--- description: The entirety of Lake Waitaki village, built in the 1930s and located on New Zealand's south island, is for sale for $1.8 million title: A Deserted New Zealand Village Is for Sale for $1.8 Million image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcb40cea190784a39/69893dc54ee262a7af3133ae/gettyimages-55783137.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [New Zealand](/tag/new-zealand/) ## New Zealand Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Entire Village in New Zealand Is Listed for Sale for $1.8 Million by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 30, 2018 8:46 AM CUT  The lake at the Benmore dam and Power Station in the Waitaki Valley, North Otago, New Zealand is seen on Aug. 8, 2001. The lake at the Benmore dam and Power Station in the Waitaki Valley, North Otago, New Zealand is seen on Aug. 8, 2001.Michael Bradley—Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 30, 2018 8:46 AM CUT A [village in New Zealand](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/for-sale-one-deserted-village-left-behind-in-rush-to-new-zealands-cities "undefined") that has stood mostly empty for three decades is for sale. Not included: neighbors. The entirety of Lake Waitaki village, located on New Zealand’s south island, is on the block for NZ$2.8 million (US$1.8 million), the _Guardian_ reports. According to the listing, the [property](https://www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential-property-for-sale/auction-1664853168.htm?rsqid=089d8f6e2e3f43edafa7ded4d10e604a "undefined") includes eight three-bedroom houses, nine garages, a bar and a 6,300 square-foot lodge. These days, the mountain views also come with plenty of peace and quiet. The settlement was built in the 1930s as accommodation for laborers building the Waitaki dam. At its peak, the village was home to [some 3,000 people](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c%5Fid=3&objectid=12151371 "undefined"), the New Zealand _Herald_ reports. But the scenic spot has mostly lain dormant since 1989 when the dam was automated. The moribund hamlet is emblematic of rural communities that are struggling to survive in New Zealand as the country’s population migrates toward cities. In 2002, [85.7% of New Zealand’s population](http://archive.stats.govt.nz/browse%5Ffor%5Fstats/Maps%5Fand%5Fgeography/Geographic-areas/urban-rural-profile/historical-context.aspx "undefined") lived in urban areas, up from just over 40% in 1881, according to a government statistical survey. Last year, New Zealand’s government launched a [three-year, $3 billion](https://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/regions-cities/document-and-image-library/Guide-to-the-Provincial%5FGrowth-Fund.pdf "undefined") (US$1.9 billion) provincial growth fund to help revitalize outlying regions and create more enticing, higher-paying jobs. **Read more** **:** [_Jacinda Ardern: Up Close With New Zealand’s Prime Minister_](http://time.com/5028891/jacinda-ardern-worlds-youngest-female-leader-new-zealand/ "undefined") The Lake Waitaki village received historical protected status in 1995 after fears that it would be demolished once the dam staff moved. The current landlords, who bought the property in 2011, had [hoped](https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/lake-waitaki-village-market "undefined") to turn it into a corporate retreat, according to the Otago _Daily Times_. The plan didn’t materialize, and Lake Waitaki village [went up for sale again in 2015](https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/historic-village-offered-sale "undefined") as “an investment opportunity.” It could face additional trouble finding a buyer since the New Zealand government [banned](https://www.apnews.com/cb80e520c0e045da9e129302256dca97 "undefined") foreign investors from purchasing homes in August in response to soaring housing prices. Foreigners are still permitted to buy land through the overseas investment office, or if they are New Zealand residents and spend 183 days per year in the country, according to the _Guardian_. Lake Waitaki’s real state agent Kelli Milmine said it was difficult to distinguish New Zealand bidders from foreigners working through domestic intermediaries under the new regulations. But Milmine remained optimistic that somebody would take a shine to the vacant Lake Waitaki town. “It’s simply a matter of [waiting](https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/village-people-wanted-otago-property-hits-global-headlines "undefined") for a person to pay the price we are looking for,” she told the local Otago _Daily Times._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5438625/new-zealand-village-lake-waitaki-for-sale/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5438625/new-zealand-village-lake-waitaki-for-sale/"},"headline":"This Entire Village in New Zealand Is Listed for Sale for $1.8 Million","datePublished":"2018-10-30T08:46:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:52:34.017Z","description":"The property includes eight three-bedroom houses and plenty of peace and quiet","url":"https://time.com/5438625/new-zealand-village-lake-waitaki-for-sale/","keywords":["New Zealand","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcb40cea190784a39/69893dc54ee262a7af3133ae/gettyimages-55783137.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcb40cea190784a39/69893dc54ee262a7af3133ae/gettyimages-55783137.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The lake at the Benmore dam and Power Station in t","caption":"The lake at the Benmore dam and Power Station in t","creditText":"Michael Bradley—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/new-zealand/","name":"New Zealand"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5438625/new-zealand-village-lake-waitaki-for-sale/","name":"This Entire Village in New Zealand Is Listed for Sale for $1.8 Million"}}]}] ```