For sale: Kiwi village

A tiny slice of New Zealand paradise is up for sale - an entire village for a cool $1 million.

The small village of Otira (population 40), is located on the west coast of the South Island, tucked into the foothills of the Southern Alps. Now the retired Kiwi owners of Otira, which has a colourful history, are putting it on the market because they no longer have the energy to run it.

Bill and Christine Hennah, who are originally from Auckland, are in their 60s and bought the village in 1998 after falling in love with it while driving through.

"We felt sorry for the dilapidated pub and run-down houses and decided to buy," says Christine.
The couple says they would like to see Otira go to a younger couple bursting with enthusiasm and ideas.

"We need someone to build it up again. There is a lot of potential and opportunity."

Historic little town
The Hennahs are asking for $350,000 for the Otira Hotel or $1 million for the entire village, which includes the school, railway station, town hall and 18 houses.

The hotel has been on the same site since the 1860s, when it was just a Cobb & Co coach stop. It was turned into the Terminus Hotel in 1900 before being renamed the Otira Hotel. Much of the town’s houses are old railway housing constructed in Hamilton and re-assembled in the village.

In its heyday, Otira was a base for railway and road workers due to its prime location - the railway line runs through the village. Visitors knew they could rely on finding hot food, drinks and West Coast hospitality at the end of a trip down Otira Gorge, which cuts through Arthurs Pass.

The village population went into a steep decline in the 1990s but at the height of its popularity in the 1960s, more than 600 people lived in Otira. The town even had a hospital and womens hostel.

Otira Tunnel
The famous Otira Tunnel is an 8.5km railway tunnel which runs between the village and Arthurs Pass. It was considered one of New Zealand’s great engineering feats, because when it was opened on August 4, 1923 - it was the longest tunnel in the southern hemisphere.

Visitors can still pass through the tunnel on the TranzAlpine express, a scenic passenger train dubbed one of the world’s greatest train rides. The 223km journey goes through 19 tunnels and four viaducts.

Natural heritage
Arthur’s Pass National Park is the first national park that was formed in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. It is a popular spot for tramping, skiing and mountaineering.

There are many day walks located throughout the park, but they are recommended for seasoned trampers only. The park has dry beech/tawhai forest in the east, rainforests on the western slopes, and down the middle is a ‘great divide’ of snow-covered peaks and glaciers.

Arthur’s Pass traverses the Southern Alps and was known to early Maori hunters as a route between the east and west coasts of the South Island. The park’s most famous local inhabitants are the kea, a native New Zealand parrot known for its inquisitive nature.