Garden
Rebuilding soil on a clay hillside
Six contour swales, three pioneer species, one degraded dairy paddock, and a winter nursery for bana grass. This is the next step in rebuilding soil at Āhuru Mōwai.
23 June 2026
Welcome to HiTech Hippies
We created HiTech Hippies to share our journey of using technology to live a more sustainable life.
Our storyLearn how to use technology to make sustainable living easier.
We've done the research so you don't have to. From solar to syntropic gardens, home automation to rainwater harvesting, we share what's working on our Northland property.
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Swapping small city apartments for rural life on the coast
When we lived in London, we rented an attic flat in West Hampstead that I absolutely loved. It was small but bright and I liked that there were distinct spaces, rather than open plan living. We rarely cooked at home, preferring to eat out or order in. When our friend Ruthie ca...
6 February 2024
Vegetables
Summer garden: update sweet peas, capsicums and baby pumpkins
It always surprises me that while we’re in the height of summer and enjoying blazing sunshine in the day, that come February the mornings are already so dark. I have the privilege of being woken before 6am most mornings by little voices and hands. In the last week I’ve noticed...
5 February 2024
Slow Sundays
Slow Sundays: Activating holiday mode
Most Sundays you’ll find our little whānau at the beach. We’re spoilt for choice in Whangārei Heads. When our little ones wake up before 6am and we’re struggling to open our eyes, sometimes the best way to kick start the day is to get into the Hilux and head for Ocean Beach.
4 February 2024
AI
3 tricks to get more helpful answers from ChatGPT
Mark and I have been using AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard and Midjourney more and more to help us in both our work and personal lives. In our day jobs we create training content for people in the tech industry and AI is a big focus. Things are changing so quickly that we’re less...
2 February 2024
Cocktails
Garden to glass: Bellini with homegrown peaches
Since we planted our tree a few years ago I’ve been looking forward to being able to make a Bellini with homegrown peaches. The Bellini is a delightfully simple cocktail made by combining peach puree with Prosecco. The sweetness from the peaches pairs with light Italian sparkl...
1 February 2024