A new cedar house on its own four hectares of sauvignon blanc, named for the ranges around it. Tararua and Remutaka across the vine rows, Aorangi running alongside. Long lunches on the deck, something local in the glass, the spa with the hills in front of you. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms, comfortable for three couples or a family. A wood burner for the cold months. Martinborough's square and more than twenty cellar doors are a five minute drive away.



The space

We built Three Ranges in 2026 on a block we already knew well. The four hectares of vines around the house are ours. It went up as a place for our own family before it was anything else, and most of what we got right came from spending time here first.

The house is single-level cedar, raised about a metre above the vines, so the rows run away from you and the ranges sit above them. Full-height glass along the living areas, and a slider straight outside from every bedroom.

The kwila deck runs the length of the house, with three seating areas around it and a barbecue. Two are covered, including one off the living area you can eat in whatever the weather's doing, so there's always somewhere comfortable to sit whatever time of day it is. The fenced section is big enough for kids to kick a ball around in.

The spa is at its best first thing on a cool morning, sitting in the steam looking at the ranges. It's good at night too — this is the Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, and there's no town light out here.

Winter is the Masport wood burner in the living room, with heat pumps through the rest of the house. The same units cool it in summer.

The kitchen is a proper one, with two ovens for when you're cooking for everyone, a scullery to keep the mess out of sight, and a bean-to-cup machine for the mornings.

The main bedroom has its own bathroom. The third bedroom is a super king, or splits into two long singles, which suits friends travelling together as well as it does a family. Porta cot and high chair here if you need them.

There's a study with Starlink if work follows you over the hill.



Other things to note

The house and garden are fenced, so the space around you is self-contained. You'll see the vineyard crew working the rows at points through the season. They stay on their side of the fence.

Firewood is provided through the colder months. The drive in is unsealed and fine for any car.



The house sleeps six and we can't go over it. That's the consented capacity of our wastewater system rather than a preference.