– Dick and Diane Hubbard are selling their Queenstown home for over $8 million.
– The house features a unique design inspired by an Outward Bound retreat and offers stunning views.
– The property, designed by architect Christine Hall, has attracted interest from local and international buyers.
Ex-Auckland mayor and Kiwi cereal king Dick Hubbard and his wife Diane are selling their multi-million-dollar “masterpiece” home in Queenstown for over $8 million.
The striking three-bedroom house overlooking Lake Wakatipu has been the couple’s base of operations over the past 10 years, but its origins stretch back to 2003.
Dick, who led Auckland between 2004 and 2007 and whose name is synonymous with Hubbard Foods, spotted a sale sign on a plot of land at 114 Hensman Road while out walking one morning in 2003.
He was impressed by the views and thought he and Diane might buy it. However, there was a hitch: the overseas-based owner wanted the place sold in three days. “I went for my morning walk when I suddenly saw the sign. It was 200 metres from our holiday house and had been up for only 24 hours,” Dick told OneRoof.
Dick and Diane Hubbard have used the Queenstown home as their base while out travelling the world on their motorbike. Photo / Hubbard Family Collection
The house roof was designed by architect Christine Hall to resemble the sweep of a tent, inspired by Diana Hubbard’s Outward Bound solo camping experience. Photo / Supplied
“The land agent said the seller was an overseas person who would sell at a good price, provided the settlement was done in three days. I rang the lawyer, who fell off his chair but said, ‘I think we can do it.’ The bank manager also just about fell off his chair.
“This was Monday, and by Wednesday all the details were finished and we had it.”
The Hubbards sat on the sloping 883sqm section for nearly 10 years until they briefed architect Christine Hall to design a home that made the most of the 270-degree views out over the water to the Remarkable Ranges and Cecil and Walter Peaks.
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Dick jokes that his surprise Christmas present to Diana for an Outward Bound retreat (the couple are big supporters of the not-for-profit) ended up costing him more than they bargained for when it became the inspiration for the home’s distinctive sweeping roof.
“When you go on a solo [in Outward Bound] you have a notebook and pencil to write, and, unless you write it yourself, nothing to read,” Diana said.
“I was next to a stream, I had a bivvy [bivouac] made from a tent fly tied between two ponga. And I thought ‘what a lovely roof line’.”
Hall not only gave the Hubbards the sweeping curved bivvy-style roof, but also expanded the house’s references to simple camping style. The modern two-storey home features a ridge and vertical tent poles, and a downstairs toilet that Diana calls a “glamourous long drop”. A sunken living room and a kitchen full of European appliances elevate the home well beyond its humble inspiration.
The house has 270 degree views over Lake Whakatipu, the Remarkables and Cecil and Walter peaks. Photo / Supplied
The split-level living room. Photo / Supplied
Builder Martin Hulsman’s construction earned him a slew of Master Builders’ awards in 2016. The Hubbards said that the architect and builder’s work prompted two sets of neighbours to commission the pair for their own homes.
The 385sqm footprint house was designed to accommodate the couple and their many visitors (each of the three bedrooms has an ensuite) and has outdoor living spaces that offer plenty of options depending on the sun and wind.
The main floor living rooms and master suite have walls of glass to take in the views, while upstairs are two guest rooms and a second living room.
Offices were essential for the couple, who are heavily involved in the local community. Dick’s environmental charity Wilding Pines Control Group continues from his founding of what is now the Sustainable Business Network and chairmanship of the New Zealand Nature Fund. Diana enthuses about the strong community of permanent residents in Queenstown, and their active involvement in organisations such as the three-year-old arts and cultural facility, Te Atamira.
The house has also become the home base for when the couple are touring the world on their BMW motorbike. “We have travelled the world from the top of Alaska to the bottom of South America, from London to Cape Town, from Vladivostok through Europe and central Asia. We’ve been to 85 countries in five major trips,” said Dick.
“We almost crossed paths with Gareth and Jo Morgan [fellow global motorbike travellers] in Russia.”
The couple, who dub themselves “team Kiwi”, travel with just what they can fit in their bike saddlebags, but admit that these days, the tent and sleeping bags are only Plan B if they miss out on accommodation.
Both rate Queenstown as “the best place in the world”.
“This house is wonderful to come home to. It is the most peaceful and serene place,” said Diana.
“The panoramic view changes every day. It is an extraordinary backdrop, an artwork: the cloud formations, the stars at night, seeing the Aurora Australis. Watching the yachts and all the water sports.”
The couple are selling up as they downsize to another home they own around the lake at Glenorchy.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent David Penrose said the property had a guide price of over $8m. “The RV [of $5.61m] is probably doing the property a disservice. In Queenstown, historically, RVs have absolutely no relevance to the market value,” he said.
“The property is something that you don’t see every day. It really is an architectural masterpiece; the Hubbards both had a very good vision.”
Penrose added that he had been fielding calls about the property from both New Zealand and international buyers, drawn to the world-class views and the home’s privacy from neighbours. “At this end of the market, people want something that offers a point of difference.”