Latest news with #RyanSanders
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Earnscleugh Castle lovingly restored to former glory near Clyde
- With careful planning and research, Marco Creemers and Ryan Sanders have overseen the restoration of the 1920s mansion. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd A palatial 1920s building near Clyde is on the brink of a lavish new chapter, painstakingly restored from years of mould, rodents and neglect. When husbands Marco Creemers and Ryan Sanders put the finishing touches on their house - affectionately known as Earnscleugh Castle - later this year, it will boast an airy ballroom, a pool and sauna, a seven-foot entranceway chandelier, a library with a sliding ladder and even a special room for their beloved French bulldogs with heated floors. The pair said they were not only creating their dream home, but capturing its storied past for locals and visitors to enjoy. "We want people to feel a sense of glamour, a sense of realness... and to take an interest in the stories of the property and its place in the fabric of Central Otago," Sanders said. Sanders, from Christchurch, and Creemers, from Auckland, had hunted for the right property for eight years, when they came across the 21-bedroom brick mansion in 2022. Creemers conceded it was "really bad student flat material", full of mould and rodents, surrounded by waist-high lawns and not watertight, with unsafe electrics and broken plumbing. "But I think we just fell in love with it," he said. "We knew we wanted a bit of land and something we could add value to. As soon as we drove up the driveway, before we even got inside, we kind of said to each other, 'Oh my God, we're going to buy this, aren't we?'" Creemers' extensive commercial property background and Sanders' business acumen, as the owner of Haka House Hostels, made for a workable pairing. Earnscleugh Castle was built in the 1920s by Stephen Spain on land once owned by Sir William Fraser - now it's getting a new lease of life a luxury dream home. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd "I need to be honest - my practical skills, globally, would sit in the bottom 10 percent," Sanders said. "Marco's very handy, thank God. "He's my hero." Foremost, the two knew they wanted to make Earnscleugh Castle a home, but also renovate it, so it could be run as a boutique hotel. That meant adding ensuites to each bedroom and creating what Sanders called "an engine room, of sorts", where guest linen could be stored and meals prepared for visitors. The pair also knocked down walls in the west wing, where the cook's sleeping quarters and breakfast room were, to open up a large kitchen and modern living area, reducing the total to 16 rooms. The building was uniquely designed, with access between rooms entirely via balcony, rather than internal corridors, due to the 1920s flu pandemic. While the external corridors were later closed in, due to the frosty Central Otago winters, Creemers said the couple decided to open them back up using a recessed glass wall. He said their vision fell neatly into place, after they commissioned an architect and an interior designer to each create a new floorplan. "We also did our own one together and the three of them were pretty similar, so that was kind of a nice thing. When they all came together... there was not much difference in them." The pair recruited local tradespeople to repair the roofs, build three ponds for water security and, most time-consumingly of all, carry out 18 months of extensive earthquake repair work. "Basically, we opened the house right out," Creemers said. "We took all the ceilings down, and architraves and skirtings off, and then tied all the joists and rafters to the brick walls with bolts and ChemSets. "Then we had to concrete-cut through the brick walls and put carbon-fibre strips, epoxy those in. That all ties into the exterior plastering, which will have a carbon fibre mesh in it to earthquake-strengthen it." The couple have carefully restored the damaged ornate plaster ceilings, removing them, making casts, recreating them in panels and then gluing them back on, in what Creemers described as "all a big trick". Throughout the renovation, Sanders and Creemers lived in a coach-house located right behind the castle, which they said would ultimately become a 365-day-a-year bed and breakfast. Earnscleugh Castle was built in the 1920s by Stephen Spain on land once owned by Sir William Fraser, who first released rabbits into Central Otago. The lower floor of the eastern wing is being transformed into a ballroom, while the airy bedroom above boasts a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite with a freestanding bath. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd Fraser went bust, but Spain made his fortune exporting the rabbits to Europe, Sanders said. "It's amazing how some people see a problem and another see an opportunity. Spain definitely had that entrepreneurial flair." Throughout the renovation, he and Creemers connected with descendants of past owners, tracing the castle's century-long journey. They learnt that a bricked-up window on the west wing was the result of two feuding brothers who lived there - a feature they decided to retain. "It's been a journey right up until now," he said. "The amount of people reaching out through social media, the access to photos that we've had from the families that have lived here that they've sent across to us, the stories that I've shared, which are just verbal history... it hasn't been written down. "It's been absolutely amazing how engaged the three main families have been that have lived here previously and everything that we've found." The project stalled in 2023, when the Central Otago District Council declined a resource consent for external plastering. Sanders said the pair had worked closely with Heritage New Zealand to itemise and document their changes, and retain the property's original character. "We were pretty gobsmacked," he said. Penny Clark has swapped council meetings for a caravan on the Earnscleugh Castle lawn, restoring the grounds and helping with pest control. