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Home / The Listener / Life

NZ’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer Ep 3: How much for a home on a Queenstown golf resort, or an Eastern spiritual retreat in Westmere?

Russell Baillie
Russell Baillie
Arts & entertainment editor·New Zealand Listener·
28 Sep, 2025 05:00 AM5 mins to read

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Phil Spencer visits (clockwise from left) a zen house in Auckland, a small but perfectly formed Arrowtown house, and a Millbrook home on a golf course. Photos / Supplied

Phil Spencer visits (clockwise from left) a zen house in Auckland, a small but perfectly formed Arrowtown house, and a Millbrook home on a golf course. Photos / Supplied

After the $40 million worth of homes on display in the previous episode, the third instalment in this season of NZ Best Homes with Phil Spencer slumps back to the $30 million mark with some relative shacks compared to last week’s mega-baches. Well not really, given one is a house on a famous golf course, which means its letter box is, er, a fairway from the front door.

And the final house in this episode is a place designed as a spiritual enclave in Westmere, one of Auckland’s most expensive suburbs where, since filming, some well-known neighbours a few houses away have the go-ahead to build a helipad. Which might well disturb one’s zen during the outdoor yoga session.

Throughout, Spencer remains as chipper as ever, despite mentioning being whipped in a round of golf by his host architect quite a few years his senior.

Phil Spencer and architect Francis Whitaker enjoy a chat by the fire at Tommas House in Queenstown. Photo / Supplied
Phil Spencer and architect Francis Whitaker enjoy a chat by the fire at Tommas House in Queenstown. Photo / Supplied

Tommas House/Mill Farm Residence, Millbrook

A near 700 square-metre, five bedroom home this is the highest property among the private residences at the Millbrook Resort in the Wakatipu Basin, where it sits above the 11th fairway on the westernmost of two 18-hole golf courses.

Architect Francis Whitaker says the various adjoined structures of stone and steel is in the style of a Scottish Croft, the old agricultural buildings of the highlands which acted as both human dwelling and barn – which may explain the sheep he and Spencer encounter on the golf buggy ride up to the house.

Though the only farming being done here is divots. It appears that Spencer, a keen golfer himself, is far too respectful to ask any fun questions about having a house on a golf course. Like are the kids allowed a sandpit? Or will that confuse the players?

The layout been angled to take in the geometry of the site and get the best views of the surrounding mountains. And possibly to keep the windows out of the way from errant golfballs or players throwing their five irons in anger.

Designed by Mason & Wales Architects for David and Roz Tommas, the place was completed in 2023.

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What Spencer says: “I don’t know where to look. My head is just spinning, literally spinning. Luxurious high end. For once, I’m completely lost for words.” He isn’t actually. He later adds: “I mean, come on, this one suits me to a tee.”

What the architects say: “Offering expansive views across the Wakatipu Basin, the residence is designed as a refined response to both site and brief, commissioned by returning clients seeking a larger home. The design clusters five distinct croft-like forms; two clad in local schist, three in blackened steel and glazing around a central glazed gallery, uniting the forms while drawing light and landscape into the heart of the home. Strict Millbrook design guidelines shaped the project’s material palette and form, ensuring harmony with the resort and regional heritage and alpine character.”

Discover more

NZ’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer episode two: The eye-watering values of just three spectacular NZ homes

21 Sep 06:00 AM

NZ’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer: What’s in episode one and how much are they worth?

12 Sep 06:00 PM

QV: $17,200,000, estimated market value

To see more go here

Our House in Arrowtown, where the design had to take in Arrowtown’s heritage building restrictions. Photo / Supplied
Our House in Arrowtown, where the design had to take in Arrowtown’s heritage building restrictions. Photo / Supplied

Our House

An Arrowtown family home built in timber and designed by its local architect firm owners Louise and Justin Wright. Two separate buildings built a decade apart and facing each other over a garden courtyard.

The design had to take in Arrowtown’s heritage building restrictions, a desire for uninterrupted views of the landscape behind the town as well as having a Roman courtyard influence from the couple’s studies in the ancient city.

They also wanted something affordable and achievable “Our brief to ourselves was to do something that we could complete and finish,” says Louise. “We’ve got architect friends who do their own houses, and it was like overly ambitious, or they just never finished it. We wanted to contain ourselves to something that we could afford.” It’s a home of clever touches like walk-around pantries and wardrobes. It may prove the least ostentatious home in the series but one of the most memorable.

Designed by Assembly Architects and completed in 2013, and 2023.

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What Spencer says: “It’s small, but it’s perfectly formed. There is not one square inch in this place that doesn’t kind of count for itself.”

What the architects say: “Contemplated in parts and built & improved in stages, the recently finished outhouse for now completes the home, nestled within its established structured garden. Two forms face off across a grassy courtyard, one 10 years older than the other. The established half of the house is finished in black-stained timber, and the newer half is completed in crisp-blonde heat-treated timber.”

QV: $3,140,000, estimated market value which may not include building completed in 2023.

To see more go here

Phil Spencer visits Rawene House/Zen House in Auckland's Westmere. Photo / Supplied
Phil Spencer visits Rawene House/Zen House in Auckland's Westmere. Photo / Supplied

Rawene House/Zen House, Westmere, Auckland

Another house in two sections with courtyard and garden spaces in between, this timber and concrete house on the Westmere waterfront has high ceilings with steep steep-pitched cedar shingle roofs. It’s all part of an attempt to make the place a sanctuary for its owners who have an interest in Eastern spirituality. A dining area and a back deck look out to Meola Reef in the inner harbour.

Designed by Nicholas Stevens and Gary Lawson of Stevens Lawson Architects, it was completed in 2014.

What Spencer says: “Well, it’s only been a couple of minutes looking around and I don’t know if it’s Nicholas or the house, but I’m feeling pretty euphoric.”

What the architects say: “Our client was committed to eastern spirituality and nourishment of the soul, and our role was to interpret this in a New Zealand context with a house that belonged to this place. We aimed to create an earthy and soulful home, a place of spiritual calm and a peaceful haven in the city. It is envisaged that the house will play host to meditation retreats and spiritual workshops. This is also a healthy house specifically designed to minimise toxins and electromagnetic radiation.”

QV: $10,150,000, estimated market value

To see more go here

To see further episode guides to NZ’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer, go here and here.

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