The Giants House Akaroa
Known as “The happiest garden on earth”, The Giants House Akaroa is well worth a day trip to Akaroa. This house is incredibly playful, with artistic creations, sculptures, ceramics, and everything creative you can imagine.
The Giants House Akaroa was originally named by a little girl who saw it from a distance and said it was so big she thought it belonged to a giant. The name stuck!
Built in 1880 or thereabouts and now restored, it has been recognised as a 6-star “International Garden Of Significance” which is a huge honour. It took 5 years to build, using Totara and Kauri, with an incredible staircase in the Grand Entrance made of mahogany, that I believe was imported from France. The current owner is artist Josie Martin, who has lived there for 26 years and has been working on the concrete mosaic sculptures you will see, for 22 years.
An experienced modern artist, painter and sculptor herself, having won many awards and scholarships, Josie has exibited widely and attended different art residencies around the world, with work shown around the world Josie combined her art while respecting the historic nature of the property, and has created new life to the home. Also trained in horticulture, this was a chance for Josie to combine her 2 passions on the property, as the home had no gardens, so Josie put her knowledge to use and designed a garden, keeping various treasures she found, like old pieces of china, as she went. These were kept and added to her artwork and mosaics so it remained part of the house.
Mosaics were new for Josie when she moved in, and she has been working her way around the property over the years, adding new installations, like the stone carpet in the conservatory, and at the top of the drive, an interactive mosaic named “Place des Amis” Josie still travels overseas each year, learning about new environments and experiences.
Josie’s sculptures are very playful and known as a celebration of life. The entire garden is just stunning, I really can’t recommend enough that you make the drive over to Akaroa when you visit Christchurch. Learn more about The Giants House here
Website: www.thegiantshouse.co.nz
Telephone: (03) 304 7501, Akaroa
Email: thegiantshousenz@gmail.com
