1.     

1. Drone Opener

(Island set up)

2.     

SEXY DRONE SHOTS COAST AND MOUNTAINS //

MUSIC//

GFX PROGRAM TITLE:

GOING OFF-GRID

By Calliste Weitenberg, Benjamin Foley and Micah McGown

3.     

DRONE SHOT CAL CAR DRIVING ALONG ROAD

ADD CAL DRIVING SHOTS IN CAR

This isn’t the image of modern living we’re used to seeing.

On Great Barrier Island, just off the New Zealand mainland, A REMOTE COMMUNITY LIVES ENTIRELY OFF THE GRID.

THESE HOMES ARE NOT CONNECTED TO MAINS OR UTILITIES.

 OUT HERE, ITS ALL ABOUT SELF SUFFICIENCY.

4.     

Off Grid Fest

5.     

MUSIC + NATSOT // MEANING OF THE LAUGH // OUT OF THIN AIR // MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK //TAKING CARE OF BIZNESS// OUCH POTATO

6.     

CAL AT SOLAR STALL

SOLAR STALL CUTAWAYS

09.24.45 SOLAR PANEL

09.24.31 SOLAR PANEL

09.1.43 Woman/  you can go for walks and it will be charging your phone while you walk. 09.13.55 I love that! That’s fantastic.

At the island’s only sports club, I’ve arrived in time for what’s becoming a pretty popular event here.

7.     

CAL PTC AT FESTIVAL

CUTAWAYS OF OFF GRID FEST

08.49.55 TENT STALL

08.5012. SAUSAGE STAND

08.50.37 FESTIVAL SIGN

09.11.27 PTC So twice a year this island runs an off grid festival for a whole week. And pretty much the entire community gets involved. It’s a chance for locals to share tips and for the uninitiated like me to learn all the different off grid scenarios that exist on the island. 09.11.54

8.     

UPSOT ON BIKE Upsot Cal on bike

Man/ These are new zealand designed bikes.

9.     

10.26.50 CAL WALKS INTO WORKSHOP HALL

08.48.27 cal in crowd

08.48,58 crowd mingling

08.49.12 ppl at doorway

08.49.23

Everyone who lives here has found creative ways to grow their food, source water, power their homes and their cars.

08.52.06  EV's are picking up.

(08:51:56): I've had an EV for the last four years//  //sometimes she'd swing into the pub and charge it there!! HAHAH///

08.52.37 petrol is $3.50 a liter here.

Speaker 7 (08:52:39):

So my car paid for itself in the first three years.

 And recently – this is attracting new arrivals.

10.   

VOX POPS WITH TOURISTS

CAL/ So where are you guys from?

German tourist 1 (09:32:08):

I'm from Germany.

UK tourist (09:32:12):

I'm from the UK.

//

John (09:26:11): We sailed from Auckland to Great Barrier.

// the title just said, "Experience sustainable living on a off-grid island." And I was like, "What? That's so cool."

11.   

LET’S OLAY THIS WITH THE OUTSIDE SHOTS YOU HAVE AT THE END 

For years this off grid community has sat at around 900 people.

But since the pandemic hit, the local council estimates its jumped by around 30%.

12.   

CAL CHATS WITH KAT + HUBBY AT SAUSAGE STANDBBQ STAND + SHOTS OF BREAD

Calli (09:08:59): did you make this bread?

Kat (09:09:05):

Made this artist sourdough. Started three? No. Two days ago.

Cal/ Is this something you’ve recently gotten into?  Yep covid19.

13.   

CAL IN SITU WITH KAT + NODDIES /WIDE

Kat (10:03:23): we went into lockdown here in New Zealand and we'd heard about this place. And so we thought we'd come out here to check it out. And then one year on, we're still here.

Calli (10:03:47):

So are you planning on staying long term here?

Kat (10:03:50):

We are. We're trying to find some land to buy actually.// So it's a good place to be right now in the current context of the world. (10:04:03):

14.   

DAY GVS OF MEDLANDS BEACH HOUSES/NEW BUILDS

12.31.34 Medlands beach homes

12.32.37 Shots of new build

12.34.38 “Free range kids” sign

MUSIC BREATH/ TRANSITION

In the last year, Great Barrier Island’s medical centre has registered around 150 new permanent settlers – but the biggest upsurge is holiday makers.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN OFF GRID UTOPIA BECOMES INUNDATED?

16.22.43 I’ve heard this clean green getaway is quickly becoming a victim of its own serene popularity and I’m here to find out why.

15.   

16.24.39 DRIVING SHOTS ALONG BEACH/

NEED A DIFFERENT MUSIC TRACK TO START HERE  +

16.   

Property Tour

17.   

DAY 04 TOURISTS SIGNING IN 06.42.31

CAL GETS ON BUS 06.43.27

 TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT OFF GRID LIVING LOOKS LIKE OUT HERE – THE NEXT DAY - I JOIN A PROPERTY TOUR AS PART OF THE FESTIVAL.

