Sage Hearth Homestead

The Real Reality of Renovation: Living in the Paint Chaos! We had to jump straight into the DIY revitalization—but we were already living here! This is the truth of DIY and hard work: painting the walls and ceilings (with multiple coats needed for the chalky old surfaces!) while still navigating boxes and furniture. It was absolute chaos, but totally necessary. We owe a huge debt to Ben’s parents, who came to help Ben tackle the main living rooms while I was working. We still have more rooms to paint, but they helped us get the essential spaces done—enough to create a fresh start. They helped cover everything in that peaceful sage colour—a shade we chose long before naming Sage Hearth! As soon as that paint was dry, it was time to put every last box and piece of borrowed furniture into place. We can handle a lot of outdoor mess, but living in indoor chaos is a real challenge to finding peace.

Meet the Homesteaders: The Heart Behind Sage Hearth Two people, a piece of land, and a shared belief that a life built with your own hands is a life worth living. Casey and Ben. Casey: Rooted in the Land For Casey, the land isn’t a new adventure—it’s a familiar rhythm. Growing up drystock farming taught her early lessons in responsibility, resilience, and the quiet language of animals. Those lessons stayed with her, shaping how she cares for the land and the life it supports. Alongside the homestead, Casey runs Care by KC , a nature-focused approach to wellness that blends simple practices and the steady calm of the outdoors. Being back on the farm is, for her, stepping into a long-paused chapter—one filled with mud, muscle, mistakes, and meaning. Ben: Crafting a Life by Hand Ben’s route to homesteading looks a little different. He didn’t grow up on a farm, but he’s always bee...

Beyond the Hearth: Meeting Our 4 Hectares Every homestead has a moment when the dream expands—when it reaches beyond the cottage walls and into the land waiting quietly beyond. While our first post introduced the cozy cottage that sparked our journey, the true work of Sage Hearth lies just past the doorstep—across 4 hectares of rolling paddocks and pockets of native bush. This is our slice of New Zealand: green, full of promise… and full of fencing that needs doing (as Ben will happily confirm after a long day out fencing). Why We Chose This Land We didn’t choose Sage Hearth just for the charm of the old cottage. We chose it for the possibility woven through these paddocks—the chance to build a self-sufficient life shaped by nature, intention, and the simple work of our own hands. From these fields, we hope to eventually grow: Fruit and vegetables Herbs...

The Beginning of Sage Hearth Homestead The story of Sage Hearth begins quietly—inside a 100-year-old cottage captured in a set of listing photos that tugged at our hearts before we ever stepped foot inside. It wasn’t just a building; it felt like a doorway to a life we’d been inching toward for years. And when we finally walked through the door, that feeling deepened instantly. For Ben, the age and charm of the home echoed the house he grew up in—built in the same era, carrying the same character, the same gentle wear of time. For Casey, it was the wooden floors warm underfoot, the sunlight drifting softly through the windows, and the unmistakable freshness of country air that felt exactly like the old farmhouse of her childhood. Different memories, same knowing: this place felt like home. A Cottage With a Story Long before it became our home, this cottage lived other lives. Once the local Bushman’s Camp and later the Mes...

Welcome to Sage Hearth A journey of revitalisation, craft, and slow, intentional living. Sage Hearth is more than four hectares of land—it’s our slow work toward self-sufficiency, peace, and the kind of life shaped by hands and seasons. Here we are learning to blend nature-focused wellness, practical craft, and the steady, honest labour of making things ourselves. The Hearth Story Our mission began with a 100-year-old cottage that has already lived many lives. Once part of the local Bushman’s Camp and later the Mess Hall for the Totara Timber Co., this house has long been a place of community, work, and shelter. Today we are pouring patient energy into a DIY revitalisation—slow, cost-conscious, and deeply rewarding. Every thoughtful repair and gentle upgrade is done with respect for the cottage’s character and with an eye toward the life we want to build here. The cottage,...