This home was featured in Sunday Magazine, the national lifestyle magazine in New Zealand. Contemporary but with a distinctive cabin feel and native New Zealand timber throughout. The 164 square meter house is nestled on a secluded back section at the end of a shared driveway. The beautiful Port Hills with the Bridle Path nature reserve is the “back yard.” While the house is only 15 minutes from downtown Christchurch, it feels as if it is in the countryside as birds and sheep meander through the hills. Each room in the house has a stunning view of the Lyttelton Harbour and the Banks Peninsula beyond.
Expansive, open floor plan on the ground level with three skylights that let in heaps of natural light. Japanese sliding doors open up to the ground floor office. The kitchen has modern, stainless steel appliances and is fully stocked and flanked by the dining area, a mini lounge, and the office, and on the other side a larger lounge area.
The house sleeps 6, with one queen bed, one double bed and one single bed with a pullout trundler bed.
Central heating/central air conditioning throughout the home and underfloor heating in the master bathroom. Also an antique-looking wood burner for your use. The whole house is fully insulated with double and secondary window glazing.
Just off the main bedroom, the ground floor has a full bathroom with a sink, toilet and walk-in shower. There is also another small restroom with a toilet, sink, washing machine and clothes dryer on the ground floor. The upstairs bathroom has toilet, sink and a claw foot tub/shower. All linens and towels are included.
There is a small mezzanine workout area with a gym-quality treadmill, bicycle and rowing machine if you want to keep fit indoors.
In addition, there is an outdoor tub on the secluded back deck for a bit of luxury (the site automatically lists this as a 'spa pool,' but it is an outdoor, fully plumbed bath tub). It is bliss! The kitchen has modern, stainless steel appliances and all sorts of random kitchen gadgets if you wish to cook at home.
Outside:
Parking is private and off-road.
There is a gym-quality elliptical machine outside in the carport.
The home has three distinct decks: A large rooftop timber deck with table and chairs has great 360 degree views of the hills behind and harbour ahead. On the bottom deck, a porch swing looks out to the harbour. There is also a new, fully plumbed, outdoor tub on the secluded back deck for a bit of luxury!
A swing on a great Ngaio tree, 18-metre slide, and flat lawn complete the back of the property.
The town:
Lyttelton is a wonderfully eclectic, artsy, harbour village of approximately 3,000 people and is just 15 minutes outside of downtown Christchurch. A short stroll down the hill brings you to the main street. There is the outstanding Super restaurant, an Indian restaurant, NomNom (Thai), a sushi restaurant, The Shroom Room (a great vegetarian cafe), Bomba (wonderful pizza) and Arbour (another exceptional pizza place), a Greek souvlaki spot, an upmarket fish n' chip restaurant, several excellent bars (Forty-Two, Civil and Naval, and the Wunderbar), as well as a small, but well-stocked grocery store, an organic grocer, coffee shops, bakery, dairy, health centre, liquor store, library, ATMs, chemist/pharmacy, magazine/book store, several gift shops and hair stylists/barber.
On Saturday mornings, Lyttelton holds an excellent farmers market that brings people in from miles around. Lonely Planet included this farmers market as central to what makes the Banks Peninsula a worldwide "foodie" destination.
The entire town of Lyttelton has been declared an official historic area by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This includes our former gaol, cemeteries, steep streets, 19th-century timber cottages and volcanic stone walls throughout the town.
There are many stunning hill and coastal walks that begin within close proximity to the house. Also on offer from Lyttelton are cruises around the harbour or a short boat ride out to Quail Island.
Lonely Planet recently listed Christchurch as one of New Zealand's most exciting cities and the 6th best city in the world to visit.