18.   

CAL ON TOUR BUS WITH ATTENDEES/

Calli (06:44:26):

So why are you on this tour today?

Jonno (06:44:29):

Just totally to be nosy. To see what everyone else is up to.

Calli (06:44:31):

What are you hoping to get out of it?

Speaker 5 (06:44:45):

Same thing. Nosy, I suppose

Calli (06:44:48):

A lot of nosy individuals in here today!

John (06:44:52):The best way to learn is to see what people do, and particularly sometimes see what problems they've had. (06:45:05)

19.   

06.51.29 SHOTS DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD + TOURISTS IN BUS

06.52.29 TOURISTS GET OUT OF BUS

06.53.25 TOURISTS WALKING DOWN PATH //

MUSIC + NATSOT //CREAM MACHINE

With the arrival of new settlers, the island is experiencing a housing and construction boom…

…and I’ve heard there have been big changes when it comes to the nature of off grid living here.

20.   

JUDY IN SITU SPEAKING TO TOUR GROUP.

CUTAWAYS OF CAL AND TOURISTS LISTENING //

Judy (06:53:49):

So welcome. This is the area of the Barriers called Windy Hill. And I have been a landowner here since I was 19 years old.

Judy (06:54:23):

so I'm just going to quickly run you through the basics of my power, water, heating, and septic. The grunty bits. Okay. Excellent.

21.   

JUDY WITH GENERATOR //

 Like most homes here, Judy’s place is powered entirely by the sun with battery storage and a generator for back up.

Judy (06:55:27): /// So there's eight, six-volt batteries in there, and I have an 8.6KVA generator.

22.   

JUDY TOUR OUTSIDE

Off grid living looks very different to

Judy (06:57:33):, I've got a solar, hot water system. And then I’ve got eight panels altogether, about 2.7 kilowatts. Now to run a little three-bedroom home and a sleep-out, that's enough.

23.   

06.59.00 TOURISTS ENTER HOUSE + REVEAL EPIC FUCK OFF VIEWS

Designed by an architect, every part of this house is extraordinary.

Judy (07:00:39):

This is the eastern seaboard. You've got Medlands, Kaitoke, Palmers. You've got Hirakimata, which is the highest peak. 07.00.48

Water comes from rainwater tanks and a nearby spring, toilet waste becomes compost, and heat is made the old fashioned way.

24.   

07.04.36 SHOT OF VIEW OCEAN MOUNTAINS

07.01.07 so I've got a wood burner in my little lounge area and I've got a really good, grunty wood stove in my kitchen. 07.01.16

25.   

EXT OF JUDY GUEST HOUSE 07.06.30

BUT JUDY IS ADMITTEDLY WEALTHY. SHE OWNS SEVREAL INVESTMNET PROPERTIES AND HAS SPARED NO EXPENSE.

26.   

GLOSSY SHOTS OF BIG WINDOWS AND BEAUTIFUL FEATURES /

JUDY IN GUEST HOUSE TALKING

Judy (07:07:05): because it's got huge, big poles, because it's massively high off the ground, from the bottom corner to the top is 14 meters of scaffolding. So, actually we choppered it in.

Judy (07:06:32): So you see, you can have really nice off-the-grid places. I think that that whole notion that off-the-grid places used to be a bit rumpty, has long gone.

27.   

JUDY STANDING IV WITH CAL

NODDIES AND REVERSALS OF CAL

Calli (07:13:54):If you don't mind my asking, how much do you think you've invested in this place to date?

Judy (07:13:58):

I don't think I should say. You talking about-

Calli (07:14:07):

Ballpark figure.

Judy (07:14:08):

... A million bucks.

Calli (07:14:08):

Really? A million bucks.

Judy (07:14:10):

Yeah.

28.   

CAL + TOURISTS BACK ON TOUR BUS//

Calli (07:15:59):

So, what did everybody think of that place?

Speaker 16 (07:16:02):

It was beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.

Jonno (07:16:06):

That is not the normal Barrier house.

Speaker 16 (07:16:07):

No, not at all.

//

Calli (07:16:21):

Yeah. What is the standard Great Barrier house?

Jonno (07:16:28):

Probably a little bit smaller. Not as much glass. Most of us have got amazing views, but that place was something else.

Speaker 18 (07:16:53): Yeah it was beautiful…. But very expensive. When she said helicopter in, and when you still got a driveway...

Cal/ So onto the next one.

29.   

07.19.04 VAN DRIVING TO NEXT LOCATION

27 years and a lot of money later, Judy’s created an off grid utopia.

And it’s this luxury new form of off grid living that’s attracting wealthy holiday makers.

30.   

