In a year where many of us spent more time than we ever wanted indoors, it's no surprise thousands of Kiwis are choosing to leave cramped cities and return to the land.
According to homes.co.nz there are now approximately 200,000 lifestyle properties across the country. So there's never been better options to learn how to grow your own food or rural business.
FMG, New Zealand's leading rural insurer has teamed up with Kiwi chef Michael Van de Elzen to bring you a beginner's guide to living on a lifestyle block.
Earlier we covered what you should know before taking the plunge, and now for those who have already arrived on their block, here's what you need to know to get started.
Michael made the move to Muriwai back in 2015 and says you'll probably spend your first week just exploring the new space.
"I felt like I was a little kid again back on the family farm where I was just finding all these little nooks and crannies and interesting trees...It was like I just opened a lolly jar, wow, what flavours have we got in here?"
Once you've soaked up the scenery, it's time to get stuck in. Michael's first bit of advice is to get to know the locals.
"When we first moved to the country we hired a landscape gardener and he essentially mapped out the entire farm and put everything into its place...You have to use a local because they know which plants work and which ones don't, they know the land."
For those wanting to keep animals on their block, Michael says nothing provides peace of mind like a solid fence, which he learned the hard way from a young age.
"I chased a lot of cattle all around the neighbourhood that had escaped from dad's property, he did a pretty good job fencing but ah, there were a few holes in there!"
"Get a professional, with a post driver. You'll pay a bit more, but they'll be there for as long as you are. There's nothing better, there's no better sleep at night knowing that your stock is inside a fence. Knowing they're safe and they're not going to get out."
Aside from getting your fencing sorted, Michael says the other big consideration is water, because no matter what you choose to grow on your block, from cows to cabbage, it's going to be thirsty work.
"One of the most important things is water, making sure you have enough, depending on what you're doing."
"If you lose power, have you got a tank being fed by gravity? The key is capturing water and being able to store water. We've got seven 30,000 litre tanks here. You have to have back ups on backups."
Whatever you're using your lifestyle block for, there's a good chance it'll reward you with more than the satisfaction of a job well done.
According to research by FMG, more than a third of lifestyle block owners surveyed generate a level of income from their block.
Whether it's just a few avocado trees, chickens for free range eggs, or goats to make artisanal feta, Michael says the choices with your land are 'limitless'.
"It's endless. What the land offers you is possibility; it gives you options."
He went a bit bigger with his own block, starting the 'Good from Scratch' cookery school to offer lessons in 'farm to fork' cuisine. Michael says whatever you do, it's important to engage with the locals and make sure your business is meeting some need in the community.
"We didn't just steamroll in and say, 'Alright we're doing this and we're doing that. A big part of us was actually working with our neighbours, working with the people down the road...Getting buy-in from them meant that when we did build it, they felt part of it was there for the community as well as it was for us."
If you're reading this from your own lifestyle block and have more questions, head over to FMG.
This article was created for FMG
