PHOTO: Country House Hunters NZ. FREEVIEW
Residents of Otematata have exposed a reality TV scandal involving the Country House Hunters NZ show hosted by Matt Gibb on TVNZ 1. The featured couple, searching for a holiday home in an episode aired on Wednesday, January 10, already possessed the first home showcased and intended to sell it.
The controversy, disclosed on the local Otematata Facebook community page, unravels further. A property title search reveals that Paul Edward Reeves and Adrienne Joy Reeves were the prior owners of 27 Rata Drive, Otematata (house number one), which was sold last November for $647,000—long after the show was recorded. They had apparently owned the holiday home for 30 years, but it now belongs to another family.
On the show, Paul and Adrienne expressed interest in the second house they viewed, located in the same street. Investigation indicates that this house was sold at the end of April 2023 ($620,000), shortly after the show was filmed.
VIEW THE EPISODE HERE
The Reeves, identified as directors and shareholders of Rata Management Limited, are now listed as the current owners of 38 Rata Drive, Otematata.
During the show, the couple was unknowingly introduced to their own house by Matt Gibb, who remarked, “Let’s see if I can impress them with this one.” The subsequent scenes portray the couple walking up the path as if experiencing it for the first time, with Gibb highlighting recent property improvements, including a new roof.
Despite the revelations, the TVNZ spokesperson defended the show’s production constraints, stating, “There are occasions where the magic of TV will factor in” due to time limitations and housing stock availability during filming.
Additionally, residents expressed discontent on Facebook about the show’s inaccurate depiction of Otematata’s location, with Gibb describing it as “two hours north of Queenstown” instead of the more accurate “about an hour inland from Ōamaru.”
Otematata, situated in the Waitaki district, has a population of only 183 permanent residents (2018 census) but is a favored holiday destination, offering various recreational activities around the hydro lakes constructed for the Aviemore and Benmore dams’ workers in 1958.
SOURCE: STUFF