Noel Edmonds bought a $30m town in New Zealand - and locals are divided
Fans may be missing Noel Edmonds on British TV, but the former Deal or No Deal star has been busy cementing a new life for himself in New Zealand.
The presenter and his wife Liz have practically bought an entire town in the Motueka Valley and the project has proved divisive with locals.
The Guardian reports that Noel spent $30m on 12 properties in the area, including a house with farm, as well as a café, vineyard and a pub that he's named, The Bug*er Inn.
While it is an enormous boost for the local economy, some neighbours are not best pleased.
Speaking to the New Zealand website Stuff, one local said: "I feel like he's a coloniser. He's come in like the lord of the manor." Another remarked: "He's got this attitude... about how he's improved the place and made it amazing - it was already amazing."
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Whereas visitors to the River Haven estate seem to be bowled over. One fan commented on Noel's Instagram: "Love love love River Haven! I would lift it up and move it slightly closer to Richmond if I could just get there more often! Congrats on creating such a fantastic destination - hope to get there this weekend."
Noel has been keen to defend his decision to snap up so many properties. "I'm here ... to give, to make a difference. My love has always been the environment, the countryside. I haven't just been buying property for the sake of it," he told Stuff.
There was also a dispute with Noel's farm he purchased, with the former owners claiming they were confronted by Noel with a "take it or leave it" offer, but the star has refuted these claims, saying that the above market offer for the farm left the sellers "over the moon".
What has Noel said about his community? "Liz and I had always harboured the ambition of creating a Positivity Haven-a place where like-minded people could come together, express opinions, offer guidance and share life experiences. Our search for the perfect location eventually brought us to New Zealand and the paradise of the Motueka Valley, where we’ve created our River Haven.
"At times, it's been challenging, but the success of River Haven in a tough economic and political climate is undeniable. We are profoundly grateful to all who've helped us realise our dream, and we look forward to continuing to build our community."
The Instagram page for River Haven has over 900 followers and it shares a look behind the scenes at the various outlets and places Noel has opened. And judging from the updates, it looks like he's having a jolly good time in the Land of the Long White Cloud.
