Legendary TV fisherman’s lakeside home for sale

A lakeside home sitting beside a stream teeming with trout and owned by one of New Zealand’s foremost pioneering TV fishing show hosts has been placed on the market for sale.

Overlooking picturesque Lake Tarawera near Rotorua, the lodge-like residence – aptly named Rainbow’s Return – is owned by larger-than-life outdoor pursuits TV personality Geoff Thomas, and is one of only two homes on the fish-filled lake that boasts a trout spawning stream running by the house.

Over a period of some 35-years, Thomas produced and hosted his fishing and hunting series, culminating in the popular show Outdoors With Geoff – with nearly 500 shows highlighting outdoor adventures at locations all over New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and around the world. The last episode of the outdoor shows went to air in 2016.

Jovial Thomas was the pioneer of fishing television in New Zealand, producing his first show in 1981. A journalist trained on the Auckland Star, Geoff Thomas also wrote 12 fishing and hunting books, hosted a Saturday morning fishing show on Radio Sport for 16 years, started and edited the glossy NZ Fishing World magazine, and was a regular columnist for the New Zealand Herald and Herald on Sunday. He also pioneered fishing videos with his record-selling Snapper Secrets in 1990, going on to sell more than 150,000 videos over a range of genres.

Thomas took possession of his Lake Tarawera home on April 21, 2012, and after dark, the passionate fly fisherman went down to the rip where the crystal-clear stream runs into the lake and hooked a trout on his very first cast. As he says: “That was good karma.” The second trout followed with the first cast at 5am.

“Every winter the trout run up the stream to spawn. Maybe a hundred fish at a time. They start running in late April, and the last ones go back to the lake in September. That’s why the property is called Rainbow’s Return,” says Thomas.

“You can watch them in the stream for hours – the males fight over the females and you can watch the whole process… it’s fascinating. In summer, the stream is a popular swimming spot for the kids. You could say this is my spiritual home.”

The shift from Rainbow’s Return will bring to an end some three generations of the Thomas family owning property beside Lake Tarawera, starting with Geoff’s grandfather in 1945 who helped put in the road.

During his time at Tarawera Geoff was an accomplished trout fishing guide, hosting personalities like actors Larry ‘JR’ Hagman, and James ‘The Virginian’ Drury, and golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.

He included stints as president of the Rotorua Angler’s Association, and starting the children’s fish-out ponds initiative which are now so popular at the Ngongataha Hatchery. He was the inaugural president of the NZ Professional Fishing Guides’ Association, and as chairman of the NZ Sport Fishing Marketing group in 1984 Geoff worked to promote New Zealand fishing overseas - attending the IGFA’s inaugural World Angling Conference in Spain where he showed a film catching mako sharks on a fly rod which was a world first – and also represented New Zealand at the inaugural conference in Canberra of the Australian Recreational Fishing Confederation (1986) where he gave an address on how recreational fishing is managed in New Zealand.

Now aged in his 70s and retired from the professional life as a high-profile outdoorsman, Geoff has also sold his beloved boat used for cruising around Lake Tarawera from the jetty at the end of the lawn, and intends spending more time with his children and grandchildren spread around New Zealand.

“I will be travelling around the country – hunting and fishing. “That jetty is unique – one of the very few on the lake where you can leave a boat 365 days a year, protected from any weather,” he said.

Sitting on some 2,365-square metres of flat land surrounded by extensive native bush with the front lawn leading down to the shared jetty, the home at 483 Spencer Road beside Lake Tarawera is now being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Rotorua, with offers closing on April 9. Salesperson Jenny Donne said the four- bedroom Rainbow’s Return truly epitomised the design lay out and style of a rustic yet comfortable fishing lodge.

“The open-plan kitchen, dining and living rooms, lead out onto an expansive raised wooden deck which has unobstructed views over Lake Tarawera. Meanwhile, the view from the master bedroom, which has its own en-suite, is equally spectacular and peaceful.” Donne said.

“Set well away from the road and with magnificent views of the lake, there is plenty of room for the kids to play on the lawn or in the bush before jumping off the jetty for a swim.

“Much of the home’s exterior cladding is in schist stone laid in by hand, while the interior replicates that famous Lockwood style – with pine floorboards, exposed wall panelling, and angled high-stud natural timber ceilings throughout. It was built as a one-off by the owner of a construction company, and he milled the timber specifically for the build, using various timbers.

“Bringing the home’s natural environmental ambience indoors from the surrounding bush, the log burner in the home’s central living area is surrounded by river stone flooring and wall backing to reflect the ambient heat inwards.”

Built with comfortable family living in mind, Donne said that Rainbow’s Return featured an enormous bunk bedroom with its own bathroom and laundry, plenty of space for storing sports equipment such as fishing rods or mountain bikes and a heavy duty, built-in safe for firearms if needed.

There are even two deep freezers locked in an external cabinet for the serious hunter- gatherer. Two external storage sheds – built in a wood panelling style in keeping with the property’s lodge design – are located on one side of the lawn, alongside a trout- cleaning table, separate trout smoking cabinet, and a safe under the trees for hanging fish.

“I always hang my fish, just as you hang a sheep or deer, the flesh relaxes and becomes firm, the skin dries out and they are much easier to process the next day, whether filleting or smoking,” says Thomas.

Thomas notes that last year the smoker processed some 500 trout – with most of the delicious pink meat being shared with fellow Lake Tarawera locals. Frequently used for entertaining, the al-fresco dining at Rainbow’s Return features a substantial concrete block barbeque by the stream, complete with pizza oven.

“There is ample lawn space or secluded spots within the surrounding bush which could discreetly sustain a luxury spa pool or sauna,” Donne said. “It is all there at Rainbow’s Return, just waiting for someone to take over Geoff’s heritage and continue the dream.”