Radiant RetreatsBRIGHT DESIGNS IN NEW ZEALAND,

vlRGtN GORDA, MEXICO, AND MORE

PLUS Shanghai r Portugal I Bora-Bora Los Angeles I Scotland St. Barts

QueenstownNew Zealand's answer to Aspen and LakeComo offers outdoor adventurers vacation-home options for every season. [By,oRGEs.nnrruco]

>k fne lake and alpine resort destination of Queenstown, on NewZealand's South Island, has long been a haven for young backpackersand thrill seekers of all ages. Its location amid the Southern Alps, alongthe shores of Wakatipu Lake, and near other natural attractions makesit an ideal base for sports enthusiasts, whether they enjoy quieter pur-suits, such as hiking and fishing, or heart-racing pastimes like canyonswinging,440-meter bungee jumping, heli-skiing, and paragliding. It isan all-season destination, and at the right time of year one can golf inthe morning and race down snow-covered slopes the same affernoon.

In recent years, Queenstown's reputation for adventure has broad-ened to include an understated, Kiwi-sryle sense of luxury. IJfhile LouisVuitton-the world's top luxury brand-has an outpost here, the localsand tourists appear to prefer upscale but casual UGG boots and pos-

sum fur bags to head-to-toe Prada and Hermds. *'$7hen we sell luxury,"says Jacqui Spice, who runs the local concierge service Touch of Spice,

'it's about the food, the vineyards, the land, the people." Seemingly

down-to-earth diners who sip Peregrine Winery's acclaimed $146-per-bottle Pinnacle 2009 Pinot Noir at Botswana Butchery-a pricey res-

taurant where dinner jackets are rare-appear to bolster her assertion.

Just as this atmosphere of low-key luxury is enveloping Queenstown,so are many of the area's real estate developments experiencing renqwed

life on the heels of the global financial crisis.Vacation-home real estate is

FROM TOP: The S-shaped Wakatipu Lake, one ofthe destination's main attractions; three private

residences in and around Queenstown that are on

the market (see "Private Properties," page 89).

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2OT4 KobbKeDort Home&stvle 65

ril

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booming, with overall property volumes at 88 percent

of pre-recession levels and sales of home lots (based

on20t3 data) the highest since 2007, according to the

Real Estate Institute of New Zealand and Property IQ.

At the area's Jack's Point residential community and

resort village, where a Four Seasons hotel is rumoredto be in the planning stages, high-end lots that soldin the early 2000s for $2 million or $3 million fellto $1 million during the slump; however, accordingto John Darbg principal of the Queenstown develop-ment firm Darby Partners, which created Jack's Point,

'oThey're working their way up to $2 million again.

The best time to buy is when you're on the ascendant,

and that's just now."Americans such as the hedge fund manager turned

developer Julian Robertson and the former Levi Strauss

CEO Tom Tusher know what it means to purchasproperry here-the former being the creator of furesorts Kauri Cliffs, the Farm at Cape Kidnapperqand Matakauri Lodge, the latter being the developer

of Blanket Bay Lodge. Outsiders unfamiliar with &eregion but looking for similar or smaller-scale invest-ment oppoffunities should do their homework.

Foreign purchases of properties of more than aborran acre (0.4 hectare) adjoining a lake or reserve, (xof any properties exceeding roughly 12 acres (5 hect-

ares), as well as other types of land deemed sensitivgrequire the consent of the Overseas Investment Officgnon-Kiwis can pay upwards of $15,500 plus lawyers'fees to get an application through this process. Says

Darby, "It's about bringing the right sort of people

here who understand what we're trying to do, who are

aligned with our essential and environmental values.'Those interested in exploring luxury living Kiwi-

style may wish to investigate the second-home oppor-tunities in and around Queenstown. A number ofthese options, from estates and homesites in exclusive

communities to significant private residences, are pro-filed on the following pages.

