But for much of the year, the other houses sit empty, which concerns some people.

"They've got five houses but there's no kids or families there, the community suffers," one man says, declining to give his name for fear of jeopardising neighbourhood relations. "I don't know why they need so much land." One man who has got to know the Americans says they're not so different to other businesspeople. "They're very ruthless. They're really driven by performance - they are really astute businessmen who put this big, cheesy grin and smiley face to it all." The biggest bone of contention is the Americans' habit of calling the community Aroha Valley on their websites, in the apparent belief that "White Man's" Valley has racist overtones. Angela McLeod, whose property borders one of the Monahans' forests and who is a descendant of the Whiteman family who settled the valley in 1871, says they don't seem to "get" the importance of the name. She makes sure to give them a history lesson each time she attends their summer community barbecue.

Angela McLeod

"I like the fact they are techno-savvy and innovative, looking at sustainability and care for the environment," says McLeod, an Upper Hutt City Councillor. "But Whitemans Valley is my place, I grew up here...I tell you what, there is no way that there's gonna be a name change while my two feet are firmly planted on the ground." We asked Matthew about this when we caught up with him and Ayele at Techweek in Auckland.

Matthew Monahan and Yoseph Ayele at TechWeek in Auckland.

PHOTO: DAVID WHITE/FAIRFAX NZ

"We respect the [Whitemans] name," says Monahan. "We're not trying to change it. But we found it pretty funny, so we nicknamed it. "We thought, OK, what's the opposite of calling it Whitemans Valley? And that's how Aroha Valley came about." Matthew accepts that people might view them suspiciously - "there were a couple of comments on the dome, 'it looks like a spaceship'" - but for the most part he feels plugged into the community. "They've saved us on countless occasions because we didn't know what we were doing, so our farm is very much a collaboration with the neighbours.

"Of course people are curious, but you just invite them over for a yarn and everyone gets to know each other."

Monahan, 33, has been through something of a metamorphosis since his arrival in New Zealand - no-one would mistake him for a Mormon now. He still wears glasses but his hair is shoulder length and he wears a large pounamu. His favourite band is Fat Freddy's Drop, he's learning Maori and can do a decent mihimihi. He meditates daily. Brother Brian, 30, who is in the US during this interview, is into something called "flowetry", a cross between rap and poetry, and will often take the mic at conferences, introducing himself as B-Mo. (Sample lyric: "let me speak it quite clearly so y'all can hear me, you ain't gotta live in New Zealand to live Kiwi".)

Brian Monahan gives a "flowetry" performance.