The Wombat 111

The Wombat 111,
Healesville,
VIC
This home will be open for in-person tours on the 17th May 2026

About this home

The Wombat III is our retirement home we built after returning from sailing Wombat I in Europe, and our Motorhome Wombat II in the USA. After learning to live off grid on the boat and motorhome, we decided to build our house off-grid.

Living on our boat, Heidi and I decided that we could live without bills and help the environment at the same time! In our off grid home, we have a 100,000L water tank, septic treatment plant, 9kW solar, 15kW batteries, heat pump hot water, thermally separated double-glazed windows and insulation to the highest ratings.

Wombat III is our answer to comfortably living off grid. We are not zealots about sustainability, just sensible. Anyone with the desire can live a normal life in an off grid house, with little or no concessions. Power, water, sewage prices won’t go down! We all need to consider our impact upon the environment. We will be happy to talk to you about our journey.

This house achieved a NatHERS rating of 7.4 stars using NatHERS accredited software. Find out how the star ratings work on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) website.

Q & A

What motivated you to build or retrofit sustainably?
Sustainability and future costs
Sustainable building shell. Built for Australian conditions.
Under estimating how BAD councils can be.
Owner builder, built from scratch So any improvements where considered when building. There ARE things to improve BUT the cost benefit does not justify.
Back to 2026 Homes
Type: Standalone house/townhouse
Project: New build
Builder: Owner Builder
Size: 145m²
Energy Rating: 7.4
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2

Sustainability Features

Building Materials & Envelope

Draught-proofing/air sealing
High-performance insulation
Double or triple-glazed windows

Heating, Cooling and Ventilation

Passive heating/cooling (north-facing glazing, cross ventilation, thermal mass, shading, etc.)
Ceiling fans
Heat pump (reverse-cycle) heating/cooling

Energy and Appliances

Rooftop solar PV
Battery storage
Energy monitoring/smart home systems
Efficient lighting (LED, daylighting, solar skylights)
Heat pump hot water

Water & Waste Systems

Water-efficient fixtures
Rainwater tanks

Landscape & Biodiversity

Native garden

Climate Resilience

Flood
Bushfire
Heatwave

Accessible & Flexible Design Features

Design for flexible use
Universal design for accessibility
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