Transformations Supervised by Australian shepherd Clapham (named after the London suburb where the McGregors used to live), Jo, Angus, Hamish and Bonnie make good use of the Italian commercial pizza oven which is big enough to cook a large leg of lamb. Global affairs Who says long-distance relationships never work? Not the McGregors of Wanaka, maintaining transcontinental love and designing the house of their dreams from the other side of the world words lisa scott photographs tessa chrisp 104 nzlifeandleisure.co.nz NZ Life & Leisure 105
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Clutha River is a favourite spot for family paddle boarding; snuggled comfortably into a sheltered valley, the house is built of local schist, echoing the rustic look admired by the McGregors in villas in the south of France and lodges in North America; furniture in the main living area strikes a transcontinental note with a leather couch from Selfridges in London, a beige sofa from New York and kilim-covered cushions found in Morocco; ornamental pears line the long driveway to the front gate. IF YOU WERE GOING to paddle board the Clutha, Hamish McGregor would be the one to talk you into it. The water s so clear, he enthuses, it s like floating on gin. Overnight flit to Morocco? Bet that was Jo McGregor s idea. Don t worry, despite her born romanticism she would have researched it extensively. The McGregors are adventurers in the old sense of the word, globe-trotters with the gift of the gab, happy-to-rough-it thrill seekers. A conversation with the two of them is a tumble through ideas, places and people you come out on the other side mentally punching the air, resolving to complete your bucket list. A couple profoundly in the now, excited about the future and inspired by the past, this is also a good way to describe the design ethos of their house in rural Wanaka where Jo grew up holidaying, the building of which was an adventure all of its own. When Jo and Hamish met in New York in 2000 it was bad timing. Jo had just arrived from London, working for an advertising company, three weeks before Hamish s job as a trader for Bankers Trust was due to send him to London. Caught up in the drama and excitement of life in the Big Apple, the last thing either of them expected was to fall for a fellow Kiwi. Their first date wasn t easily forgotten: a limousine to a rap play, fine dining followed by literally (if accidentally) closing down a nightclub; a boisterous evening lit by the strobing lights of fire appliances that cemented the love, as Jo says. Nine months of zigging and zagging between the two cities ensued. Who s this Scotsman you keep talking about? asked Jo s mum. She couldn t believe he was from Te Awamutu. Funny thing was, they had spent their adult lives just missing each other attending university in Christchurch, sharing mutual friends. Proving it s a small world after all and that if you go away far enough some things get closer, the ebullient McGregors were wed at the Cardrona pub in 2004, cheered on by an unusual mix of ski bums and high financiers. Wanaka meets New York, complete with an ice sculpture of the Statue of Liberty used as a vodka slide. It was only a temporary home-coming. Hamish was a natural prize for head-hunters, snapped up to work for Morgan Stanley, while Jo forged a career with the BBC. Juggling three years in London and three years in New York, along came first Angus, now 10, then Bonnie, eight, and just when they thought long-distance relationships were over and done another began, this one with Dunedin architect Richard Shackleton. t 106 nzlifeandleisure.co.nz NZ Life & Leisure 107
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A same-level paved outdoor area extends the living space; the painting above the sofa where Angus practises guitar is by Scottish artist Graeme Wilcox, bought at an exhibition in Eton; Jo dresses the mantel of the oversized fireplace for Christmas; busts of the children were made by British sculptor Jane Hamilton; Hamish and Clapton are always ready for a picnic. Make a house a home The stonemason was a portrait artist and perfectionist prepared to go above and beyond, hiking two and a half hours upriver to find the perfect slab for a pizza oven that, according to Hamish, needs two bottles of wine and three opinions. One wall of Barley Fields is home to a secret. Hanging in pride of place in the living room is a John Pule painting that Hamish s mum, who died 10 years ago, left Angus. Hidden in the backing is a letter she wrote to be opened on his 21st. Don t tell him. I don t so much look for any item as wait till something makes me fall in love with it, says Jo, who has things heavily wrapped and tended on flights after they ve been biffed about in taxis, shuttles and ferries. Favourites include a small leather-bound Shakespeare collection from a wee antique shop at the end of our street in Clapham, a special pottery water jug from Ronda, Spain, and a set of hand-painted plates and bowls from Corsica. Apart from an electricity-free, cold-water hut on Rakino Island, where the McGregors spend Christmas and the kids go a bit Lord of the Flies, they d never owned a house before. Hamish bought six hectares of subtly undulating meadow after a whirlwind threeday visit in 2001 at the tail end of a search taking in Melbourne, Queenstown