
44:34This might sound a little bit heavy,
44:35but what do you think it does for your state of mind,
44:37your health and well-being, being in an island?
44:40I'm ageless. Look at me.
44:42Look, you're 20.
44:44What are you?
44:47Clearly, life on Carwar changes people.
44:51I've seen that all over the island.
44:54But for Phil and Suzanne, it meant something much, much deeper.
44:59So shortly after we completed the build,
45:02Suzanne got a diagnosis with cancer.
45:04And it was a really rugged three years.
45:08She had multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, radiotherapy, lots of complications.
45:15So we would get her here as frequently as we could just to sit in bed here and look at the view.
45:22She had no energy to read a book and she was able to watch the day go by.
45:27It was pretty dire.
45:28If we didn't have this batch, you know, the outcome might have been different, I think.
45:32Yeah, absolutely.
45:32You think so?
45:33Yeah, absolutely.
45:34It's nice to think that in some ways this helped.
45:38Absolutely.
45:39Maybe.
45:40Yeah.
45:40I mean, a holiday home isn't a particularly good financial investment,
45:44but for mental health, it's a lifesaver.
45:46It really is.
45:47It's been an absolute joy to get off the beaten track and discover Cowawar Island.
45:57I've met so many welcoming people who are happy to swap the conveniences of mainland life
46:04for this island's rugged beauty and the gifts the simple life brings.
46:10I've loved my time here and I'll be back.
46:16It's the island life.
46:17It's been a pleasure to meet you.
46:18Island life.
46:20And next time, I'll bring a left-handed golf club.
46:24And next time, I'll bring a right-handed golf club.
46:54I'll bring a right-handed golf club.
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