A rare 199-hectare freehold estate elevated above Lake Tekapo has been brought to market, offering an exceptional combination of high-country scale, contemporary architecture and complete privacy.
Located at 1640 Lilybank Road, approximately 17 kilometres from Lake Tekapo township, the estate sits within the internationally recognised Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Its elevated position delivers uninterrupted 360-degree views across Lake Tekapo, the Mackenzie Basin and the Southern Alps.
At the heart of the property is a 330sqm, four-bedroom homestead designed by architect Charlie Nott and completed in 2019. Siberian larch, western red cedar and aged steel give the residence a refined high-country character, while expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing draws the surrounding landscape into its light-filled living spaces.
Inside, oak floors, soaring timber ceilings, wood fires and full climate control provide year-round comfort. Multiple formal and open-plan living areas allow the home to move easily between quiet retreat, family living and large-scale entertaining.
LJ Hooker Lake Tekapo property consultant Steve Howes said the estate was distinguished not only by its size and setting, but by the way every element had been designed around privacy, independence and the landscape.
“High-country properties of this scale and position, offering genuine seclusion so close to Lake Tekapo, are extraordinarily rare,” Howes said.
“The architecture captures the drama of the setting without competing with it. From almost every part of the home, the eye is drawn across the lake and towards the Southern Alps, so the landscape becomes part of everyday life.”
Beyond the main residence, the estate includes a standalone 75sqm air-conditioned executive studio, boardroom and guest suite. Separate from the homestead, it creates a private setting for remote work, strategic meetings, discreet hosting or additional accommodation and could lay claim to being one of New Zealand’s most remote boardrooms.
A second retreat, known as Sally Hut, is positioned approximately one kilometre from the main home. The modern, solar-powered off-grid alpine cabin offers complete separation and immersion in the high-country environment.
A substantial 294sqm seven-bay shed provides extensive space for vehicles, aviation assets and recreational equipment. A long private ridge access road and on-site helicopter landing capability further enhance the property’s discretion and ease of arrival.
One of the estate’s defining lifestyle features is an outdoor hot tub set on a natural ridge vantage point near the homestead. By day, it overlooks the alpine landscape; after dark, it becomes a front-row seat beneath some of New Zealand’s clearest skies.
“This is much more than a home, it is an extraordinary expanse of freedom,” Howes said.
“An owner could host family and friends in the main residence, work or meet privately in the executive studio, then retreat to Sally Hut for complete isolation. Few properties combine that versatility with such outstanding architecture, views and access to the night sky.”
Howes said the estate would appeal to buyers seeking a private New Zealand base, an executive retreat or a generational high-country holding.
“The scale of the land, the quality of the buildings and the proximity to Lake Tekapo make this a genuinely scarce offering,” he said.
“It provides the solitude people associate with a remote alpine estate, yet the township is only 17 kilometres away. That balance is extremely difficult to replicate.”