07.22.51 EXTERIORS OF DESiGNER MINIMALIST HOUSE

07.23.33 INTERIOR SHOTS OF GLAM MINIMALIST HOME

NATSOT + MUSIC

31.   

PHILLIP STANDING IV + CAL NODDIES AND REVERSAL Q’S

Calli (07:27:50):

It's extremely stylish for off grid living..

Philip (07:27:53):

I hate the word minimal, but it kind of is.

///

I don't know, people kind of, they think somehow that they can do this, but I think that it would cost you plenty. (07:28:33):

Calli (07:28:33): Do you think this place is representative of most houses on the island, in Great Barrier?

Philip (07:28:38):

Probably not. When people drive down this road, this does sort of stand out. A lot of people really hate it, which is kind of curious.///

07.29.10 but I don't really care.(07:29:14):

32.   

CALLI PTC OUTSIDE HOUSE

+     GVS OF GRITTY LOOKING STREET

Calli PTC (08:30:23):This is a pretty sophisticated form of off-grid living. It makes it look glamorous, green and easy but I have to wonder how attainable this really is for the residents who actually live here full-time.

33.   

Sven trip + rubbish

(reality check)

34.   

DAY 09 GVS OF CLARIS PETROL STATION /”POOR” ISLAND LIFE

MUSIC //GLOCK AND ROLL (NO ZXYLOPHONE) //

Originally settled by Maori explorers and European farmers, the first arrivals to Great Barrier were far from wealthy.

Even today, the island remains the poorest area in the Auckland region.

The average income of those who live here full time is only about $20,000.

35.   

Patrick drive + home visit

(what real off grid living looks like + gentrification problem)

36.   

DAY 09

17.53.16 CAL AND PATRICK LEAVE TIP AND GET IN HIS OLD SHITTY HILARIOUS CAR

17.53.39

NATSOT + MUSIC //

 For these long term locals, off grid living looks very different.

37.   

DAY 09 CAR DRIVE TO PAT’S PLACE

Patrick (17:56:46):Pretty much the new millionaire beach.// Patrick (17:56:52):this one's been being built, and it's only half way there.

Calli (17:57:14):

What do you think of these properties?

Patrick (17:57:17):

Look, personally, I'd rather see it be a farm,

Patrick (17:58:13):

But UM YEAH they're big developments for people that, essentially, probably won't be spending a lot of time here.

38.   

ADD DRIVING SHOTS OF VALLEY HERE

 PATRICK O’SHEA BELONGS TO ONE OF THE BARRIER’S HERITAGE FARMING FAMILIES. THEY’VE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS.

39.   

DAY 09 PATRICK DRIVING UP TO PROPERTY

Patrick (18:04:26): 

Yeah, this is it. This is the area. This is the farm, up here.

Calli (18:04:30):

This is your farm?

Patrick (18:04:30):

Yeah, so this is the top of the Arwina? Valley.

Calli (18:04:35):

All this around us is your land?

Patrick (18:04:36):

Yeah, left and right. That's it. Lots of land. Lots of grass. High water table. And it's still fairly warm, so we're doing well.

The driveway is getting a little wet.

UNLIKE NEW ARRIVALS, PATRICK’S RICH IN LAND, BUT POOR IN INCOME.

There she is.

SO HE’S FOUND A PRETTY UNIQUE WAY TO to build his house.

40.   

Cal and Patrick get out of car + walk towards house

UPSOT

41.   

PAT HOUSE TOUR

Calli (18:18:31):

And is this your place, over here?

Patrick (18:18:33):

Yeah, this is my little setup, over here.

///

Calli (18:18:48):

It looks great.

Built entirely from recycled materials, every part of his house he’s had to wait for others to discard.

Patrick (18:19:00): 18.19.05 solar panels, fricking satellite internet, and lights, and it's good to go.

18.19.23 Cal/ And you’ve got a garden out back. P/ Yeah this is original attempt at a garden.

(18:19:25): This been all spring. And these are yacon, South American sort of [chupa].

SHOWER IN TREE MOMENT:

18.26.58 Like, that's, literally, my shower

Its low carbon living…. and incredibly resourceful…

Calli (18:27:11):

Where does the water come from?

Patrick (18:27:13):

Quickly... Oh, that spout up in the tree, there.

And what’s it hook up to? P/ Gas bottle and a little water pump.

18.28.10 SHOWER IN TREE TURNS ON / Oh my god.

Even his water is sourced by tapping into a nearby creek.

Patrick (18:42:11):Yeah, so our supply comes from like up on the hill. It's out of a little tributary. It's a good kilometer from here, just to get enough fall, to get your pressure. So everything's gravity pressure, no electric pumps, which really helps.

Patrick (18:35:28): So we've got the bath, as you can see, some windows behind you. There's a sink over there.  And, then, eventually, I'm going to pretty much have enough stuff to initiate it... build the bathroom.

42.   