Jack's PointA native South Islander, Darby has been developingresidential properties and tourist attractions in Queens-town and its environs since the 1980s. Around 2000,

his firm broke ground at Jackt Point-a 3,000-acre

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Robb Report Home& Style IANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

THIS PAGE: The Millbrook community's Stleamside 7 home-a four-bedroom, four-bath, 4,090-square-foot fairway property

on one-third ofan acre that fronts the first hole ofthe Arrow 9

golf course-is being offered furnished for 93.5 million.

s€ttlement on Vakatipu Lake, about 15 minutes fromtown-with a plan to offer 1,300 homes at seven dif-ferent price points.

The most exclusive enclave, the Preserve, com-prises just 36 lots sprinkled lakeside and abuttingthe Darby-designed 18-hole, par-72Jack's Point GolfCourse. Most of the lots measure about 3.5 acres andslart at $1 million, though there are larger sites for as

much as $3 million. At press time the developmentlists five sites for sale, among them Lot !, a 4.4-acreparcel nestled between the golf course and the lakeand offered for $1.9 million.

Homes at the Preserve tend to be elegant four-bedroom, four-bath modern glass boxes with stoneand cedar accents that cost from $3 million to $6 mil-lion. Five residences have been built to date, and onePreserve resale is currently on the market.

The project reportedly has attracted Four Sea-

sons, which is said to be planning a 100-room hotelt"modern mountain cabins," says Darby) with build-ing set to begin in winter 201.4. (Four Seasons has notannounced the development.) Golf membership has

always been automatic with a purchase at Jack's Point,and perhaps Preserve homeowners will have access tothe new resort's amenities, such as the spa, clubhouse,and pool. Four Seasons-branded residences will likely

follow but not until "the hotel is up and running withyield," says Darby.

J ack\ Poi nt, +64. 3. 4 5 0.20 53, www.j ac ks poi nt.com

Millbrookln 7864, the French brothers Peter and John Butelplanted wheat on their 500-acre Mill Farm, whichtoday is the site of the Millbrook resort and residen-

tial communitg where development began in the early1990s. Privately owned by Eiichi and Hiroko Ishii,Millbrook comprises a range of residences-frommodestly priced villas to two- and three-bedroomcottages and expansive fairway homes-as well as

a 175-room resort, a spa, a pool, tennis courts, and

three 9-hole golf courses. Many of Mill Farm's origi-nal buildings are still in use; the Millhouse, which was

the old flour mill, houses one of four restaurants and

a conference center.

So far, some 200 of the 350 planned homesites have

been developed. Most parcels are under an acre andrange in price from approximately $850,000 to jusr

under $1J8 million. Eight sites and nine homes are

for sale at press time. Streamside 7-a four-bedroom,

r\UARY/FEBRUARY 2O14 RobbReportHome&Style 87

n, '1 atl)top ano bnopWhen stalking Queenstown for that perfect vacation property, prospective

real estate buyers can stay close to their hunting grounds. Here are a few of

the options.

THE SPIRE Located on Church Lane, a short walk from restaurants and

shopping, this boutique hotel offers 10 chicly appointed rooms, each with

modern furnishings, stone-clad fireplaces, and spacious balconies, +64.3.441.

0 0 04, www.th espi rehotel.com

SOFITEL QUEENSTOWN HOTEL AND SPA The French hotel brand's

South lsland outpost offers 82 rooms and suites and features both city and

Wakatipu Lake views. +64.3.450.0045, www.softel.com/queenstown

TOUCH OF SPICE PRIVATE VILLA COLLECTION The villa rentals

in Touch ofSpice's portfolio-selected in part for their architecture and

design-allow for immersion in local living. The company's concierge service

can handle all the details. +64.3.450.0855, www.touchofspice.co.nz 11.s.a.l

four-bath, 4,090-square-foot fairway home on one-

third of an acre that fronts the first hole of the Arros'9 course-is being offered furnished for $3.5 million.

Potential buyers can expect to pay a $23,000 applica-

tion fee. Annual country club membership is $2,500 forthose who spend 60 days or more a year at Millbrook,while those in residence less than 60 days yearly pay

$1,800. The annual property management fee is $4,000.

