Feature article
A beautiful landmark Wānaka property with many options
Boasting 630 m of lakefront land and an olive grove where Richie and Gemma McCaw were married
Last updated: 31 July 2024
To see this idyllic 34 hectare Wānaka lakefront property now, it’s hard to believe that when Jill Stewart Blennerhassett was given the land in the early 1970s by her mother, it was a forgotten end of the high country Wānaka Station. A hard worker, with a flare for growing things, and with the support of her husband, Otago University Professor John Blennerhassett, Jill turned it into a wonderland for their large family.
Barn Pinch Farm, as it’s known, has always had the beautiful views over Lake Wānaka, out to Ruby Island and the glorious Southern Alps, but Jill took a leaf out of her grandparents’ book (Sir Percy and Lady Lucy Sargood) and applied herself to adding value to the land.
She planted a grove of olives, sweet chestnut trees, walnut, almond, macadamia and hazel trees. And grew quince, pear, apple, grapefruit, mandarin and lemon trees, as well as oak, eucalyptus, macrocarpa, larch and large cone pine trees. The property gets its water from nearby Waterfall Creek which was a huge help in her planting, and the rights to the water continue today.
As for the house and surrounding buildings, the couple told the architect, Ashley Muir of Mason & Wales, to design a home that would sleep 20 (the Blennerhassetts had six children) The home, built in 1974, sits 48 m above the lakefront with terraces climbing up to it, and is shielded by a band of Kānuka trees. The family used it as a holiday house for many years while they lived in Dunedin, where John was a Professor in Pathology at Otago University.
Due to limits on second home proportions in the 1970s, the main house has just two bedrooms but there are also two separate exterior buildings with bunk rooms close to the home, each sleeping six. The house and outbuildings were built from timber milled from Douglas Fir grown on the former Wānaka station.
The Blennerhassetts were active members of the Wānaka Tennis Club, and the family-friendly property has a tennis court and a swimming pool.
The accommodation on this beautiful elevated site, also includes a cottage named after Jill’s mother, Billie, which overlooks the olive grove and looks out to Ruby Island.
Billie's Cottage
The olive grove Jill planted turned out so well, that she and John turned it into a wedding venue, The Olive Grove from 2012 and it became an exclusive place to get married, with a client list including Richie and Gemma McCaw. No surprise then that there has been approval for helicopters to land.
One of the beauties of this rural property is its proximity to the small but special town of Wānaka with its charming cafes, restaurants and entertainment. It’s just a short stroll along the lakefront track into town, and by the way, the property enjoys ownership of 630 sqm of lakefront.
Possibilities for a new owner
Given the growth of this popular alpine town, the new owner of Barn Pinch Farm may consider selling off part of the land at this property for housing. Zoned predominantly for Rural use, to change to housing will require resource consent - not a given in Wānaka as billionaire Peter Thiel has found.
Barn Pinch Farm, close to Edgewater Hotel and Rippon Vineyard, owned by another family member, sits perfectly for future subdivision, says Prime Real Estate’s Phil Gilchrist, a Wānaka property specialist.
And if someone wants to come and substantially renovate or even replace the home, the fact that there’s a pre-existing house there will make this a lot easier to do, he adds.
Barn Pinch Farm at 280 Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Road, Wānaka came on the market in mid July through both Prime Real Estate and Bayleys Commercial Christchurch, and has attracted interest already from both local and international buyers. Those from out of town who may use it as a second home will most likely fly into Queenstown and make the hour-long drive to Wānaka or take a helicopter to the property, says Phil.
“Barn Pinch Farm is going to be attractive to someone who wants to have it for the family and is looking for total privacy,” he believes.
The new owners may also want to immerse themselves in the Wānaka community as the Blennerhassetts did. John and Jill and her family before her were active philanthropists in the area, living permanently at the home after retiring in 2001 until their deaths within a month of each other in 2022.
It’s time for a new family to start their own story at this priceless location. They will be grateful for the invaluable work done by the previous owners. The agent’s indication is that this extraordinary property is likely to exceed $20 million when it goes to tender on October 8.
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