The Giants House - Linton Akaroa Mosaic Sculpture Garden

If you like The Giants House - Linton Akaroa Mosaic Sculpture Garden, you are like NZPlaces. There are few places in NZ that tick more NZPlaces boxes than this one.

Scenic village setting. Historic House. Garden. Art. Sculpture. The sum total is a very visitable place.

The story here starts in 1881 when Akaroa was settling into it's true seaside self, a veritable mix of French, English, and other migrants enjoying the harbour and beginning to see the future as a tourist town. A local bank manager felt fit to build a home much larger than the regular workers cottages down in the town and chose this large plot up Rue Balguerie. Linton was constructed from Totara, and Kauri, which could still be found on the peninsula then, and in fact was being shipped out of Lyttleton to frame the multitude of terrace homes going up in booming Sydney. Inside, the staircase is a rather grand mahogany affair, imported from France, this and many other period features remain intact.

Structural additions were not made until 2009, when an in-keeping two storey addition to the rear enlarged accommodation. And luckily, the earthquakes only caused a little damage which was quickly repaired. The result is a bed and breakfast like no other, with a garden that can be enjoyed by daytime visitors, and in summertime, a cafe.

The current owner and the creator of the experience that the Giants house has become, is Josie Martin, Painter, Sculptor, Mixed Media Artist, Horticulturist and Traveller. Ms Martin has maximised the Victorian details of the building with colourful paintwork, and adorned the garden with mosaic sculptures, planned and detailed and also colourful. There is even a Gallery on the grounds. Plants are as important as art here and the garden itself has been determined a garden of national significance and won awards within that umbrella. Media also love this place, it has featured in many top magazines and documentaries as it continues to grow and flourish.

All NZPlaces needs now are your images, please send them in so we can help share the colourful joy.