18.06.03 CAL AND PAT GET OUT OF CAR + LOOK AT BUS

For Patrick, living off grid is anything but convenient.

It’s half luck and a lot of patience.

Patrick (18:29:15): That used to be the police car, and then he rolled it.

But it’s also an act of resistance.

HIS DREAM IS TO TURN THIS JUNK/ INTO LOW COST HOUSING FOR LOCALS BEING PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET.

43.   

PAT AND CAL IN FRONT OF OLD RUSTED OUT BUS /

Calli (18:15:52):

So where'd this come from?

Patrick (18:15:54):

Yeah, so someone ended up having to drop this off at the Claris Landfill, so it had pretty much reached its end of life. It was about to go in the scrap, and I had to save it. I had to save it. So it's going to have a whole new lease on life again.

44.   

CAL AND PATRICK IN BUS

CAL/ Can I go inside? Yeah.

Patrick (18:07:54):Yeah, we'll put a bed in there and just a little set of drawers and a little desk there, and someone will happy with that.

Calli (18:08:29):This feels like old-school Great Barrier living, off-grid.

Patrick (18:08:33):Yeah, well, essentially, this is how you did it because you weren't investing in a home. You'd bought your $20,000 property, and you loaded up a bus with everything you thought you needed and started the journey. And as long as you were dry, that was the start of a house for most people.

Calli (18:08:48):I can't imagine many of the newcomers to this island doing this.

Patrick (18:08:56):Yeah, and that is the reality and, somewhat, the sad thing where you're losing a bit of the identity of the island. Like, that was how people were living. They were living out of necessity and lifestyle, whereas, now, it's more convenience. ///

Calli (18:12:23):

Carrying the torch, Patrick. I love it.

Patrick (18:12:25):

Yeah.

Calli (18:12:27):

Does it feel like that?

Patrick (18:12:30):

Yeah, personally, I feel like I do have to stand up for the old ways. Keep a bit of reality in there, and don't succumb to the modern views too quickly, for sure.

45.   

ADD SOME MORE SHOTS OF CAL AND PAT WANDERING AROUND

CAL+ PAT WANDINER AROUND LAND

MUSIC /BREATH

Like many longterm residents, reusing and recycling is all Patrick knows.

But, this isn’t the case for many newcomers. 

And it’s having some big impacts for the island’s green status.

Calli (18:41:05):

This is good. This is the life.

46.   

Brett at landfill

(weste prob)

47.   

DAY 07 MORNING GARBAGE TRUCK COLLECTION SHOTS

NATSOT + MUSIC – TRY JUST BREATH OR BOW AND PIANO  OR ESTEEM MACHINE

48.   

INT GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVER SHOTS + UPSOT

CU OF WRINKLY FACE DRIVING

GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL /

12.45.02 A lot of ppl don’t, they're just not as good as they should be really. They throw out stuff they shouldn’t - stuff that should be recycled and that. But we can't sort it all out we just gotta do our job."

49.   

DAY 07 MORE GARBAGE COLLECTION SHOTS

50.   

DAY DAY 09 EXT SHOT OF LANDFILL 17.52.33 “DONALD TRUMP” SIGN

Across the island, waste is piling up. 

And it’s having enormous knock-on effects at the community’s only landfill.

Brett 10.52.09/ So yeah. This is a horrific side to island waste.

Brett (10:54:27): So Everybody's waste comes here and this is what we haven't diverted from landfill and it ends up here, in a big pile.

//

Calli (10:53:09):Oh my goodness.

Brett (10:53:11):Exactly. Yeah. Oh my goodness.

//

Calli (10:53:23): What do you think, when you look at this?

Brett (10:53:28):

You just think we're a wasteful society. That's what you think.

51.   

DAY 06 BRETT IN SITU IV IN FRONT OF LANDFILL

Brett O’Reilly recently took over management of the tip – and says it’s now the biggest issue the island faces.

Calli (10:55:19):

So this is the only landfill site on the island, right?

Brett (10:55:22):

Correct.

Calli (10:55:31):

And it's almost full.

Brett (10:55:32):

It's almost full. Scary.

Calli (10:55:35):

Tell, tell me about that because that's a big problem.

Brett (10:55:39):

It is a big problem. So, i’ll tell you about it in the way of, what are we going to do next. The plan at this stage is for everything to be shipped off island and to go to town. Exactly how that happens, is still getting worked on.

Before the pandemic, the landfill wasn’t expected to fill up until 2027, but now Brett says it’s on track to happen much sooner. 

Brett (10:59:35): my feeling. Is that there's a decrease per population, but there's an increase with more people coming to the islands and the different type of persons. As you get a person that's used to living in the city or where they don't see the waste or they don't live so frugally. They create more waste than the people that have been here for a long time and used to making the most of everything they have. 11.00.02 So yeah, it certainly changes the dynamic and the type of waste we get.

52.   

