- Helicopter pilot Peter Avery built an off-grid log cabin on a 7.23ha plot in Taupō.
- The property features solar power, a septic tank, rainwater tanks, and a hidden helicopter pad.
- The unique cabin has attracted international interest, with inquiries from buyers as far as Indonesia.
A love of the wild west and frontier-living led helicopter pilot Peter Avery to a forestry block in Taupō.
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Avery told OneRoof he spotted the perfect spot for his off-grid cabin mid-flight and then set about convincing the owner to sell him the 7.23 hectares of land.
He was lucky he spotted 1679 Whangamata Road, in Marotiri, when he did as he had already commissioned New Zealand Log Homes to starting building his cabin.
"I’ve been a rural chap all my life, and my interest in log homes stemmed way back from watching Bonanza on TV in the 60s and 70s,” Avery told OneRoof. "But a log house needs to have the setting.”
The vendor wanted a slice of the wild west, having grown up with TV westerns like Bonanza. Photo / Supplied
Peter Avery spotted his dream spot while flying over the district in his helicopter. Photo / Supplied
He said the block of land ticked all his boxes. “I didn’t want it near the main road. This one’s four kilometres back from the main road, so it’s not just a two-minute drive to get into it,” he said.
“You get a really good view of the lake and the mountains. You see a large proportion of Lake Taupō. If you have a trained eye, you might pick out a couple of barns on the other side of the lake, but they’re very far away.”
Avery, who did the occasional contract work for the owners, convinced them to sell the block to him for $350,000 in 1997. “I had a bit of an in there.” Because the forestry company was concerned about the fire risk of electricity lines through the forest, Avery agreed to go off-grid.
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The property has solar panels, batteries, and inverters, Avery said. “Not huge, but it can be added to. You’ve got your normal 240 volts in the house. There’s also a back-up generator you can turn on from the house if needed.”
The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home has a septic tank for sewage, rainwater tanks, and access to a bore for back-up.
Avery said he had very specific requirements for his home. “To me, you can go too rustic, too Flintstone-y with larger logs,” he said, adding that the home is double-glazed, with a foam tarred strip between the logs acting as insulation.
The property sits on 7.23 hectares and boasts stunning views. Photo / Supplied
The undulation of the land enabled Avery to tuck the necessary hangar and helicopter pad out of sight of the home. The property has deer fencing, although Avery used to let his deer roam the entire property and often found them asleep on the front doorstep when he came home from a stint overseas.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Leanne Hall said the listing was proving extremely popular with buyers, some from as far afield as Indonesia. “A lot of international buyers have inquired about this property,” she said. “I had four international inquiries just yesterday. Interestingly enough, overseas agents from Australia are inquiring on behalf of their buyers.”
The fact that the home was an off-grid log cabin was also a drawcard. “There are plenty of log cabins around the country, but this one has something super special about it,” she said. “Watching the reactions of viewers as they come through the gates is quite humbling. They will stand on the front deck facing the lake, and they won’t say anything for up to 15 minutes. It’s just so peaceful.”
Avery, who owns another home in remote South Westland, said he spends much of his time flying his gyrocopter across the remote Southern Alps. He did contemplate moving his cabin to the South Island, but he eventually decided to put it on the market.
- 1679 Whangamata Road, in Marotiri, Taupō, is for sale, tender closing August 7
