- Former rower Giacomo Thomas is selling his Cambridge cottage to join a Hawke’s Bay farm.
- Thomas won international sculling medals before retiring in 2019 and retraining as an electrician.
- The renovated 110sqm cottage sits on 727sqm and has an RV just shy of $1m.
A former championship rower is selling his Cambridge cottage for a new life on a Hawke’s Bay farm.
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Italian-born Kiwi Giacomo Thomas spent much of the 2010s winning medals in international sculling events, but he retired to Cambridge, where he got married and started a family.
Giacomo and his wife, Bianca, bought the historic cottage at 65 King Street in 2024 for $850,000 after welcoming their two sons. They never expected to sell so soon, but an unexpected opportunity to start a new chapter on a sheep and beef farm in their old stomping ground changed their plans.
The farm belonged to Bianca’s family. “We were like, ‘We’ve gotta give this a go’,” Giacomo told OneRoof.
Giacomo first emerged onto the rowing scene as a teenager. He started attracting national attention competing at the Maadi Cup regatta and representing New Zealand at junior level.
Giacomo, left, in 2009 during his rowing heyday. Photo / Warren Buckland
Giacomo and Bianca bought the King Street cottage in 2024 for $850,000. Photo / Supplied
He was part of a generation of New Zealand scullers competing during a period when the country’s rowing programme was among the world’s strongest.
In 2009, Giacomo was a member of the New Zealand junior men’s quadruple sculls crew that won bronze at the World Junior Championships. Thomas progressed through the Rowing New Zealand pathway into the under-23 and elite programmes based at Lake Karapiro, which is the reason he moved to Cambridge, like many other young rowers.
Giacomo’s other notable international results included sixth place at the World Under-23 Championships in the men’s quadruple sculls in 2012, a silver medal at the World Under-23 Championships (men’s quadruple sculls) in 2013 and being a member of New Zealand elite crews at World Cup and World Championship level through the latter half of the decade.
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After missing reselection to the national squad in 2019, Giacomo retired. He had studied for two degrees during his rowing years: one in exercise and sport and another in computing and maths, assisted by a Prime Minister’s Scholarship, then changed tack and trained to become a maintenance electrician at Fonterra.
He also spent several years coaching rowing at Cambridge High School, but these days, with a young family, he doesn’t have time to get out on the water as much as he used to. Instead, Giacomo watches his mother and father-in-law compete at masters level in rowing.
“I have small kids. I do a bit of cycling and a bit of mountain biking, and that’s about it really. Life is very child-based outside of work at the moment.”
The couple have also been busy renovating.
The couple have renovated the cottage and given its character features a new lease of life. Photo / Supplied
“We’ve reroofed, done a lot of recladding, did a bit of landscaping, [and] polished it up.”
Set on a 727sqm section, the 110sqm home has an RV just shy of $1m. Property Brokers agent Jason Tong is marketing the property, with its character charm, space and prime location among the standout selling points in the OneRoof listing.
“Set privately behind established hedging, this charming Cambridge villa offers all three, with some important updates that make it feel ready for its next chapter,” he wrote on OneRoof.
“The master bedroom enjoys its own ensuite along with an adjoining side room that opens to the deck. Whether you need a home office, nursery, dressing room, or simply some extra space, there is plenty of flexibility here.
“Central heating keeps things comfortable through the cooler months, while the home is designed to make the most of natural airflow during summer. A separate bathroom complements the ensuite, making everyday family living easy.”
- 65 King Street, Cambridge, Waipa, is for sale, deadline closing September 10
