WHAT OFF-GRID LIVING LOOKS LIKE

Off-grid isn’t always easy - it’s mean respecting nature and taking every day as it comes. After nearly 5 years living off-grid, we’ve got some learnings.

Depending on where you've encountered the term, it might conjure a composting toilet that requires a pep talk, solar panels that give out when you plug in a kettle, or water with a flavour best described as adventurous. These assumptions exist because a lot of off-grid accommodation does ask guests to trade comfort for conscience. That's not what we built.

Butterfly Lane is completely off-grid. It is also, genuinely, a comfortable place to stay. Here's what that actually looks like.

The electricity

The tiny home runs on solar power, stored in a battery system on the property. We upgraded the whole setup before we opened — More batteries, a better back-up generator and a modernised system — because we wanted to reduce down time, and not worry too much on those cloudy days.

On most stays, you won't notice any difference to a grid-connected home. The lights, the air conditioning, the fridge — all fine. Where it gets interesting is on the edges. A run of cloudy days will deplete the batteries faster than a sunny week. Running everything at full tilt all day is less ideal than running things sensibly. Being on solar just means being slightly more aware of what you're using — which, honestly, isn't a bad habit regardless of where you're staying.

There's a torch under the stairs in case of a power outage (it's rare). If something does go wrong, we can be on-site within 30 minutes.

The water

Forty metres beneath Mount Chincogan, there's a naturally occurring aquifer, which is where your water comes from.

It gets pumped up, mineralised and filtered, into a large holding tank, then passed through to the property. It goes through more stages to reach the tap than most town water does. Guests mention that it tastes noticeably good — and they're right, it’s delicious, fresh Mountain Water.

It's finite in the short term, the same way any water supply is if you're not thinking about it. The hot water system is on-demand, so give it a minute or two to heat up. Standard stuff.

The toilet

Butterfly Lane has a waterless composting toilet. It works differently from a flush toilet, but the difference in practice is pretty minimal — and once you've used it once, you stop thinking about it.

A bit of help with some sawdust and enzyme spray and the biological system does the rest — no flushing, no water, no smell when used correctly. The main thing to remember is that the composting process is organic, so nothing synthetic goes in: no wet wipes, no sanitary products, nothing like that.

Most guests forget it's different within the first use. A few have mentioned, unprompted, that it made them think about how much water a conventional toilet burns through every day. Both responses feel like a win.

The gas

The stove and hot water system runs on large gas bottles. There are two at the back of the property. If one runs low mid-stay, switching over is easy — the house guide walks you through it step by step, and we're always on the end of a message if something feels unclear.

Why we did it this way

None of these systems exist to make your stay harder. When they first arrived, Chris and Kat built something on land they care about, and wanted to have a relationship with it that wasn't purely extractive (read about our founding story here). The solar means no power lines cutting across the view. The aquifer means the water your shower uses has come directly from the mountain you can see from the bath. The composting toilet means nothing is leaching into ground that has been looked after for a long time.

Butterfly Lane is in Mullumbimby (you can read our local guide here), which sits on Bundjalung Country. The acknowledgement at the front of the house guide isn't boilerplate — it's a genuine recognition that this place has a history that stretches well beyond anything any of us have built on it. Sitting lightly feels like the right response.

Off-grid, at its best, isn't about going without. It's about paying a bit more attention to where things come from — which turns out to be one of the better things about being here.

If you want to come and experience off-grid living for yourself, bookings are open here.