He endures into a few hundred bucks a-year, work oral towards themselves armed with pliers and you can sandpaper, and you will stays in a cave.

It was during the their reduced ebb, in the event that child also known as ‘Little John’ receive tranquility from the cave, to your outskirts out of Outram, west of Dunedin, a decade ago.

“Coming to the cavern is a means to escape every worst that has been happening,” the newest 57-year-old told Stuff on Thursday afternoon when he walked a number of kms to the web site the guy calls domestic.

Nothing John, an effective nod in order to Robin Hood’s lover having exclusive hat and you may feather, was daily viewed thumbing trips anywhere between Outram and you may Mosgiel, in which the guy sees eating parcels in order to try this survive toward.

“I’m not life from the home, I am only living in the latest land because it is a beautiful place to become.”

He beverages liquids out of the neighborhood stream, and once got a pet possum he titled Joanna to possess providers, before it try slain from the pest control builders.

Their absolutely nothing cut regarding civilisation boasts an excellent makeshift get rid of-out-of package: a yellow cap at the start of a song where some body get off him supplies – and additionally a child just who always get-off him lollies on the a material.

Little John said the guy know the area as he are young, however, came back about ten years ago while in the their lower ebb.

After a couple of evening when you look at the a safety, sufficient reason for no cash with no accommodation, he returned to the new track.

“I found a peaceful place to lie down, all I experienced was the fresh new dresses I became dressed in. When i woke upwards I came across I found myself into the a beneficial glowworm colony . it absolutely was unbelievable.”

The brand new freeze kept him that have “a giant direct injury shortly after my personal lead went into headlight off a Holden Commodore”.

“However, since i started residing in a cave it offers actually healed properly . it will be the tough ground while the outdoors.”

The latest cave lifetime, including brand new unusual see regarding rats, possums and you will pigs, are a bit of an excellent midlife crisis, he conceded.

Nothing John is actually educated on Otago Boys’ Twelfth grade, and you will visited polytechnic to study to get a drbitions concluded adopting the freeze leftover him that have injuries to his lead, neck and you can lower back.

He previously not had one experience of his relatives because he try 40, and you will try estranged of his former lover and their child.

He’d avoided his work with, and you may alternatively used charity, such as dinner donations, therefore the periodic odd-work for the money.

Their cave is a small starting under a huge stone, which gives your room enough so you’re able to place their sleeping bag down into a bed mattress out-of ferns. Into the colder evening, he has got some other sleeping bag, and wears heavier clothing.

Absolutely nothing John said the action coincided having him letting go of an dependence on painkillers, and that been after a serious cycle freeze because a 19-year-dated

Dangling significantly more than your was a classic kerosene lamp, a culinary mug and a consuming mug, if you find yourself a package from matches try nestled in one of the of a lot nooks.

Within you to definitely end he is able to white a little flame, and a pond of water which is simply a good few metres from which the guy lies their direct.

Peoples men try few and far between, however, an area policeman monitors with the your from time to time, and then he will get normal adventures away from natives, along with Dunedin councillor Mike Lord.

Neighborhood channels are way too cold to shower into the, however, he has got specific members of the family whom provide him a hot shower when he desires you to.

It prompted him first off run their current opportunity: an earth range made out of clay near good picnic room he designed for the fresh new odd walker which utilized the song

He’s not invested all of the last decade from the cave. The guy invested sometime during the a forgotten, hence doubles given that a storage space for most of his few off assets: a couple electric instruments, a small Stratocaster, and you can good 1950s lap slip guitar.

They got sometime to hear the headlines whenever New Zealand ran to your their very first nationwide Covid-19 lockdown within the 2020.