Leila at tip shop

53.   

DAY 06 Leila (11:35:26): CAL + BRETT + LEILA LEAVE TIP AND WALKING TO UPCYCLING SHOP UP THE ROAD

 Shipping waste off the island could impact the Barrier’s green, off grid status.

Threatening the very idea that made it attractive to those moving here in the first place.

 Locals are now desperate to divert waste,

UPSOT Calli (11:35:48): Here comes someone.(CAR DRIVES IN)

and the jewel in the crown of their plan is this place.

54.   

LEILA IN SITU AT THE TIP SHOP

CUTWAYS OF TIP SHOP + COLOURFULITEMS 

Calli (11:42:12): Where are we, Leila? What's this place?

//

Leila (11:42:30): This is Anamata. It is our reuse-recycle store. We get donations, and we also are allowed to take stuff out of landfill, upcycle it, and we have to just show how much diversion we keep from landfill.

Leila (11:45:51): it's all about trying to get that into people's minds now, so that further down the track, it's not such a big, scary thing when the dump does close.

55.   

GVS OF WARE HOUSE

Being off grid and cut off from the mainland, inflates the cost of everyday goods and supplies on the island.

So on the Barrier - this is basically Bunnings. 

56.   

DAY 06 CUTAWAYS OF TIP SHOP

11.43.04 We've constantly got people in here at the moment, and I feel like we're the warehouse of Barrier or something, because they don't have shops and stuff.

Calli (11:43:24):

So people will come here first as first port of call to buy what they need?

Leila (11:43:28):

Absolutely. Before they order it from town or before they go to one of the shops over here, they'll come here first.

57.   

DAY 06 LEILA GIVES TOUR OF TIP SHOP //

CUTAWAYS OF ALL THE COLOURFUL + DIFFERENT + QUIRKY ITEMS //

Leila (11:48:50):

So this is the kids' room. This is sort of the man's room. We call it the renovation station.

Calli (11:48:57):

Someone's in there now. What are you looking for?

Speaker 4 (11:49:02):

Yeah. I don't know. This is a place where you don't come with preconceptions. You may find anything. Hahaha.

Margaret (11:49:09):

You want some money, honey?

Leila (11:49:11):

Absolutely. Is that for the shoes? Perfect. Thank you, Margaret.

Calli (11:49:15):

Did you pick those shoes up?

Margaret (11:49:20):

From there.

Calli (11:49:23):

They fit perfect.

Margaret (11:49:46):

And the shoes I took off, I bought here too.

58.   

DAY 06 CAL AND LEILA WALK TO SHED

NATSOT

59.   

DAY 06 LEILA AND CAL IN BIG SHED + GIVES A DEMO OF THE BARRIER HAIRDRYER

Leila (11:50:06):

And so this is our big shed.

The tip shop is in many ways the true off grid spirit: ingenious, creative and// a little bit mad.

Leila/ We made the Barrier hairdryer, which is super. ….So you put it under your arm like this, hold it up here, and this is the Barrier hairdryer. No power required. It's off-the-grid living. living.(hahahaha)/

60.   

Patrick at tip (class divide?)

The real great barrier island spirit!!!

61.   

DAY 06 11.54.10 CAL AND LEILA WALK TO MEET PATRICK

 Out the back, I’m not surprised to find the person behind many of the tip’s inventions….is Patrick.

62.   

DAY 06 CAL MEETS PATRICK

Leila (11:54:09):

This is Patrick.

Calli (11:54:11):

Hello, Patrick.

Leila (11:54:12):

Mr O'Shea.

Patrick (11:54:12):

How you doing?//

Employed as the resident repairman, he can fix pretty much anything. 

63.   

PATRICK GIVES TOUR

12.01.54 They're parts mowers essentially. So you get enough and then another one will come in, same model, and generally you can piece them together, get something to go. The same with the bikes, there is an amazing amount of bikes that come through, 12.02.10 

64.   

DAY 06 INSITU IV WITH PATRICK

MUSIC //

Patrick (11:58:13): I'm trying to look at the positive side of a different demographic of people living here, not essentially poor and having to rely on their own self sufficiency. ///But the trickle down effect is that we end up with a lot of good stuff here… sometimes we only spend half an hour, a few fuel lines on a lawnmower, accelerator cable, something as simple as that, and then a local can buy that 40 50 for like $40, $50 and have a new bit of gear basically.(11:58:53):

65.   

Opo Visit (maori voice)

WATER PROBS

66.   

Day 08 ADD PLANE ARRIVING SHf OTS???

BREATH + MUSIC NEED DIFFERNET MUSIC HERE – DONT LIKE THE COUNTRY VIBES – WILL SOURCE

 Patrick’s trying to look at the positives but new arrivals to Great Barrier are an enormous catch 22. (slower)

 More people, means more dollars and jobs, but it also means greater numbers relying on the island’s finite natural resources.

