A woman buys a traditional house for $8,000 and transports it across Indonesia to create her dream home in Bali.

Tania Wessels first visited Bali in the 1980s on her honeymoon and has loved the Indonesian island ever since. Although her marriage didn't last, Tania says she fell deeper in love with Bali than she ever did with a man.

Going to Australia and making your home in Bali

After 25 years in the UK, Tania moved to Byron Bay, Australia, where she launched an aromatherapy-based skincare line with a friend. Later in Sydney, she worked with a local movie studio as a screenwriter. In 2004, Tania moved to Bali as a teacher, which led to a series of jobs at international schools on the island. In her spare time, she continued to receive writing commissions, including a collaboration with Scottish chef Will Meyrick, founder of two of the most famous restaurants on the island, Sarong and Mamasan. Bali, however, has always remained her true passion.

Getting to know Roby and creating a sustainable space

A few years ago, Tania met Roby Supriyanto, a musician, environmental activist and coffee farmer. Their shared interests included sustainable agriculture and a love of music. Roby helped her find land on the Tabanan Peninsula, which is known for its gorgeous rice terraces and beautiful scenery.

Together they purchased a piece of land on which she realized her dream of building a traditional Limasan wooden house. After completing the house, she began to improve the site by organizing a Permanitzl event where locals helped her create an organic vegetable garden and build bamboo toilets.

Getting stuck in Australia and waiting to return to Bali

In July 2018, Tania flew to Australia, where she found a teaching job, and planned to return to Bali in April 2020. However, due to the pandemic, she has been trapped in Australia for over a year. She has to communicate with her friends in Bali through WhatsApp messages and receive pictures of her home, which remains empty and awaits her return. A local family takes care of everything in her absence. Not long ago, Robi's band recorded a music video in the garden of the house, and the coffee farm they have set up produces organic, sustainably grown coffee. Tania is looking forward to coming home and enjoying the place she has dreamed of for years.