- Lake Ōhau village has rebounded five years after a fire destroyed 48 houses.
- Buyer interest is rising, with property prices ranging from $300,000 to $5 million.
- The village attracts those seeking a tranquil, non-commercialised alpine environment with stunning views.
A tiny alpine village has bounced back five years after a bushfire almost wiped it off the map.
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Agents have told OneRoof they've noticed an uptick in buyer interest in Lake Ōhau, in the Mackenzie Country, where prices start at just over $300,000 but can reach up to $5 million.
There are about 100 homes dotted in and around Lake Ōhau. Most are baches, with the village's population jumping during the holiday season. The tourist spot hit the headlines in October 2020 when a fire burned through over 5000ha of land and destroyed 48 houses.
No one was killed or seriously hurt, and residents have worked hard to rebuild the community there.
Almost half of Lake Ohau village was destroyed in 2020 after a massive fire broke out. Photo / Supplied
Mike Neilson, who has lived in the village with his wife, Louise, for 35 years, told OneRoof there were barely any signs of the fire now. Most of the houses have been rebuilt or replaced with relocatable homes.
Neilson, who is in his 70s and selling the popular 72-room Lake Ōhau Lodge and Ōhau Snow Fields, said Lake Ōhau tended to attract holiday-goers who wanted to escape the crowds and queues of the busier alpine towns.
“We publicise the lack of queue and crowds and special snow and scenery, and we often say, 'But don’t tell anyone else, it’s a secret for you.' Because we like enough people for a business but don’t want too much to spoil what’s good about it.”
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Neilson said people were hooked once they experienced the tranquil natural environment and large open spaces around the village.
“They usually hear about it through the bush telegraph or from friends. They usually come back year after year.”
In winter, the powdery snow conditions are the closest New Zealand comes to the Rocky Mountains in the US, he said, while in summer, cyclists can ride the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail from the lodge.
One Agency agent Coralie Reid is similarly enthusiastic about the village. “The drive into Ōhau is simply stunning – it decompresses you. Surrounded by farm, QEII covenant and DoC land, you see tarns on the way in, then a weeping corner brings Lake Ōhau into view and Ben Ōhau Range,” she said.
The owners of Lake Ōhau Lodge and Ōhau Snow Fields are selling up after 35 years to retire. Photo / Supplied
Ōhau Snow Fields in the Mackenzie Basin is one of the key reasons people visit the area. Photo / Supplied
The closest towns - Twizel and Omarama - were both a 30-minute drive away, but the fact that there were no shops only added to its appeal, she said.
“People see it as an alternate destination because of the fact it hasn't been commercialised. So, people are really wanting that special space,” she said.
“Everything is accessible, and you take everything in [with you]. If you’re there for a weekend, you take in your two loaves of bread, your two litres of milk, your plunger coffee, your bacon and your eggs, and you don’t need to go out to the shop. And people like that, they like the fact that you are there and not nipping down to the shop.”
Reid said that properties were very tightly held, with just eight appearing on the open market since 2024.
Sections can be picked up in the mid-$300,000s, including this 654sqm property at 35 Ōhau Drive with an asking price of $369,500. Photo / Supplied
A newer three-bedroom, two-bathroom property at 98C Ōhau Drive is for sale for $1.25m. Photo / Supplied
“It’s families buying off other families that know each other and all that kind of thing.”
But there were options for those wanting a slice of the village.
“It’s a market where you can get entry-level or go as top-end as you want to. You can buy a 700sqm section with amazing alpine views, or hey, fill your boots and buy something from Sotheby’s for $5.75m.”
All the properties at the top of the hill have big alpine views, but those that also had views of Lake Middleton or even wider views of Lake Ōhau fetched a premium. Log cabins were also popular in the alpine setting.
“Some people have got full Lake Ōhau views. Some people have got a mixture of Lake Middleton and other ones. Other houses people look out the kitchen window to get their own ski field report. It’s just that big majestical alpine environment.”
Lake Ōhau has breathtaking views of the snow-covered alps and sparkling lake. Photo / Coralie Reid
A large 743ha recreational lifestyle lakeside section carved off from Lake Ōhau Station is looking for a buyer with $5.75m to spend. Photo / Supplied
Reid said some sections had been sitting vacant since the village was developed in the 1980s. One such property was a 654sqm plot at 35 Ōhau Drive, which has an asking price of $369,500. The owner bought it to build a holiday home, but their plans had changed, and they were now selling.
There are fewer houses for sale, but these include a newish three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 98C Ōhau Drive, which can be picked up for $1.25m.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Russell Reddell said the pristine environment was “hard to knock”, especially with the glacial lake and ski field right on the doorstep.
“It’s easy to get to, but it’s a pristine natural environment with a national park out the back, and it has the Alps 2 Ocean bike trail on the doorstep.”
Reddell said people from around the country went to Lake Ōhau, but it was especially popular with those within a four-hour radius, which includes Wānaka, Dunedin and Christchurch.
“There’s a whole raft of people who go to Lake Ōhau… The masses will hang around the cities and the big resort areas, but for those who like a more intrepid option - it’s easy to get to, but it’s very quiet.”
Reddell is currently selling some of the village’s premium properties - four large recreational lifestyle blocks that had been carved off from a high-country station.
The sections ranged in price from $2.25m for an elevated 229ha block to $5.75m for a 743ha lakeside block with a consent for a seven-bedroom home.
They were attracting interest from New Zealand buyers and expats seeking a natural alpine environment, he said.
“It’s someone who can identify with having a big lakefront section or big wilderness block in a natural alpine environment. Again, the price tags probably knock out most people because it is rare.”
- Click here for more properties for sale in Lake Ōhau
