- A log cabin retreat in Masterton, built by former Saatchi & Saatchi creative director, is for sale.
- Retirees Raewyn Voice and Curla Gray bought it in 2015, falling in love with the cabin instantly.
- The property features a treehouse and is attracting interest from those seeking a self-sufficient lifestyle.
A log cabin retreat built by one of New Zealand’s leading ad gurus in the “middle of nowhere” has hit the market for sale.
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The two-bedroom “fairy-tale” home lies hidden amongst the trees on a 36ha section some 70 minutes away from Masterton.
Former Saatchi & Saatchi creative director Bob Hall established the rustic hideaway about 30 years ago.
It was snapped up by retirees Raewyn Voice and Curla Gray in 2013. Voice told OneRoof she knew she had to have it as soon she saw it.
The property is minutes from Mataikona Beach and Castle Point Beach and the couple knew it well, having managed the nearby Castle Point Hotel.
The ornate spiral staircase was rescued from the BNZ building in Wellington. Photo / Supplied
“I just walked up the drive and said ‘Oh My God I love it’. That was it, we didn’t even need to go inside – we were going to buy it. It’s just beautiful, it’s just so restful and so rustic,” Voice said.
She said the entire community had played a hand in helping Hall build his cabin. “Just about everybody who was living out here then had some involvement. One guy was operating the digger – because they’ve got to put the logs on, cut them individually, and then take them off and put them back on again. It’s quite a process, but very authentic and very beautifully done.”
A master log cabin builder even travelled from the US to oversee the build and the standout spiral staircase was sourced from the BNZ Building in Wellington.
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Voice said the couple were selling up now because the property had become too much for them to manage.
She told OneRoof they had added their own touches to it over the years, including a pink house bus called Floyd and an impressive treehouse, which Curla and one of his friends built for “fun”.
“It took them about three years to build. They milled all the timber, and built the windows and doors by hand. It has a little fireplace, a bed, lights, and a long drop dunny.”
Voice said the treehouse was a peaceful place to hang out and the couple would often spend evenings there watching the moon rise over the Pacific Ocean. “It’s got an amazing sea view.”
One of the owners and a mate spent three years building a cosy treehouse up high amongst the pine just for "fun". Photo / Supplied
Everyone who saw the log cabin loved it, she said, adding that it could suit buyers wanting a holiday escape or a self-sufficient lifestyle. The area was also a great spot to collect pāua and crayfish.
There were only about 100 people living in the wider Mataikona community, she said, but they regularly caught up.
“It’s no good if you’ve got kids at school. Little kids are OK, but there’s no high school. You’ve got to go into Masterton which is too far.”
Tremains agent Ash Thomas said it was a quirky property that took him more than an hour to show people. “Honestly it’s just a fairy tale when you are there,” he said.
“You are not going to go down the road and find another one that’s for sure. That’s what I say to people – it’s not like any other house.”
Thomas said the property had attracted interest from other log cabin builders who were just curious to find out more about the complicated build, as well as people wanting to escape the rat race.
“People ranging from mid-30s to early 60s. Most of them have been couples who want to escape the rat race and live a self-sustained life on 100 acres and be near the beach.”
Thomas said he had sold several beachfront baches in the area, but properties built to such a high quality and on such a large section were rare.
- 1321 Pack Spur Road, Mataikona, Masterton, is for sale, seeking buyer enquiry over $899,000
