10 New Zealand Homes That’ll Inspire a Trip to the Edge of the Earth

Curled into a natural amphitheater, this gentle timber house turns to face the sun rather than the sea. Responding to the landform, its simple semicircle creates north-facing spaces sheltered from onshore winds. One corner braves the sea cliff, facing the salt and spray, but most of the house is surrounded by bush and orients toward a small valley, the ocean all the more present for being ignored formally. The site holds vivid childhood memories for its owner, Tom Bowden. His
parents purchased the coastal farm in the 1960s, and he grew up exploring the landscape alongside his five siblings. Forty years later and the Bowden family are returning 90 percent of the farm to native bush. Setting aside a small site for each family member, they sold five lots to fund the reforestation of the remaining 110-hectare estate, all of it protected under the QEII National Trust.