- James Jenneson is selling his property near the Abel Tasman Coast Track to move to England.
- The 12ha site, named Kauri Creek, features three tiny homes and native plantings.
- Jenneson, known for the Cardrona Hotel, is relocating to support his aging parents.
A man who made his name at one of New Zealand’s most recognisable pubs is now selling a rare slice of paradise at another New Zealand tourist icon: the Abel Tasman Coast Track.
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The sale of 70 Harvey Road, Kaiteriteri, comes with a twist. James Jenneson, of Cardrona Hotel fame, spent years looking at property listings to find the perfect site for a planned Grand Designs-style home.
Now, two years after making that dream come true, James, his wife Fleur, and their two children are selling up and heading to England to support his aging parents.
It’s a bittersweet move. “I’ve been in New Zealand 21 years, and when I first came over, I travelled around as people do, and I went on the Abel Tasman [Great Walk], and it kind of blew me away,” Brit-born James told OneRoof.
The Abel Tasman Great Walk starts right in front of the property at 70 Harvey Road. Photo / Supplied
The property has three tiny homes as well as water, sewerage systems and new bridges. Photo / Supplied
“I was lucky enough to marry a girl who is from the area. When we were living down at the [Cardrona] pub, we used to come up and see the in-laws quite often, and we always used to visit Marahau and do a walk into the Abel Tasman.”
A move to the area was always on the cards. The couple bought a house in Māpua, close to their kids’ school and activities, and then two years ago, they snapped up 12ha in Marahau for just under $2m.
“I’d always been looking at Marahau on sites like OneRoof, waiting for one of the little baches to come up. I must have spent years, but you’d never see anything for sale in Marahau,” he said.
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When 70 Harvey Road came on the market, he knew he had to have it, although the decision to buy took some time. “We started coming up with ideas about what we could do. We’ve seen the Grand Designs show, and you get a bit carried away thinking, ‘Oh, we could do this, we could do that’. I kept looking at [the listing] periodically over a couple of months, but I was a little, ‘What am I going to do with such a big spot of land? I’m not a farmer’.” In the end, the family took the plunge and bought the property, which came with two tiny homes (the family added a third since buying).
The land used to be part of Old McDonald’s Holiday Park, which provided New Zealand experience holidays to Singaporean students. Among the activities the students took part in was native planting on the block the Jennesons now own.
“I’ve spoken to [the park owner] Craig McDonald, and he said they used to come over and they did all this native planting. So there’s just the most amazing selection of, you know, New Zealand natives. There’s even kauri, which is why we’ve called [the property] Kauri Creek. Everyone says they don’t grow in the south. There are probably close to a dozen [here].”
The property also has streams and a pond. “It’s just such a special place,” James said.
Friends Cade Thornton and James Jenneson turned the Cardrona Hotel into a thriving business before selling it last year. Photo / Supplied
The hotel is a New Zealand icon, and sits in the Cardrona Valley, on the scenic route between Wanaka and Queenstown. Photo / Supplied
The only thing separating the 12ha block from the water is a strip of land owned by Iwi. “There’s nothing built in front of us,” he said, noting that the Abel Tasman Great Walk starts “right at the end of our property. We’re literally on the edge of the National Park”.
James said the three tiny homes have been perfect for hosting visitors.
“It’s a great setup. We can invite other families. The kids can play in the streams, go to the beach. In summer, Marahau comes alive. You’ve got the Park Cafe for wood-fired pizza and a beer. It’s just great. Lots of barbecues. A typical Kiwi summer.”
Unfortunately, the family’s dream of building something special on the land won’t be realised. “We’re heading back to the UK. My folks [there] are getting old. It’s been a really tough decision,” he said.
“We’re not going to realise the dream of what we could build [on the land], but hopefully the right person will fall in love with it as we did. We’ve done a lot of work, tidied the place up, put in lots of bridges, and done heaps of planting. We have put our mark on the place, but it’s for somebody else now.”
It’s not the only special property James has farewelled. Last year, with his friend and business partner Cade Thornton, he sold the Cardrona Hotel, in Queenstown-Lakes.
James and Cade bought the famous watering hole in 2013 after a chance visit. They had been on a road trip together in a classic sports car, and stopped at the Cardrona Hotel for a beer. The pitstop led to them buying the building and business.
“Cade and I bought it in February 2013. I worked there for the first couple of years, and Fleur was there with me. We realised we only needed one manager. Cade was the more natural publican. I was more back-office. We left in 2015, and I became a silent partner.”
The listing for the Cardrona Hotel was one of New Zealand’s most viewed last year, and the property ended up selling to a group of New Zealand investors.
Bayleys Richmond agent Ali Staite and Lydia Heyward are handling the sale of 70 Harvey Road. In their listing, they write “there are very few places left where children can spend their days exploring streams, building huts in the bush, cooling off in crystal-clear water and growing up surrounded by nature. Kauri Creek offers exactly that.”
- 70 Harvey Road, Marahau, Tasman, is for sale, deadline closing July 29
