One of Rotorua’s iconic landmarks, proudly sitting on the city’s southern gateway, is looking for its next owner to create a new chapter in its long and colourful history.
The current owners of 21 years of 1 Meade Street in Whakarewarewa are downsizing as they retire and travel the country in their hot rods, ending their long love affair with the historic Whakarewarewa villa.
According to OneRoof records, the property last changed hands in 2001 for $260,000. It has a 2020 ratings valuation of $975,000 and is listed for sale with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty for $2.525 million.
Steve and Wendy Fraser fell in love with the 1906 character building at 1 Meade Street when they were at the Landmark Restaurant, as it was operating then, celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary.
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A few years later they fulfilled the promise they made to each other that night that they would one day own it.
The ambitious task of restoring the character building – which has also been a boarding house, block of flats, motel and even a rehabilitation centre for soldiers in the war – back to her former glory as a stately family home began and spanned over two decades.
Fraser said it was a “monster job” that they got through by refurbishing one room at a time as they could afford it.
The property was once a boarding house, block of flats, motel and even a rehabilitation centre for soldiers in the war until 21 years ago when it was bought by one family and restored. Photo / Supplied
The current owner said it was a “monster job” refurbishing the house one room at a time as they could afford it, a job that spanned two decades. Photo / Supplied
“I wanted to get it back to as original as it may have been – with modern facilities, but keeping that historical heritage of it,” he said.
The home’s original features including the ornate detailing and classic facades are focal points, along with the rimu sourced from the first owner Charles Kusabs’ family’s sawmill at Mamaku.
It is complemented by the large sweeping staircase, a claw foot bath, multiple chandeliers and a built-in fireplace.
Original flooring was purchased from an old church house to match the rest of the building and they spent many hours stripping paint and rewiring the home.
The end result is a grand 354sqm four-bedroom, four-bathroom Category 2 heritage-listed villa entrenched in history, along with a large covered outdoor area and an inground pool.
The home’s original features including the ornate detailing and classic facades are focal points. Photo / Supplied
1 Meade Street is a grand 354sqm four-bedroom, four-bathroom Category 2 heritage-listed villa with a large covered outdoor area and an inground pool. Photo / Supplied
Fraser said it had been a great family home and his three children and eight grandchildren all had a lot of happy memories there. They have hosted events of up to 250 people and even weddings.
“I absolutely love the place, I will miss everything about it,” he said.
“The word unique does refer to that house. There’s nothing in New Zealand like it and certainly nothing we’ve found around the world like it. It’s certainly one of a kind.”
NZ Sotheby’s International Realty Rotorua salesperson Marilyn Christian says 1 Meade Street is one of the original homesteads in Rotorua which has a commercial zoning. Photo / Supplied
And while the couple, now in their mid-60s, are looking forward to retirement, the next chapter of the house’s history is anyone’s guess especially with its commercial zoning leaving potential for it to be run as a boutique hotel, an upmarket wedding venue or eatery.
“It’s interesting. It leads itself to be many, many things – it could even be a very bed and breakfast. It’s a very, very cool property, it really is,” Fraser said.
NZ Sotheby’s International Realty Rotorua salesperson Marilyn Christian said the home, which has an asking price of $2.525m, is one of the original homesteads in Rotorua and had been lovingly restored by the couple.
