A grand estate in South Wairarapa that was the backdrop to two significant moments in The Lord of the Rings movies is now on the market for sale.
Director Sir Peter Jackson used Fernside estate, on State Highway 2 between Greytown and Featherston, to film scenes for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, the first and third film in the Oscar-winning trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The lake on the 11.6ha property became the Silverlode River where Galadriel, played by Cate Blanchett, farewells Frodo and his companions and was used again for the fateful scene where Smeagol, played by Andy Serkis, first sets eyes on his "precious" Ring and turns into the creature Gollum.
The current owners of Fernside, who prefer not to be named, said that famous Rings cast members, including Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood, who played Legolas and Frodo, stayed at the 900sqm mansion during filming more than 20 years ago.
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“We got the stories and we still have the visitors book they signed when they all stayed here,” they said. “It will stay with the property when we sell.”
Until Covid, the property hosted Lord of the Rings tourists, but the owners’ main focus was on restoring the extraordinary 4.8ha of gardens. Their work means Fernside is now designated a garden of national significance, but the owners have preferred privacy over commerce
“We did tours and we let out the cottage, but the estate has all sorts of commercial potential. We had loads of requests for weddings, but how much privacy do you want to give up?” the owners said.
Fernside’s lake, now restored, stood in for the Silverlode River of Lothlorien and the Gladden Fields when Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in 2000. Photo / Supplied
The house has five grand bedroom suites, a three-bedroom staff wing and another three-bedroom guest cottage in the former gatehouse. Photo / Supplied
The grand house, rebuilt after a fire in 1924, was the American ambassador’s home between 1945 and 1955. Photo / Supplied
Fernside, first built of wool money in 1860 and replaced after a fire in 1924, was also the scene of glamorous garden parties between 1945 and 1955 when it was the United States of America’s ambassador's residence.
“There are about six of these large houses around the Wairarapa, all from wool money, but none of them have the history or the gardens,” the owners said.
Fernside is being marketed in New Zealand and worldwide by PQ Property Intelligence through its international network with the Forbes. Agent Anthony Morsinkhof said there has already been interest from international luxury lodge operators and a global fashion house.
The owner told OneRoof the neglected gardens were in poor condition when they bought 15 years ago and they spent five years restoring the silted-over lake and original Victorian features, replanting neglected parts of the garden and repainting with a team of gardeners and contractors. Clipping the hedges alone is a week-long job for the team each year.
The neglected gardens of Fernside have been restored and replanted over the past 15 years and are now a garden of national significance. Photo / Supplied
Morsinkhof would not be drawn on the price Fernside is likely to fetch, but expected it to be one of the top sales in the Wairarapa. “It is so unique the vendor wants the market to decide what the price should be,” he said.
"The CV [of $4.8m] does not in any way reflect the value of the property or the effort and expense to put into the property, especially the gardens.
“The property could be used for a luxury lodge, a very private centre for cosmetic surgery or a health spa, (subject to consents) or a significant home offering a huge amount of privacy."
The Georgian-style house has multiple living spaces and service rooms, five grand bedroom suites plus a staff wing of three bedrooms, a 200sqm three-bedroom guest cottage in the former gatehouse and multiple garages and workshops – all set down a tree-lined 1.8km driveway.
The restoration included meticulously clipped hedges and statuary that brought back the Victorian garden. Photo / Supplied
The house has five grand bedroom suites, a three-bedroom staff wing and another three-bedroom guest cottage in the former gatehouse. Photo / Supplied
It features traditional materials including Welsh slate and copper roofs, cast iron spouting, heart rimu weatherboards and oak and jarrah floorboards, all meticulously restored.
