At the top of a hill in Akaroa, you’ll find a striking candy-coloured house with the kind of garden that dreams are made of.
The work of local artist Josie Martin, the Giant’s House is a slice of Gaudí-esque ceramic architecture as if transplanted from Barcelona to the Banks Peninsula and is regarded as a Garden of National Significance.
Terraces are formed from millions of pieces of broken crockery into surreal mosaic sculptures – people, animals, plants – many towering several metres high, bursting with colour and a flamboyant sense of joy.
Abundant flowers, shrubs and laden fruit trees create secret corners where even more artworks lurk.
Relax on a mosaic throne, take a seat at the grand piano filled with succulents, or stroll across the manicured lawns as you soak up the ambience of this special place. The Giant’s House is a testament to whimsy and years of labour and love.
