Offers in for $9m-plus modernist ski lodge at Thredbo

Offers for Sastrugi Lodge, Thredbo’s priciest snow offering, are under consideration after its expressions of interest marketing campaign closed last week.

Offers are under consideration for Sastrugi Lodge, Thredbo, with a $9m-plus price guidance.

Offers for Sastrugi Lodge, Thredbo’s priciest snow offering, are under consideration after its expressions of interest marketing campaign closed last week.

It has been listed after 25 years ownership by builder Tim Casey, who heads the troubled construction company St Hilliers.

It came with a record $9m-plus price guidance through ­Michelle Stynes at Forbes Stynes Real Estate.

The heritage-listed leasehold 1950s lodge with distinctive semicircular facade was designed by architects Otto Ernegg and Eric Nicholls for Andrew Thyne Reid, who chaired James Hardie until his death in 1964.

The engineer headed the ­syndicate that developed the snowfields at Kosciusko Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains.

The modernist-style lodge was restored along with an award-winning extension by ­architect Rob Brown. It was ­rebuilt around two decades ago by Bellevarde Constructions with stone, zinc, timber and metal aplenty.

Its renovation won the RAIA Canberra Medallion for the ACT top housing award and the MBA’s house additions award in the $500,000 to $1m division.

Sastrugi is one of only a handful of Thredbo properties with five bedrooms facing north on the slopes.

The modernist-style lodge was restored along with an award-winning extension by ­architect Rob Brown.

The high-altitude village could do with some snow falls as the ski season officially got under way amid low stock levels. The winter season runs from the Kings Birthday long weekend until the October long weekend, conditions permitting, with the weekend’s live cameras showing just a few on skis in pitiful snow under the sun at Friday Flat.

According to realestate.com.au, there are 14 properties for sale, including Drift Hill through Stynes and colleague Alex Cherry.

It has been listed by Heidi and Pavo Walker from the Mooloolaba-based tuna fishing company.

The spacious master bedroom suite at the stand-alone 100sq m Diggings Terrace chalet has remote-controlled Ralph Lauren linen blockout curtains. The lounge showcases an Escea gas fireplace.

The kitchen is adorned with a Carrera Staturia marble benches.

“The property stands out as one of the most exquisitely designed ski homes in Thredbo, catering to the most discerning families of skiers or mountain biking enthusiasts,” Stynes said.

There have been four sales so far this year on realestate.com.au after 16 sales in 2023.

Entry point into the Thredbo set 500km from Sydney is a studio at $485,000.

South but north

Mt Buller in Victoria has the priciest listing of the Australian Alps with the Monarch lodge billed as the largest residential offering. Since its listing on completion last year, the Summit Rd offering has had a $10m asking price through Zach Adams at Adams Estate Agents.

It is a 630sq m, six-bedroom single level space in a collaboration on the edge of Bourke St between Matt Taylor at Pearl Development Group and Luke Fry Architecture & Interior Design, with furnishings by MCM House. Mt Buller, a three-hour drive from Melbourne, has some 80km of ski runs.

Stirling Lodge, the nearby three-level Summit Rd listing, remains for sale now with a July 19 expressions of interest campaign through veteran agent John Castran at Castran Real Estate.

Its initial price guide of $9.75m this time last year has been revised to $8.25m for the five-bedroom freestanding chalet designed by architect Professor Peter McIntyre of McIntyre Partnership. According to realestate.com.au, there are 30 properties for sale at Mt Buller, starting at $310,000. There have been eight sales so far this year after over 30 sales in 2023.

High-country haven

Off-mountain Buttercup Retreat at Merrijig has been listed by Luke and KaganWilliams, who have made a sea-change to Noosa. The six-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on 6ha with creek, bore and water tanks some 15 minutes from Mt Buller.

McGrath Mansfield agent Kate McDougall has the 477 Buttercup Rd listing priced at $2.95m.

Marketed as a luxurious high-country haven, Buttercup Retreat is managed by Alpine Holiday Rentals from $1936 a night.

Buttercup Retreat, Merrijig.

‘Extraordinary building’

Artist Kate Litchfield has listed her three-level Georgian-style townhouse at Cooma the gateway to the NSW Snowy Mountains, with $1.8m price guidance.

The 1860s brick house has six bedrooms and three bathrooms on its 1339sq m holding. McGrath Cooma agent Shannon Fergusson has the Lambie St listing which was built by local builder JJ Mawson whose family held it until 2008.

Litchfield is from the pioneering family who settled on the Monaro plains in the 1860s, five generations ago after James Litchfield travelled from Essex, England.

She is planning to downsize and travel and have more time on her visual arts projects.

“I wanted to preserve it for another 200 years,” Litchfield said. “It’s such an extraordinary building – I’d walked past it often when I was young and always wanted to see inside.

“The advent of Snowy Hydro has bought a lot of people here.

“We have nice restaurants and cafes popping up.”

PropTrack puts its median house price at $520,000 after 123 sales in the past 12 months.

The three-level Georgian townhouse on Lambie Street, Cooma.

Long-weekend mode

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless noted a quieter week for auctions given the Kings birthday long weekend in most states.

The 1281 auction tally was down from 2380 the week prior to the lowest volume since Easter. The preliminary clearance rate fell to 67 per cent across the combined capitals, the lowest early clearance rate so far this year.

Adelaide stands out with 85 per cent of properties securing a successful result, while the ACT dropped to 52 per cent its lowest this year.

Auctions bounce back this week with around 2300 homes, then 2100 in the week after.

Sydney had the nation’s highest advised weekend auction sale set close to the harbour at Hunters Hill.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment sold through McGrath Hunters Hill agent Matt Ward at $9.55m with three living zones, a terrace with views of the Harbour Bridge and city skyline, and a private marina berth.

The ️single-storey Le Vesinet Drive offering had a $8.75m price guide.

It is set in the Pulpit Point Estate, with residents’ pools, tennis courts and a clubhouse, pioneered by the late developer Sid Londish. The 1990s development completed by NatWest Bank was on the former Mobil oil terminal.

The next highest weekend sale was Rockfield, an 1890s Queenslander overlooking the Brisbane River, that fetched $6.6m at its onsite auction at 19 Leopard St, Kangaroo Point through Place Bulimba agent Sarah Hackett. There was no sale price disclosure for the nation’s dearest listing, 24 Lancaster Cres, Collaroy which came with $10m hopes.