NEW BUILD: Delhi Village resident Richard Thompson with his family's nearly-completed home.
NEW BUILD: Delhi Village resident Richard Thompson with his family's nearly-completed home.
Delhi Village is a peaceful 13ha parcel of land in upper Aramoho, near the end of Delhi Ave.
Visitors to the community come up a winding drive flanked by mature eucalyptus trees and land in a small valley, with pines and macrocarpas dotted around. A few houses and farm buildings are scattered here and there, including a new house whose owners will be moving in this weekend.
It looks like a typical small farm or lifestyle block, but Delhi Village is something different.
Originally started about six years ago, 10 families are involved with the village, although so far only three families are living there.
John Milnes and his wife Miranda have lived at Delhi Village for four years.
"But whenever we'd had someone pull out, we never have trouble finding anyone else. There's always a lot of interest."
John said there were very few limitations on what people could build at the village. Some families had chosen to move an existing building on to their site, while others had built - or were planning to build - a purpose-built house.
"The only real requirement is that every house has a composting toilet, and that their design isn't too disruptive to the neighbours."
Decisions for the community as a whole are made by consensus, usually at the Delhi Village monthly meeting. Regular working bees are also held.
"The good thing about doing things by consensus is that everyone has a good say about an issue. Most people seem to be happy with the decisions that are made," John said.
Community is key to Delhi Village.
"My personal opinion is that many of society's serious problems are the result of people not knowing their neighbours anymore. We don't have communities like we used to. People are too busy to say hello to each other," John said.
However, the individual space was a "nod to the nuclear family".
"It gives people the space to do what they want while still being part of a community."
John said the neighbours were initially suspicious of the community when they arrived.
"I think most of them thought we were weird hippies. But they're okay with us now." The land is cleared farm land, and the community has plans that includes gardens, forestry, orchards, and farming - as much of it organic as possible.
John likes the idea of having cows to milk, but the land is unsuitable for cattle.
"It is quite boggy and heavy here, and cows would just turn up the land. So we'll have to make do with sheep."
A huge amount of work was involved to get the land prepared for the houses, such as putting in the driveway, reticulating the bore and putting in the greywater system.
John said many of the Delhi Village people knew residents at the Quaker Settlement.
"I'd say they have been a big inspiration for us. They've shown us that a community like ours can be successfully created in Wanganui."
Richard Thompson and his family moved into their house at Delhi Village just this week.
Richard said the house was designed to have a balance of comfort and eco features.
"It's a lovely house, with a lot of light, and it's eco without being extreme."
Wood features in many places throughout the house, giving it a warm feel. The woods used have been locally milled and are woods you don't commonly find used in house building, such as silver wattle, macrocarpa and acacia. The built-in bookcases in the snug, which forms the centre of the house, are made of elm and acacia.
"The house is a showcase for wood. It is a beautiful material to have in a house," Richard said.
Other eco features of the house include the compositing toilet, wool insulation, rammed earth internal walls, solar hot water, and a log fire and wetback.
There are also re-used elements in the house, such as the 25-year-old cast iron sink and the upstairs doors from the old Jubilee Hospital buildings.
Another family are part of community for the sake of their children.
FAMILY FIRST: Ron and Cat Fisher with their children, Lola and Calexico at Gordon Park Scenic Reserve.
Ron Fisher, his wife Cat, and their two young children came to Wanganui from Wellington three years to take up a share of land at Delhi Village.
"We wanted to do it for our kids. It's such a great place to roam around and be free," Ron said.
The family didn't know Wanganui at all, but they love it here. And while they don't yet live at Delhi Village, Ron said moving there was "a journey, not an end point".
"Financially, it's still difficult for us. And we're still deciding what to do about a house - do we want to move a house on to the land, or have our own house built?"
