When you’re on the market for a new home, there are a number of factors you need to consider. Is it located in a nice neighbourhood? How many rooms does it have? But one factor you probably haven’t considered is whether it’s weird and wacky enough.
Mixing art and outrageous architecture with the basic family home, here are some of the weirdest houses we’ve found in New Zealand:
The Boot, Tasman
Ever wanted to spend the night in a fairytale? Of course you have! Jester house offers guests the opportunity to live in the nursery rhyme, the old woman who lived in a shoe. The luxury fairytale accommodation is nestled in the Abel Tasman National Park, surrounded by wineries, galleries, cafes and quaint villages. And if that’s not quirky enough for you, pop on down to the home’s pond to feed the freshwater eels. Book a night in The Boot here.
Riverstone Castle, Oamaru
Built to last on an artificial island, Riverstone Castle was born from owner Dot Smith’s fascination with castles. The structure boasts all the bells and whistles of a fairytale castle, including turrets bedecked with limestone roses, a custom stained glass window, enormous wooden doors imported from Mexico and a moat. Because no castle is completed without a moat!
Earth Domes, Raglan
Solscape Eco Resort located on Raglan’s coast are home to earth domes. Built from earth, the structures were created as workshop learning experiences by locals both young and old. Each dome has its own personality, the largest with a queen bed on the ground floor and a cosy lounging area on the mezzanine above. Book a night in the cosy earth domes here.
The Dome Home, Auckland
Speaking of domes, nestled alongside the water’s edge in Paremoremo, Auckland, sits the dome home. The futuristic dome home was created and hand built by well-known local, the late Twink McCabe who called the dome home for around 30 years. The geodesic structure, which resembles something from a Sci-fi, was designed with the help of architect John Ridge. McCabe as a dedicated cat breeder who introduced two new cat breeds to New Zealand, the ocicat and munchkin cat. As a result, the cottage on the property was, and continues to be, used as a cattery and cat park.
Container House, Wellington
Featuring a vortex hydrotherapy spa pool, an eight-foot pool table, macrocarpa bathhouse, cinema room and private waterfall, Wellington’s Container House is a design born outside the box. The house consists of three vertically stacked 40-foot aluminium and insulated shipping containers. The “bach” has been featured in design publications around the world for its unique and sophisticated style. Book a night in the stylish and unique holiday home here.