67.   

DAY 07 CAL ON WAY TO VISIT OPO

13.02.10 DRIVING SHOTS 

13.03.48 OPO TRUCK IN FRONT

NATSOT + MUSIC

THOUGHTTRACK OVER DRIVING PIX Opo /for us as Maori, we're very concerned about our environment, and it's something that I guess there's five things that are very important to us. One is our water, one is our airspace, and the other one is our foreshore and our Moana, which is the sea, and it's a surviving force just in that. If you don't look after it, then where are we going to end up? we're very concerned about it.Calli (13:14:24):

68.   

13.06.05 OPO GETS OUT OF CAR

13.06.36 14.13.21

13.54.54 SHOT OF MAORI STATU

69.   

CAL OPO MEET AND GREET

The original off-gridders, Great Barrier’s Maori community dates back over 2000 years. And Opo Ngawaka is a Maori elder….

Calli (14:13:05):Hi, Opo.

Opo (14:13:14):Hi, how's it going?

Calli (14:13:25):So where are we?

Opo (14:13:25):We're at a place called Carla on Mount Maorai reservation land. [IN LANGUAGE] and welcome.

70.   

Deeply connected with the land, Opo says he’s witnessing significant changes to the natural environment.

71.   

OPO MASTER IV SIT DOWN

Opo (13:14:30):The water situation is under pressure, yeah. Our streams are drying up and the island's getting more populated. Where's the water coming from? I know they're trucking it from some of the main big streams, but they can't keep doing that. You know. Someway or somehow they have to think up something that's going to help, help the population that is here and maybe in the future.

72.   

ADD SLOW MO WATERSHOT

THEN REVEAL OPO’S CLOSE UP OF FEET WALKING

13.59.55 XCU FEET WALKING ON SAND

14.00.41 TRACKING SHOT OF OPO

With no mains on the island, many must source water directly from natural creeks and streams.

But Opo says climate change is seeing less rain here.

73.   

14.01.17 XCU HERMET CRAB

14.02.12 XCU OPO FACE LOOKING TO SEA

Calli (13:23:31):

Are the streams drying up?

Opo (13:23:36):

They are, yeah.

Elaine (13:23:36):

Totally.

Opo (13:23:36):

They're drying up, and some streams, they're drying up during the summer and they slowly come back during the winter. But every year is getting worse.

74.   

END THE SCENE WITH OPO IN PLACE AND BIRD ON SAND FLATS

Calli (13:31:07): what do you think needs to change right now in order for this island to be sustainable long term?

Opo (13:31:19):

I think in some cases we may need to slow down a little bit until certain things are put in place….../// if we do a bit of thinking about the future we should be fine. //

75.   

14.01.54 OPO STANDING LOOKING OUT AT SEA

alt

14.01.54 Upsot Opo looking at sea/ Yeah it’s funny hey this place used to have a lot of shellfish here but…

76.   

14.03.27 O/S SHOT OF WAVES ROLLING IN (END ON THIS SHOT)

MUSIC

77.   

Stream PTC

78.   

20.15 ADD A DRONE SHOT  OR GVS HERE OF POPULATED SETTLEMENT - NEED TO SEE THE HOMES

DAY08 15.20.02 CU WATER STREAM SHOTS / 

15.28.33 CU FERN SHOT 

15.29.53 CU WATER BUBBLES

MUSIC + ESTEEM MACHINE 

79.   

DAY 08 15.10.55

SHOTS OF GENERATOR PUMPING WATER 

15.12.56 PIPE IN RIVER

It’s not difficult to see the problem Opo is talking about.   

80.   

DAY 08 16.11.12 CAL WALKING INTO BUSH

16.11.46 CAL IN BUSH

Back in town I visit a creek in one of the most populated settlements on the island.

16.04.21 CAL CLIMBS DOWN TO STREAM

NATSOT

81.   

15.54.54 CU BLACK PIPES IN CREEK

15.56.08 PIPES RUNNING THROUGH TUNNEL

15.55.20 CU SHOTS OF PIPES + MOSS

16.01.45 So we’ve just ducked off one of the roads here….All around here the catchment feeds this creek and all through it are pipes. These are pipes that feed everyone’s homes around here. 16.1.59

16.02.26  Every one of these pipes is fuelling water to the homes around here. Supplying their showers bathrooms their kitchen. I guess the problem here is two fold. As climate change takes hold there’s less and less water supplying this catchment area but more and more people are moving here and relying on this stream for water.

82.   

16.05.31 CAL WALKING THROUGH TUNNEL

16.06.45 CAL WALKING THROUGH TUNNEL FOLLOWING PIPES

16.10.42 CAL LEAVES THE CREEK AREA

NATSOT / CAL WALKS THROUGH DRAIN FOLLOWS PIPES TO OTHER SIDE

16.08.13CAL PTC AT OTHER SIDE/ I mean look - this is absolutely crazy - there are pipes running in every single direction - some are even in the trees and they just go all the way down. 16.08.29

83.   