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd While the couple eventually got the go-ahead, Sanders said it cost a year off the tools and "a lot of money spent on consultants". Due to that and other changes, he conceded the project was now "eye-wateringly" over budget. However, help came from an unexpected quarter - former Queenstown Lakes District councillor Penny Clark, who was nearing the end of her sixth year on the council, when she read about the Earnscleugh Castle project in the newspaper. "I knew that council voting was going to come up and I thought I can't manage another three years of this bureaucracy," she said. "I saw it from the front page of the ODT one day and thought, 'God, that's got my name written on it', so I rang and bingo." She lived in a caravan on site, and mostly made sure the sprawling 30 acres of lawns and gardens looked respectable. "I managed to coax the chap next door into bringing his tractor over and cutting the lawn, and that's how Penny's grass started," she said. Clark also became the resident pest controller. "Council put you on wildlife trusts and youth trusts and all these trusts, and you suddenly learn all these other tasks, so I had another string to my bow," she said. "I could kill possums. "The first 12 possums I killed one night, I lined them all up and took a photograph, and sent it to Marco up in Auckland. He came back saying, 'Oh, the poor wee things', and I thought, 'Oh, we're going have to knock this bloody city life out of him'." Clark said she looked forward to the day she could put her feet up with a gin and tonic, and start reading all the history material about the property that Sanders had compiled. The renovation was "on the home straight", she said. Sanders and Creemers expected to finish the internal work by October, in time to host a family Christmas and Creemers' 60th birthday - the first celebrations in the reborn castle. They have documented the transformation on the Earnscleugh Castle Instagram and Facebook pages, but the interior remains under wraps, both online and to media, until it debuts on Grand Designs . Even before the renovation is complete, Sanders and Creemers said their dream had been realised. "We got 30 acres of land bordered by a beautiful river," Sanders said. "We've got some Varlais sheep, which we've just started to breed. "We've got this mess of big trees all around the house - it's just beautiful. Now we just want a relaxing, beautiful - bit bigger than we imagined - house space," Creemers said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NDTV
29-05-2025
- NDTV
6 Of The Quietest Places In The World That Feel Like Hitting Mute On Life
Let us be honest, silence is getting harder to come by these days. The constant background honking, buzzing phones, and packed public spaces make noise pollution feel impossible to escape. But if you are someone craving calm, there are a few places in the world that go way beyond the usual 'quiet'. Think: zero noise, zero distractions, and plenty of space to reflect. From silent deserts to eerie forests, these peaceful travel spots can shift your entire mood. If you have been looking for the quietest places on Earth to travel to, here are six that are not just peaceful but surprisingly powerful. Here Are 6 Of The Quietest Places In The World 1. Orfield Laboratories Anechoic Chamber, Minneapolis, USA The quietest room in the world is not outdoors - it is in a lab Topping every list of silent places in the world is this famous soundproof room in Minneapolis. According to the official site, it absorbs 99.9 per cent of sound and holds the Guinness World Record for the quietest place on Earth, hitting -24.9 decibels back in 2021. The moment you step inside, your body becomes louder than the world—you will hear your own heartbeat and even the sound of your joints. 'Fascinating' is one word, but 'creepy' works too. The lab now doubles up as a testing site and an eerie attraction for sound-curious tourists. 2. Zabalo River Wilderness Quiet Park, Ecuador A true natural escape in the heart of the Amazon This patch of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon is proudly the world's first official Quiet Park. It is run by the indigenous Cofan community, who keep the place free of any man-made noise. There is no traffic, no tech, and no crowd. Instead, you get the rainforest soundtrack—chirping bugs, rustling leaves, and flowing water. It is not just about what you hear, but also what you do not. The peace here feels like a full mental reset. 3. Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana Where the silence stretches out as far as the sky View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Sanders (@sandmanrds) Spread across a huge 3,900 square kilometres, this salt flat in Botswana is a blank canvas of nothingness. During the dry months, it feels like you are walking through a silent planet. With very little wildlife and almost no human presence, it is just you and the wide-open sky. The silence is so deep, it messes with your sense of space. If you are chasing peaceful travel destinations with soul, this is it. If you want a feel of it, check out the video shared by Instagram user @sandmanrds. 4. Aokigahara Forest, Japan An eerie forest so quiet, it feels like nature is whispering Tucked at the base of Mount Fuji, this forest is known for its dense greenery and haunting calm. Nicknamed the Sea of Trees, the thick trees and lava rock underfoot absorb sound like a sponge. The result? One of the quietest places in Japan. Sure, it has a mysterious vibe, but if you can shake off the ghost stories, you might just find the stillness you need. 'Introspective' does not even begin to cover it. 5. Haleakala Crater, Maui, Hawaii Silence at 10,000 feet - literally This massive volcanic crater inside Haleakala National Park is next-level quiet. At over 10,000 feet above sea level, the sound drops down to 10 decibels, which is just the sound of breathing. No cars, no people shouting into phones—just wind and your own heartbeat. If you want to unplug and reconnect with yourself, this is one of the most peaceful travel destinations to visit. 6. Kelso Dunes, Mojave Desert, California, USA Where the sand sings and silence surrounds you View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jessi (@jessionaquest) The Kelso Dunes are famous not just for their size but also for their stillness. Out here in the Mojave Desert, there is no crowd, no plants, and hardly any animals. So, when you hike, the only sounds you hear are your own steps and the breeze. Oh, and the sand 'sings'. Yes, seriously—the grains shift and make a deep, low hum, often called booming dunes or singing sands. If you are after offbeat, peaceful places to travel, this one is a must. If you want to know what it looks like, check out the video shared by @jessionaquest. Which of these silent destinations are you adding to your travel list? Tell us in the comments—we promise not to make any noise about it.
