Most of the lots at Okura have naturally slow grass growth. Ancient Kauri forests removed the minerals from the earth, leaving soils which have low fertility. The mixed pasture species currently present tend to be slow growing ones that can cope with these conditions. In October 2022, grazing cattle were removed and since then we have managed the land by just mowing a couple of times a year.

We suggest that top soil and fertilisers are added to any regrassed lawns you may want around your home and garden. This smaller, manageable area can be mown more regularly - by a robot lawnmower, if you like!

There are a variety of easy options for managing the remaining area or just enjoy its spacious greenery and the peacefulness you love when you're home.

Wide swathes of native plantings are already well established at Okura. The majority of these were planted in 2019 and are now virtually self-sustaining.

The 4 metre tall, 8 metre wide plantings have a base of manuka and cabbage trees. These were chosen for their rapid growth and how they provide shelter and privacy to each Lot. They also provide the ideal nursery environment for the specimen trees like Puriri, Titoki, Rimu and Kowhai which are already in place and growing up through the protective pioneers.

We recommend walking through these plantings twice a year, checking for weeds and creating light wells for the young successional trees. It is your choice if you’d like to do more or want a ‘lock up and leave’ lifestyle.

The size of your garden is up to you. It's your choice to just set up your home and add your hobbies, or to enjoy the project of working more magic on the land - whatever enables your favourite type of play.

We have chosen to put in mulched, low maintenance native plantings around our home. There is an excellent plant nursery just up the road which specialises in natives. It’s amazing the variety of shapes, sizes and leaf forms you can choose from.

We have a couple of raised vege beds, for our herbs and ‘must have’ vegetables, and a small collection of fruit trees.

But if you have green thumbs and love the rewards of soil toil, the long Kerikeri summers and extended growing season will be very enjoyable.

Your house does not have to be a Castle - Okura’s Covenants are written to be inclusive, sensible and achievable.

You can build a modest home with all the benefits of a new build - warmth and low maintenance.

Take advantage of the technology revolution with regard to lighting and electricity, designing a home that is inexpensive to run, easy to heat and able to be opened up in summer to let a cooling breeze through. And there’s never been a better time to consider the resilience of building a solar capable home.

Wide views over gently rolling countryside mean a distant horizon to enjoy from your windows.

Create a haven that your family and friends are drawn to.

At Okura, you will have a lot more space than just your Lot available for you to use - but without the need to look after it.

There is no compulsory involvement in the legacy environmental project apart from the annual fee, which is set at about $20 a week - similar to the cost of a gym membership but in the great outdoors.

Whether you just want to enjoy the additional space from your windows or like to stretch your legs around the 2km of walkways for residents, weaving through the bush-filled valley and beside the Okura Stream - the choice is yours.

And, if time and energy allow, you are welcome to be involved in the stewardship of this wider vision for the area. What better way to build community than through a shared purpose?