An artist’s impression of one of The Ayr Residences’ landscaped courtyards. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Amongst high-end Queenstown properties, three sections at the Ayrburn hospitality precinct are likely to be some of the most prized. The only freehold Ayrburn lots that will ever be for sale, they’re priced from $9million to $12m, and range from 8560 square metres to 1.2 hectares. Owners can either commission their own design in keeping with Ayrburn’s vernacular or use one by Cromwell’s Jessie Sutherland, who’s been responsible for the precinct’s other buildings. They’re eight- or nine-bedroom pavilion-style homes with a main living area and separate quarters for guests and staff and, including the land, would set you back $36m-plus. Ayrburn developer Chris Meehan says people often ask if they can buy his home nearby. "I’ve never been a seller but these are broadly based on the architecture of my house." He had the lots ready for sale early this year but held back pending the recent softening of the foreign buyer ban — "we expect at least one of them will be bought by a foreigner". "We’ve had quite firm interest from very, very qualified buyers." Facing north with big, but private, formal gardens, ‘The Ayr Residences’ are named after clearly-visible peaks Crown Peak, Mt Soho and Coronet. Ayrburn’s 1800s founder William Patterson, he says, "could have chosen anywhere in Queenstown to build his house and he chose this site for a good reason because it has the best soil, best sunlight, best water and best views". The listing agents are Bayleys Queenstown’s Sarena Glass and Jimmy Allen.
