- John Tritt is selling his one-bedroom cottage with river access for $97,000.
- The property includes an outside toilet and is on leasehold land with an annual land rent of about $5000.
- Tritt bought the bach in 1994 for $22,000 and describes it as his “last resort hotel”.
Back in the mid-1990s, Kiwi nurse John Tritt suddenly found himself with a bit of extra cash in his back pocket. He was going to use it to buy a car but then he stumbled across a classic bach in West Coast.
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Tritt said it was probably the best decision he had ever made: the one-bedroom cottage at 56 Snodgrass Road, in Westport, was his rock through a lot of ups and downs over the years.
Tritt had just received a divorce settlement and was travelling from Nelson to Westport with his new partner to visit some of her nursing friends in 1994.
The bach is on the market for sale for the first time in more than 30 years. Photo / Supplied
The property has been insulated and has a multi-burner. Photo / Supplied
On their visit, Tritt spotted the one-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage for sale and bought it for $22,000 as his home away from home. “We came down the street and saw it. I was going to buy a new car, but I’m glad I didn’t as that would have been long gone,” he told OneRoof.
“I always call it the last resort hotel. If everything goes wrong or I have a bust up or whatever or I went to Aussie and had a few jobs in the desert as I’m a nurse, it’s always a place I can come back to – no matter what happens.”
His three children have enjoyed school holidays at the bach over the years, playing cricket and hanging out in the estuary. More recently, Tritt has spent hours in his wetsuit white baiting in the Orowaiti River, which can be accessed from a bamboo tunnel leading from property. “It’s been a great ‘memory lane’ place.”
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Tritt didn’t know the exact origins of the cottage, but believes it was relocated onto the 1776sqm site from the historic mining town of Denniston.
“To me, it’s almost a historic building. It’s still got the cupboards where you stored your meat. Everything is authentic,” he told OneRoof.
The long drop toilet flooded at some point and had been replaced with a portaloo in an old chook house. “It’s a wee bit out there. But people into backcountry hiking or outdoor people, they don’t seem to mind.”
The large lawn and estuary access made it a great place for playing backyard cricket and whitebaiting. Photo / Supplied
The property has “several hooks”. One is the outside toilet. Another is that it’s on leasehold land owned by the Buller District Council. There is a 25-year licence to occupy that runs through until September 2045 and the land rent is about $5000 a year.
Tritt returned to live in the property 18 months ago – the longest stint he’s done – and was now ready for a new adventure.
He has daughters in Nelson and Blenheim, a son in Australia and a good friend in New Plymouth so plans to visit them. “I will just wander around a bit. I’m a bit of a gypsy.”
Property Broker listing agent Jo Maketu said in her listing on OneRoof that “you couldn’t get a more rustic, original holiday home”.
“Perfect as a weekender or a retirement retreat, this bach represents an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of authentic New Zealand coastal lifestyle. The combination of spacious grounds, river access, abundant wildlife, and classic Kiwiana charm makes this property a truly special find,” her listing added.
- 56 Snodgrass Road, in Westport, Buller, is for sale for $97,000
