French Chateau On Large Estate Grounds Is Placed On The Market For Sale

A grand French-styled chateau home overlooking a sprawling rural estate been placed on the market for sale by receivers.

Constructed in 2002, the European inspired-mansion at Ngatimoti some 12-kilometres south-west of Motueka in Tasman Bay, was known as Monterey House.

The home comprises an enormous living space of 1,144-square metres – encompassing eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, five separate living areas, a library, office/media/music rooms, two vast kitchens each bigger than would be found in a standard Kiwi home, and a basement wine and dry foods storage cellar.

High wrought-iron gates attached to imposing stone pillars stand at the entrance to the tree-lined driveway leading up to the house and its park-like lawns, shrubbery, and gardens – set out in a Western European landscaping design.

The palatial castle-like concrete and wood three-storey residence was originally built as a family home, but for some seven-years, also ran as Monterey House - one of New Zealand’s most successful food and beverage operations… with 17 full-time staff serving morning teas, lunches, and afternoon teas, and often booked out weeks in advance.

Sitting on some 27.34 hectares of rolling countryside with glorious, elevated views to Mt Arthur, the grounds originally comprised a full working nine-hole golf course with mown irrigated fairways and manicured greens interspersed by a myriad of lakes and ponds for a truly challenging golfing experience. The course employed two fulltime greenkeepers.

However, such was the success of Monterey House as a café, restaurant, and function venue that the family who owned it and ran the business never got to enjoy the luxury lifestyle estate as they had intended for themselves, and the business closed in 2011.

With the once pristine golf course now reverting back to nature and resembling paddocks of rolling countryside farmland.

The magnificent French chateau and its 27.34-hectares of land at 64 Thorpe-Orinoco Road in Ngatimoti has been placed on the market for sale by receivership tender through Bayleys Nelson, with the tender closing on March 21. Salesperson Daniel Reed said that while the ‘bones’ of the chateau remained as they were from years ago, the building was in need of substantial refurbishment.

“It’s not a job for the faint hearted. It would be like undertaking a project you’d expect to see on the TV home building show Grand Designs…. and the results would be just as spectacular,” Mr Reed said.

“The 3.6-metre-high ceilings for example on the ground floor rooms create an air of grandeur rarely seen in in modern provincial New Zealand home. Upstairs, some of the bedrooms are comparable to five-star hotel apartment suites – with their own lounges and walk-in dressing rooms.”

Mr Reed said the estate could be purchased as either a private dwelling requiring remediation work or, subject to council consents, the property could potentially be converted into a high-end accommodation lodge. A fire escape allows emergency exit from the second floor.

Multiple large private al-fresco paved courtyard spaces – previously used as part of the Monterey House café/restaurant business – surround the homestead. One courtyard has its own outdoor fire with pizza oven.

The Ngatimoti property comprises three separate land titles. Blocks one and two – sustaining the house, a gazebo cottage with its own gardens and wrap-around veranda, a retail shop, two machinery storage sheds, and the former golf course land – have to be sold as one unified site. The third title consists of 5.87-hectares of lifestyle block countryside which could be developed on or on-sold as surplus to requirements.

A diesel-powered boiler provides central radiator heating, along with underfloor heating in the kitchen and formal dining area.

Click here for more information on the listing.

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