- Christine Rankin, former Work and Income New Zealand chief executive, is selling her Taupō home.
- Rankin faced significant public backlash during her tenure due to her welfare reforms.
- She became a Taupō District councillor and Lake Taupō Hospice chief executive after moving.
There was a time when former Work and Income New Zealand chief executive Christine Rankin couldn't walk down the street without being abused.
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Once a regular face on the national news, Rankin received threats and became, in her own words, "the most hated woman in New Zealand" - all for doing her job.
"I had a police protection squad, I had bullets with my name carved in them. I couldn't go out in the street, I was spat on," Rankin told OneRoof. It was all linked to her ambitious reforms of the welfare system.
More than two decades later, Rankin is selling the Taupō home that marked a new chapter in her life.
Rankin and her husband, Kim MacIntyre, have lived at the "incredibly private" 3005sqm property for 11 years. Photo / Supplied
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home has been a great canvas for Rankin's impressive art collection. Photo / Supplied
Taupō was not on Rankin's list of places to move to, but a weekend visit with her husband, Kim MacIntyre, changed everything. The couple were living in Auckland, but city-life was suffocating MacIntyre.
"He was a builder, and he'd be out and about, and he'd just be desperate because he couldn't find his way around," Rankin said. "He finally said, look, we, we just need to live somewhere else."
They found 58 Gillespie Place, in Acacia Bay, on their third day in Taupō, and bought soon after. "It's been a very, very happy home," she said.
Rankin threw herself into town life - she became a Taupō District councillor and chief executive of Lake Taupō Hospice - but the shift wasn't an easy one.
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"I came here thinking they were going to be delighted because of my leadership experience and [involvement] in councils and health boards," she told OneRoof.
Instead, one local gave her a blunt welcome. "A woman told me on the footpath to take my big ideas to Paekākāriki because they needed me and Taupō didn't."
But Rankin wasn't deterred, and her determination to make a success of her move paid off. "I can't go down to pick up a cup of coffee and think I'll be back in 10 minutes because it never works that way. People talk to me everywhere, and I love it," she said.
"I love Taupō, I absolutely love it. I never want to move from here. We may move houses, but I can't imagine leaving this town."
The large home with an open plan kitchen is being pitched as the perfect home for a young family. Photo / Supplied
Rankin said she and her husband were selling up because they had spotted another large home for sale on a smaller site. "That came about by us just popping into open homes now and again just out of interest," she said.
They'll miss their "Country retreat", though. "It's a very relaxing, very private place to be and that's been important to me.”
The four-bedroom home, which sits on a 3000sqm section, is a reflection of Rankin's personality and is filled with the art and religious memorabilia she has collected over many years.
Ray White agent Rosie Harvey, who is marketing the property with Nikki de Ville, said the art room, which sits immediately beyond the entrance, was a highlight.
"When you walk in the house, it feels really trendy and cool. That art room is a real conversation piece. Then you look outside to the garden. You could have a wedding there or a very nice party."
The lounge, art room and main bedroom all have direct access outside while the north-facing orientation provides natural light and views across the established grounds. "It's a very classy house.”
Harvey said the Taupō market had remained steady, with sales occurring where vendors are realistic about current conditions. "For properties where vendors are accepting market conditions, they are selling and moving on."
She said 58 Gillespie Place, which has an RV of $1.54m, would suit a family looking for room to stretch their legs. "It's ideal for a younger family, kids, pets, you know, it would be wonderful for a young family to take over it and just really enjoy it. I think that's what I want to get across."
Rankin said that despite more than four decades in public life, she had no plans to step back. "There's no way I'm going to fade into the background. You watch this space."
- 58 Gillespie Place, in Acacia Bay, Taupō, goes to auction on August 14
