What an achievement, Yondah Beach House is now 100% water self-sufficient!
Where do you find a secluded, 4.5 star architect-designed beach house that offers seclusion and simple elegance by the sea - just for you? Yondah!
This recently extended and fully refurbished house is located on 300 acres of secluded oceanfront, on the wild southern coast of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia and sleeps up to 8 guests in three spacious queen bedrooms. You can truly relax and enjoy your own private beaches and nature-based activities while visiting Yondah's resident family of fur seals or just observing whales, dolphins, kangaroos and rare birds in their natural habitat, all from the comfort of your private deck.
Now although this already looks pretty fantastic, there is more to this beach house than meets the eye.
Not only does Yondah already use a 5kW solar system, solar HWS and an on-site composting system, they are also part of a 300-acre re-vegetation project with Trees for Life, they host an on-site climate change study by the University of Adelaide and they are registered as a Butterfly Site with Butterfly Conservation SA Inc.
Their most recent (and we think most impressive) environmental initiative, is their gravity-powered, on-site rainwater harvesting which now makes them 100% water self-sufficient.
Now as you can probably imagine, water is a big issue in this area of the country. The southern Yorke Peninsula has no rivers, lakes, dams or groundwater and only 400mm of rainfall each year! So in the past when the rain water tanks ran low, "importing" desalinated or bore water from up to 100km away at a cost of $500 per load was necessary. The decision was made that an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative was needed, so a 32mm underground pipe was laid between the hilltop shed/tank and the house, along a route that allows the tank to be topped up using only gravity, thus making the property 100% self-sufficient!
By utilising the onsite shed/tank, the catchment area has increased by 162sqm and since June 2016, 95.000 litres have been harvested and transferred, saving $2500. By eliminating trucked water, Yondah has reduced their carbon emissions from desalination, truck use and water pump use to ZERO! They have even incorporated water points to create ponds for local wildlife, making this project a true commitment to sustainable tourism.
What's next for Yondah beach house? Well, there are more projects planned but we will not spoil the surprise... watch this space!
To learn more about Yondah Beach House go to their Webpage or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo credit: Yondah Beach House webpage