A 68-hectare landholding covered in regenerated rainforests and teeming with wildlife has been offered to the market for the first time since the 1980s.

Known as Whipbird Gully, the property at 454 Hopkins Creek Road, Hopkins Creek in northern NSW includes multiple dwellings, paddocks and fruit orchards nestled among pristine riverfront bushland.

The 68 hectare wilderness property is in a biodiversity hotspot in northern NSW. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Held by owners Adrienne and Erwin Weber for 46 years, the property has been reluctantly put up for sale as the couple, who are now in their mid-70s, look to downsize.

They have dedicated more than four decades to rewilding the sprawling property, which now serves as a valuable wildlife corridor and a haven for threatened plants and animals.

The couple, who met when studying and working in architecture and interior design in Sydney, were drawn to the property through their passion for the environment and conservation.

The property includes an appoximately 2km stretch of the Rous River. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

After an exhaustive search for a piece of land that met their 10 essential criteria for building a passive solar home – a list that included river frontage, north-facing potential homesites, and “something that was good enough to paint” – the couple purchased the site in 1980.

“When we’d totally given up, we came across this property and it met all the things on the list,” Adrienne told realestate.com.au. 

The river features multiple secluded swimming holes and a local platypus population. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

However, the condition it was in at the time was a far cry from its pristine state today, setting off a laborious process of rehabilitation.

“It had been logged many times, and was an ex-banana and cattle property,” Adrienne said.

The former banana plantation includes several cleared paddocks. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“There were over 100 acres of weeds, the understory was all choked,” Erwin added. “You had to cut tunnels through the lantana to get anywhere.”

They soon got to work building their first home on the block – an open-plan circular house, made from recycled materials and stone and timber gathered from the land.

The first house built on the block was made from mud bricks and recycled materials, as well as stones and timber collected from the land. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Resembling an enchanted cottage straight out of a fairytale, the one-of-a-kind home known as the River House is surrounded by ferns and palms and features an enormous stone hearth, soaring ceilings and a loft space tucked up in the natural rafters.

It became their home for 10 years while they planned a larger dwelling on the property, which also served as a model for architecture students studying passive solar design – a building method that uses the sun’s energy and natural airflow to heat and cool a home.

The cosy interior features an open hearth and soaring ceilings. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

They lived in that home for the next 35 years, which included raising two children who carried on their passion for ecology – their daughter who went on to become an environmental scientist, and their son who is now a botanist.

Much of that time was spent regenerating bushland, reintroducing endemic plant species and improving the health of the river, which has encouraged wildlife to return.

The rustic home is completely surrounded by rainforest. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

But last year, disaster struck. The off-grid home sadly burnt down in a fire caused by the lithium batteries that powered the house, and the couple relocated back to the River House.

The now-cleared slab provides a blank canvas for the next custodians to build a dream home capturing the sweeping mountain views that drew them to the property.

The site of the couple’s former home has been cleared and is ideally situated for potential new owners to rebuild another passive solar home. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

The property also includes a mudbrick studio with huge glass windows framing bushland views that serves as a secondary dwelling or retreat.

Beyond the quirky dwellings, the land itself is truly special and has been identified for its exceptional natural heritage values, with about 40 hectares protected under a nature conservancy covenant.

All that remains of the main house that was destroyed by fire is the timber entry ramp. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

In addition to many rare and vulnerable plant species thriving in the rainforest setting, the property is filled with native wildlife.

Echidnas, bandicoots, koalas, bats, platypuses and quolls are among the countless creatures recorded on the property, in addition to more than 90 species of birds including the eastern whipbird, for which the estate is named.

A secondary dwelling serves as a studio or retreat. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

The property is also planted with bush tucker, including mature bunya pines that were gifted to the couple by renowned environmentalist John Sinclair decades ago, as well as Davidson’s plums, macadamias and even a mango orchard.

Selling agent Emisha Canning of real estate agency Coastal said entering the property was akin stepping into a fairytale, or the set of a Lord of The Rings movie.

The studio captures sweeping views of the surrounding mountains through enormous glass windows. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“It’s all of those feelings,” she said. “I would live there in a heartbeat.”

The property had been listed for sale via expressions of interest closing 21 September.

The property is dotted with enormous bunya pines, which can up to 50 metres tall. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“We think that someone ecologically sensitive would enjoy what is now our legacy,” Erv said.

“I think the right person will come along who really appreciates the nature here and the wonderful privacy and seclusion,” Adrienne added. “46 years here has made our lives really very fulfilling.”