Two Central Otago hideaways owned by an award-winning director have hit the market, one of them a converted cafe with a tiny chapel, the other a writers' residence on the Otago Rail Trail.
The charming cottages are owned by Rosemary Riddell, who won a trophy at Hollywood's Moondance Festival in 2007, between her life as a District Court judge.
She and her late husband Mike bought the Oturehua properties while living in Cambridge eight years ago.
Start your property search
The couple were inspired to move south from Cambridge after a holiday in the Ida Valley where Mike spent an evening with local writers, artists, and luminaries.
"He came home, and over a wine he said, 'I've met more interesting people tonight than I've known in Cambridge for the last decade.'"
"I stayed awake all night and woke him in the morning and said, 'How about we move here?', which he was absolutely delighted about."
They converted a former cafe into their home and moved there in 2018.
Rosemary ordered a chapel on a whim when she heard that a local artist could build one. Photo / Supplied
The smaller home has been used as a writer's retreat, with residents coming from far and wide. Photo / Supplied
The property is homely and stylishly dressed. Photo / Supplied
When local artist Phil Flanagan delivered a studio for the backyard, Rosemary decided that she wanted a chapel too.
"Without another word or any discussion with Mike, I said, 'I want one'. So, it duly arrived with its little chapel windows, and we had a friend come to stay, and he bought a little bell for the belfry that you can pull. It is a very restful place."
They also bought the neighbouring property for their daughter Polly, but she died before she could move in.
Rosemary's mother later made it her home, and the cottage was transformed into a writer's residence after her death five years ago.
It has hosted poet Brian Turner, crime writer Paddy Richardson and Ockham New Zealand Book Awards finalist Peta Carey.
Discover more:
- NZ’s biggest outlier: Why Queenstown house prices pulled nearly $1m ahead of Auckland
- Quirky NZ city attracting Americans, expats and first-home buyers - but there's one catch
- Grand Designs NZ's cliffhanger house sells sight unseen to overseas buyer for $1.4m
"We give them a load of firewood, $1000 a week for six weeks of winter and a house," she said.
The residence is paid for in part by funds raised from a writers' retreat Rosemary and Mike set up and which Sunday Times best-selling author Andrew Lownie featured this year.
Rosemary interviewed Lownie via Zoom from her home about his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which details the friendship that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and former wife Sarah Ferguson had with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
"He could not have foreseen the fallout for Andrew from the book. He said he had no idea of the impact it would have. He had to get security, and he got death threats. Sarah Ferguson threatened to sue if he published the book.
Rosemary said he had 20 folders of material, but only used 10% of it for the book, adding that he has a sister who lives in Wellington.
Author Andrew Lownie's voice can be heard at the writer's retreat. Photo / Getty Images
Lownie's recent book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York accused Andrew Mountbatten of serious misconduct. Photo / Getty Images
Rosemary is eyeing the capital for her next move too, so she can be closer to friends.
"I feel very mixed about leaving, but it's time."
Rosemary and Mike raised three children and moved around the world before retiring to Central Otago.
"We are in the Ida Valley, and it is the most beautiful spot with incredible skies and four marked seasons, and we loved it very much."
Rosemary and Mike had been together for nearly five decades when he died in 2022.
"It was a terrible shock. He had always loved Central Otago," Rosemary said.
The couple's love story began in a London flat of 14 in the 1970s.
"The door opened, and two lanky blokes stood there. One was Mike, and I turned on them and said, 'And if you think you're going to live here and not pay your £5 a week, you can think again too.'
"Mike said it was love at first sight. So that was us. It was a real love story."
Riddell says her life has been full of adventures and she hopes whoever buys the properties enjoys them as much as she has.
"I really hope that person has an interest in the arts. It would be lovely for someone to be in the village like a potter who can set up a kiln in the chapel," she said.
The homes are listed for sale with Alexandra-based Harcourts' agent Andrew Little. The main 120sqm home at 3377 Ida Valley-Omakau Road, has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and sits on 1000sqm of land. The second home, at number 3379, is two bedrooms and sits on 1000sqm of land.
Little said potential buyers could include extended families, or people from the wider South Island looking for holiday homes. "Holidaymakers from Dunedin, further afield, like exploring those small villages of rural central Otago. There is a lot of history. Lots of day trips you can take from there."
It could also suit someone interested in running a rail trail-related business, he said.