MUSIC STING

84.   

AD BREAK

85.   

SVEN VISIT

86.   

DAY 02 WHARF GVS

NATSOT + MUSIC  ME TIME // OR GLOCK N ROLL

 With cracks appearing in the eco friendly image of off grid living, I’m left wondering whether it’s truly viable.

 I’ve been told there’s only person on the island who can give it to me straight.

87.   

DAY 02 CAL PTC AT WHARF

CAL PTC/ I’m down here at Fitzroy Wharf and I’ve arranged to meet somebody who’s lived on this island since the 1950s. He lives in one of the most remote parts of the island and apparently he’s a bit of a character. So I’m not entirely sure what to expect.

88.   

DAY 02 CAL MEETS SVEN

CAl/ 01.06.23 SVEN/ Are we rolling are we?

Calli/ How you doing. Sven/ Kahleesi is it? Calli/ Calliste. I’m good - I was expecting a bigger boat. Sven/ No we’re all poor here. 01.06.39

89.   

DAY 02 01.08.18 Cal loading stuff into boat/

01.08.43 loading stuff into boat

WS 01.09.05 loading bags//

Sven Stellin has lived off grid for 64 years.

 And the only way to reach his place, is by boat.

90.   

NZ DRONE C1 00.00.51 DRONE SHOT OF BOAT LEAVING WHARF

MUSIC + NATSOT

91.   

DAY 02  01.10.14 SVEN IN BOAT DRIVING TO ISLAND

01.10.27 CAL IN BOAT DRIVING TO ISLAND

01.17.52 CAL AND SVEN PULL UP AT HIS HOUSE

92.   

01.21.23 BARRIER GOLD SIGN 01.19.17 SVEN UNLOADS PETROL FROM BOAT WITH TRACTOR

Sven (05:54:16): I don't live here because of the so-called environmental or eco-friendly, I live here because it's my home. Is it eco-friendly? Probably yes and probably no. The effect of living out here as a human being, I still disturb the environment one way or the other. Calli (05:53:22): ALTS

93.   

GVS OF PROPERTY

05.44.46 HOUSE

05.47.04 SHED

05.48.16 SHEEP

 Out here, Sven’s been forced to make a living however he can.

It’s hardly glamourous and kinda bizarre.

94.   

01.27.25 SVEN FILLS MACHINE WITH WASTE OIL/

01.27.36

01.27.25 So what we have here is waste oil. This is the fuel we use to heat water and extract the manaka from manaka oil.01.27.36

95.   

01.28.25 SVEN GETS PETROL PUMP

01.28.50 UNDOES PETTY CAN

01.28.59 INSERTS PUMP /

He makes money extracting therapeutic oils form the island’s native manaka trees.

96.   

SVEN IN BUGGY

MUSIC

But/ it’s the size of Sven’s property that’s truly staggering.

I'm going to give you guys some incredible views.Sven Stellin (02:37:44): That you'll be going, "Fuck!"

Sven Stellin (02:37:50):

Right. Let's do it then. let's get our asses into gear.

97.   

SVEN AND CAL GET ON BUGGY

Cal and sven get on buggy shot + driving around property  (use the first 2 or so shots form the start of the propeprty tour)

98.   

DAY 02 CAL AND SVEN IN BUGGY DRIVING THROUGH PROPERTY SHOTS

A long skinny peninsula, reaching out to the horizon - it’s almost 2000 acres that’s completely off grid and all his own.

99.   

DAY 02 02.43.10 BUGGY PULLS UP AT VIEW 

UPSOT CAL/ Wow.

100.                

DAY 02 CAL AND SVEN STANDING AT EPIC VISTA

+     DRONE SHOTS OF CAL AND SVEN NEXT TO BUGGY STANDING IN PLACE

+     DRONE SHOTS OF THE VIEWS

ALT GRABS

GVS OF PROPERTY

05.44.46 HOUSE

05.47.04 SHED

05.48.16 SHEEP

05.45.15 VEGGIE PATCH

05.44.31 SOLAR PANEL

Calli (02:45:25):

What do you think of the view up here?

//

Sven (02:45:28):

The view? Yeah, it's not a bad view. That's all right. We've got better views than this.

//

Calli (02:45:46):

Is that your land too?

Sven (02:45:47):

Yeah.

Calli (02:45:50):

That's unbelievable.

Sven (02:45:53):

OUT HERE, SVEN IS CUT OFF FROM SOCIETY.  AND THAT’S HOW HE LIKES IT.

Sven (02:47:21):Maybe. It's just, there are very few places like this in New Zealand left now, that are unspoiled and undeveloped. that's how screwed we are as a society. It's a shame. It's an indictment upon who we are, is as much as really, unfortunately.