M i I I brook. +64.3,441.70 0 0, www. m i ll b rook.co. nz

Closeburn StationTrue to its 19th-century origins, Closeburn Station

remains a working farm, its 3,000 acres dotted withgreen pastures grazed upon by merino sheep and

Angus cattle. Thus far, about 1.8 of the 27 sites have

been developed.

Three properties are for sale at press time. Lot18, one of the two plots available, is a breathtak-

ing 3-acre parcel priced at $2.46 million. From itselevated vantage point on a bluff, the site affords

striking lake and mountain views. And 5 Closeburn

Station-a four-bedroom, three-bath, Nordic-stylelodge of schist, kauri wood, and mud bricks by the

New Zealand eco-architect Graeme North-is listed

at $4.1 million.Ownership in Closeburn Station comes with access

to the community's entertaining barn (the old sheep-

shearing shed), stables, equestrian center, and tennis

courts. Owners can hike a network of trails and fish on

Lake Kirkpatrick, and they also receive a one-twenty-

seventh share in the working farm.

Lot 18: Luxury Real Estate, +64.21.530.000, www.luxuryrealestate.co.nz;

5 Closeburn Station: Sotheby's, +64.3.450.0488, www.queenstown

. n zsoth e bys rea I ty. co m

88 RobbReportHome&Style ]ANUARY/FEBRUARY 2O14

Private Properties*

"ae lN ADDITION TO the real esrate

opportunities within resort communities

and other residential developments, the

area in and around Queenstown presents

exceptional private properties for the

consideration of potential buyers. Following

are six listings (current at press time) that

offer different styles and varied settings, the

latter ranging from proximity to the action

of the city to quieter Arrowtown, which is

considered rural Queenstown.

I] 20 ADVANCE TERRACE,

ARROWTOWN

Bedrooms:4

Eathrooms: 3.5

Price:92.75 million

This steel-clad modern residence by the

Auckland firm Fearon Hay Architects affords

views of the Hills golf course and features

an interior courtyard for entertaining, Luxury

q.eal Estate New Zealand, +64.21.530.000,

Nw. I ux u ry r e o I e st ate. co, nz

2 64 SPEARGRASS FLAT RoAD,

QUEENSTOWNEedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3.5

ftice: 92.95 million

-3cated on L5 acres and surrounded by

-ountains (the master suite has views of

:€th the Coronet Peak ski field and the

;emarkables range), this farmhouse-style

-c.ne has light-filled, open-plan spaces. The

ca is ringed with evergreen conifer hedges

tr privacy. Luxury Real Estate New Zealand,

-.54.2 1. 5 3 0.000, www. I uxury realestate.co.nz

3 l31 HOGANS GULLY ROAD,

rqRowTowN

ledrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 3

Price:93.15 million

Connected barnlike structures compose this

modern property, which highlights mature

gardens, a pool, a spa, a sauna, a courtyard,

outdoor pergolas, and north-facing

mountain vistas. Sotheby's, +6 4.i.4 50.048 8,

www. q u e e n stow n. n zsoth e by s re 0 | ty. co m

4}33 AsPEN GRoVE, QUEENSTOWNBedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3.5

Price: $8 million

The 10-year-old Arts and Crafts-style home

boasts leaded glass windows and handsome

kauri wood trim, as well as spectacular

views, Luxury Real Estate New Zealand,

+64.2 1. 5 3 0.000, www. I uxu ry realestate.co. nz

51 9 wHrrBouRN PtAcE,

ASPEN GROVE, QUEENSTOWNBedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3.5

Price: 93.95 million

This modern home is built of local schist

and wood and has enormous windows

looking onto Wakatipu Lake and Cecil

Peak. A spa pool and entertaining space are

outdoors. Touch of Spice, +64.3.450.0855,

w w w. tou c h ofs p i ce. co. n z

5-. 6 FISHERMANS LANE,

QUEENSTOWNBedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Price: 52.595 million

The walls of glass in this open-plan schist-

and-cedar home afford striking views of

Bob's Cove. The property has private beach

access. Sotheby's, +64.j.44 1. 1099, wyvw

.quee.stown.nzsothebyvealty.com f1.s, a,f

*[-ARY/FEBRUARY2O14 RobbReportHome&Style 89