Home to roost
Rachel’s new slice of paradise
She’s toured the world in her pursuit of beauty, but Rachel Hunter has found her own slice of paradise right here in Godzone.
The Kiwi supermodel, 48, has bought a secluded lifestyle block in Pakiri, an hour north of Auckland, a place she’s visited for decades due to its beautiful and largely deserted white-sand beaches.
The blonde bombshell paid nearly $1 million for a simple but stunning two-bedroom bach on five hectares of land, making the owners an offer they couldn’t refuse before it went to auction.
Shrouded in native bush and surrounded by rolling farmland, the property is the first Rachel has ever bought in New Zealand and, in typical Kiwi fashion, is already home to a family of sheep.
The new house has been a sanctuary for the model, her children, Renee, 25, and Liam, 23, and her older sister Jacqui after a difficult year that saw her beloved mother Janeen Phillips lose her 18-month battle with cancer.
Rachel has since delighted in hiding herself away, driving to the beach in her late mum’s trusty old Volkswagen Golf, catching some sun in the sand dunes and walking in the hills.
An accomplished rider, Rachel has also been seen visiting horses at Pakiri’s well-known riding stables, possibly with a view to owning one, according to locals.
A real globetrotter while filming her TVNZ 1 series Rachel
Hunter’s Tour of Beauty and recently spending time in India to qualify as a yoga teacher, the newly appointed international ambassador for Auckland tourism is expected to make increasing use of her Kiwi nest.
Spending more time at home with her mother strengthened her connection to Aotearoa. Rachel writes, “My bond to my homeland represents the incredible matriarch that gave life to me.”