Region's top home is a rabbit warren

A renovated rabbit warren bunny-hopped the competition to take out the top spot at the Wanganui Registered Master Builders 2005 House of the Year and Commercial Awards on Saturday.
Local Master Builders traded Estwing hammers for wing-tipped collars at the glitzy event which saw Richards Construction Ltd judged Builder of the Year and the winner of the Residential and Placemakers Supreme Award for their makeover of a Taihape home.
Homeowners Sherie and Owen Batley were rapt for their builder's win and Mrs Batley said the MC's description of the house pre-renovation as a "labyrinth" was charitable.
"I would have called it a rabbit warren!," she said.
Richards boss Richard Ellery accepted the award at the Wanganui War Memorial Hall amid cheers and whoops of congratulation from the audience and thanked all involved with the renovation of the Batley home and the awards.
"I'd like to thank my builders and subcontractors?and I'd like to thank the judges. To everyone here tonight, we have seen some excellent entries and the standard of the Wanganui/Rangitikei region entries are as good as, if not better than, the rest of the country's.
"I think if you look at other regions you will see we are well up there?so to everyone, thank you, cheers," Mr Ellery said.
The Batley's said they designed the renovations for their circa 1915 home with Hamilton architect Antanas Procuta and then worked with Mr Ellery and his team to make the plans come alive.
Mrs Batley said they were very pleased with the result which had seen the home retain its historic character within an updated and modern design.
"It still has its character but its quite modern, its lovely," she said.
"I just love the layout: it flows and it really has a peaceful feel. It's a bit of magic," Mr Ellery said.
The main award topped off an upbeat awards ceremony presided over by hard case comedian Pio Terei assisted by Pam Cronin of the event organisers, Bridge Associates. "Let the ceremony begin?I feel like that Tamaki guy! Sorry, they just come out," he cracked in opening.
The jokes continued with Pio saying he'd like to add that the building didn't leak after Pam had finished reading a long list of accolades for one of the entries.
A range of top-notch buildings were showcased during the evening ranging from the recycled glory of the new Postie Plus building to the contemporary cosiness of a 21st century farmhouse.
Postie Plus in the Ave, constructed using materials from the old DIC building, won the award for commercial building of the year.
Paddy O'Donnell of O'Donnell Building Ltd said he was "blown away" by the award and thanked his team.
"We are incredible proud of this building and we tried as much as was humanly possible to use materials from the old building."
Baden Brown of Baden Brown Builders Ltd was up next to collect his award for a New Home category winner.
Like all the award winners he thanked his subcontractors, suppliers and the home owners who had contracted him.
"I'd also like to pay tribute to my wife Glenda, she's the backbone of the business and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here," he said.
Mr Ellery followed to collect the Heart of the Home Kitchen Award and was haggled good-naturedly by the crowd for neglecting to thank HIS wife?so Pio did the job for him.
"I'd just like to thank Richard's wife too?that'll cost you a beer later mate," he said.
DML Builders were also big winners on the night, taking home a swag of awards accepted by company boss and man of few words David Corney.
"Cheers," he simply said in the shortest acceptance speech of the night.
"That's good; he's a worker not a talker," Pio quipped.
The awards were followed by a celebratory dinner and the winning entries now go on to compete in the national stage of the competition.