Earthship Goolwa 2025

Earthship Goolwa

The story and creation of Earthship Goolwa has been a very beautiful one! I first learnt about Earthships when I was working as a Volunteer coordinator for a program in Nicaragua, and we built a school out of plastic bottles filled with sand. I loved that a building could be made from recycled materials and also that the whole community could be part of the build as the process was achievable by all generations. After this project was completed, I just googled “trash houses” and discovered Earthships!!

Earthships are a sustainably designed house that is the invention of US architect Michael Reynold.
He defines six main Earthship principles:
1) building with natural and recyclable materials such as car tyres, glass bottles and cans
2) using passive solar and thermal systems for heating and cooling the home
3) energy self-sufficiency
4) water self-sufficiency
5) sewage treatment self-sufficiency
6) integrated food production systems

I discovered how lucky I was to have Australia’s “Guru” on Earthships, Martin Freney of Earthship Eco Homes, in SA to help me build. He has a PHD on Earthships and built the first council approved Earthship in Australia. I was blessed to purchase a north facing block of land, in the coastal Fleurieu Peninsula township of Goolwa to begin my own Earthship dream!

The construction journey was amazing, full of learning and a wonderful community of people came to help and be a part of the building process! My home is built with over 900 car tyres pounded with Earth, side walls made from straw bale, has an internal greenhouse with flourishing banana trees, is totally off grid with solar power, water tanks and my own septic system, and has beautiful regulated temperature inside during the whole year, all while being in the suburbs and 5 mins walk to the main street!

I look forward to sharing Earthship Goolwa with you!

Amy