//

Sven (02:58:50): As soon as you put human beings somewhere, in considerable numbers-

…. (02:58:58): it changes the whole dimension of everything.

//

Sven (02:59:02): Even though we're natural, we're just too many of us. Just a plague in many ways.

SVEN AND CALL BUGGY TO HIS SECRET DUMP SITE ON HIS PROPERTY

 Even though Sven’s tried to get away from CIVILISATION, he hasn’t escaped its problems.

 Before I leave, he shows his greatest dilemma.

SHOTS OF THE GIANT DUG OUT HOLE ON LAND

SHOTS OF WASTE MOUND/TRASH

.

Calli (06:18:55): Here you go. So there's the problem. That says it all.

Sven (06:19:08):Humanity.

Calli (06:24:07):

So you're out here living as off-grid as you could...

Sven (06:24:10):

Yep. And we still have shit.

Calli (06:24:12):

And you still have this.

Sven (06:24:13):

Yeah, exactly. So there's no such thing as a carbon neutral footprint of humanity. That's just a ruse and a marketing ploy and total bullshit. If you want to get away from that and you want to be truly, obviously organic, effectively go and hang yourself from a fucking tree or go and live in a cave,

people may think I'm some sort of asshole but will I say to the people, my shit is your shit. And that's exactly what you're producing, the only difference is the council's getting rid of it for you.

CALL/ What's the solution?

Sven (06:21:01):We don't have a solution.

Sven/….That's the problem of humanity, we make shit.(06:20:03):

101.                

SVEN LOOKOUT ENDING 

102.                

FAREWELL

DRONE SHOTS OF ISLAND

MUSIC INTERLUDE

103.                

Calli (13:38:35): Do you think off grid living is the solution to all of our problems?

Opo (13:38:57): No. That's not a solution, that's escaping. That's escaping the problem. And UM, I think it's like we said earlier, you, know, we have to start thinking in the future rather than tomorrow or the next day.

104.                

10.12

 After my time on the Barrier, it’s clear the OFF GRID LIFE is far from perfect…

New arrivals will continue to pose a major dilemma for this unique paradise.

105.                

DAY 05 OFF GRID DISCUSSION

MAYBE USE THE SHOT OF OFF GRID FEST SIGN HERE TO CLOCK IT

LOTS OF SHOTS OF CROWD/LISTENING/FACES/

DAY 05 09.50.05 So we're going to see more and more people coming over. So how do we manage that?

Philip (09:52:19): one thing you can't expect someone to come in and live sustainably if we don't live sustainably and we're not setting the template for them.// (09:59:32) So we have to inoculate them. And ferment that in them.

 To survive its new found popularity, this tiny island will have to tackle some of the biggest questions of our time.

We need to think of a whole community when we think of sustainability and how we can collaborate or work together, because that's really the only way we can solve all these kind of problems.09.47.24

106.                

DRONE SHOTS

But catching up with Patrick, it’s clear there’s still a chance for locals to shape its future….  

107.                

2-3 GVS AROUND PATS PLACE TO ESTABLISH HIS HOME

18.17.02 bus wide shot 

18.44.20 wide of house

18.38.24 Bikes against house

18.38.00 retro sunchair PATRICK WITH CAL SHOWS HER SIGN

Patrick (18:20:24):This is my one bit of billboard paraphernalia from when I joined local council... a little hand-painted sign, here.

Patrick (18:20:44): no one had ever done a sign. So I decided, why not? I painted this with like three colors and, then, hung it on my friend's... on their front fence.

Patrick (18:21:19):

And it worked. Got us in.

Calli (18:21:22):

Did you get elected?

Patrick (18:21:23):

Yeah, so elected member, now, of the local authority. That was local boards, 2019. So we're getting through the three-year term now.

108.                

OLAY WITH MORE CUTAWAYS OF HIS PROERPTY/FARM/OFF GRID DETAILS

With Patrick’s help, the island’s future look resilient sustainable and hopefully green.

//THOUGHT TRACK???Patrick (18:30:48)

you got to lead by example and, literally, do it yourself. Like, you can talk about these things as much as you want, but if you're not leading by example, it's hard for people to follow you.

109.                

PAT WITH CAL

Calli (18:21:33):

So you could be the future leader of this island, one day?

Patrick (18:21:36):

Ah, look, yeah, well, you could do…../

Calli (18:21:53):

Yeah, one project at a time, Patrick.

30.31

110.                

NEXT WEEK VO: That’s it for season one of Dateline. We’ll return to your screen with more stories on July 20. In the meantime you can catch up on all of Dateline’s episodes on SBS On Demand.

ALT/DATELINE WILL RETURN ON JULY 20 WITH MORE  DARING STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, IN THE MEANTIME YOU CAN CATCH UP ON ALL DATELINE EPISODES ON SBS ON DEMAND.