and Sydney. Bidding blind from London, and off to the pub to celebrate their success, Hamish bumped into a bloke who said, That used to be the barley fields of my grandparents farm. Well, of course it was. Engaging Richard in 2003 with the instruction to start day dreaming, the McGregors sent him hundreds of pages of sketches, photocopies, examples of things they liked and didn t like for two whole years before the actual building started, watched on webcam from overseas. Around the world in 800 phone calls, at 8.00pm and after a few wines they would clock in, just as Richard was getting into the office at 8.00am New Zealand time. Holy moly! says Hamish of the project s scope. A feat of engineering involving reconfiguring the entire site, London-based landscape architect Sam Martin dug it and flipped it, snuggling the house into its own tussock-clad valley, out of the prevailing wind. The white crowns of snowy peaks girdle the view, like a smiling giant with a mouthful of mountains. Making their way back to New Zealand in an unorthodox caravan taking in Sweden, Corsica, France, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland furnished the final fruits of a lifetime of global gathering: kilims from Istanbul, Breton clogs from a flea market in Paris, a Spanish birthing chair from Antwerp, chairs from the Conran shop, a wig-makers wooden head (hair still attached) from the Cotswolds. Everything from Africa got nicked at the scody flat I was dossing in in the 90s, says Jo. Weirdly they haven t bought a thing since, this eclectic collection all just somehow working together. But then providence has always played a part. As the proverbial hit the global financial, Hamish s dad had a quadruple bypass coming home was perfect timing. A sprawling hacienda built on a massive scale with huge wooden doors, three-metre-high windows and jarrah beams sourced from a Tasmanian wharf, Barley Fields could easily be cold and austere. Instead it s warm succour for weary travellers, a true homestead rich with communal spaces. Sunlight falls through a broad colonnade, the fire pit cries out for singing and story-telling and the alpine-echoed roof peaks encourage visitors to scale new heights of conversation. t 108 nzlifeandleisure.co.nz NZ Life & Leisure 109
Boating to a beach near Emerald Bluff on Lake Wanaka for a barbecue is a favourite family outing; the view looking back towards Glendhu Bay. 110 nzlifeandleisure.co.nz NZ Life & Leisure 111
Forks Road cook club This was created in 2011 by Jo and friend Kirsty Hewitt to meet the need for a local cooking class. Resident chef Brona Parson owns the Federal Diner in Wanaka as well as Raspberry Creek Catering and here demonstrates a dish to Anna Howard, Jenny Chisholm, Justine Quirke and Vee Oatley. Guest chefs at the school have included Julie Le Clerc. You never know how many friends you have until you own a house in Wanaka It s so inviting, the welcome almost wore itself out. We had 100 people stay in our first 10 months, says Jo. You never know how many friends you have until you own a house in Wanaka. Deciding some of that entertaining might as well pay, mad professor Hamish ( his brain fires from one thing to another ) started Xplore Wanaka, elite hosting for companies, board groups and sensitive international VIPs who often arrive with bodyguard entourages and non-disclosure forms. Daunting? No. After a while everyone s just people. Hamish is crazy for heli-biking, paddle boarding and skiing, and under the influence of his contagious enthusiasm they often find themselves doing the unexpected under an azure sky. Born networkers, the McGregors draw business like iron filings. You d hesitate to call them entrepreneurial though. There s a fine line between that and just being an idiot with an idea, says Jo, a firm believer in due diligence. Having loved the vibrancy of bigcity theatres and galleries, she belongs to an art group which buys and rotates New Zealand art works appreciated by Xplore guests when they re not gobsmacked by the sight of six helicopters on the lawn, a famous chef manning the braai or a buck hanging from the rafters. Dazed by their own daring, muscles aching from negotiating the tricky bit of the Matukituki, they might then be served hors d oeuvres made by Jo and friend Kirsty Hewitt who, having found no cooking classes in the area, created the Forks Road Cook Club. After 16 years away it s nice to be back in old stomping grounds, although it s a long time since Jo snuck into a spa pool at the THC Hotel. Still, you wouldn t put it past her. Hamish relishes Wanaka s air of quiet achievement, a place where the kids see up-for-anything triathletes and champions, not braggers sporting the badges of wealth and success so beloved of New Yorkers. Being here keeps them grounded. We re very lucky, says Jo, who knows life is what you make it and sometimes luck is fate. While this effervescent pair hasn t settled down for a nanosecond, for now at least the McGregors are happy to let the world come to them. Jo and Hamish welcome the end of a busy day, watching the sun set behind Mt Roy as they relax in the spa pool. PURVEYORS OF THE FINEST CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND PERSONAL INDULGENCES. www.isabelharris.co.nz Shop 3, 1 Teed Street Newmarket, Auckland 112 nzlifeandleisure.co.nz NZ Life & Leisure 113