Who created them?

Fairy houses in the big trees

By Holly Shan

Stephen Holmes still remembers the day when he saw the fairy houses in the big macrocarpa tree while he was taking a walk along the beach with his dad, Clive. This huge landmark tree stands on Buffalo Beach. "It's so amazing – the detail of it. I loved seeing them," Stephen said and returned to the tree several times to take photos of the handiwork.

The fairy houses are made of wood and then glued to the trunk and set in at a point of a natural inset in the trunk of the tree. Their creator is a very skilled craftsman or craftswoman. All the furnishings and fittings have been carefully carved and painted, but more impressive is the creativity behind them. It’s a small make-believe community on the tree trunk. Some houses are large, others small, some look simple, some are quite luxurious; some have windows with tinfoil glass, some have walls decorated with jewels, some have decks for sitting outside, while others have rope ladders or staircases for getting up and down. Even down to details such as the door handles, there are different styles. Any walkers or passers-by could not help but wonder what kind of family (Fairy) might live behind those doors.

Evidently, Stephen is not the only one fascinated by this tree. Bill Stevens contacted The Informer to inform the Editor of these delightful constructions. "It gave me a real lift when I saw them,” said Bill. He came across the same tree as Stephen about eight months ago, and then mid-January, he found another one near the playground, not far from the ferry. Even though there are fewer 'inhabitants 'on this tree, it seems this new community has not yet been completed. I am confident that the two fairy house trees come from the same person.

The Informer is keen to talk with the creator. Do you know who she (or he) is?

Please call 07 866 2090 or email: info@theinformer.co.nz