Mairenui Rural Retreat
Mairenui Rural Retreat is not what you would expect to find deep in the farm country of the central North Island and not too far from the dramatic waterfalls and stunning scenery of the Rangitikei Gorge.
This is a quirky cottage, architect designed by John Comeskey in the 1970s. The style is one you will see around New Zealand and in Wellington in particular. The house twists around a sturdy brick core which rises up through the centre. The circular stairway winds its way up through the brick tower and ends in a ladder. This ladder takes you to the second bedroom tucked into a loft at the top of the house.
This house is all about odd angles, exposed timbers, hefty beams, bricks and arches. Cut outs upstairs look down onto the sitting room below. Part sunken lounge, this sitting room is clustered around the wood burner stove which warms the entire house. This stove will be lit for you and pumping out its radiant warmth if you arrive in the colder months. Lovely!
This is a farmland property and outdoors there are beautiful old trees - a 700 year old stand of native trees in fact. Across the fields there is a visible rift which drops away to a gully and small stream below. The drive to Mairenui will take you past stunning tall waterfalls which plummet steeply to the Rangtikei river.
Mairenui Rural Retreat is faintly reminiscent of the castles and forts of centuries gone by. The brick barrel core and the arched windows conjure up visions of the past and create a touch of medieval drama to awaken the imagination.
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