Kia ora human, welcome to our Windrose House website 🏡
Windrose is an intentional co-living community rooted in our shared values: love, joy, communication, sustainability, growth, and community stewardship.
We’re a queer-inclusive 🌈, vegan-friendly, creativity-loving home made up of people from all walks of life and corners of the world. Our community spans 11 nationalities and several languages. Between us, we’ve got outdoor guides, landscapers, technologists, council workers, teachers, circus artists, engineers, musicians, activists and community organisers, plus a few who defy easy description. We’re committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to learning what it means to be Tangata Tiriti (Treaty partners) in everyday, grounded ways.
What ties us together is a shared curiosity about how to live well with others, with a sense of humour, openness to personal growth, and enough self-awareness to know that we’re all still figuring it out. Community isn’t something that just happens; it’s something we build together. It takes care, communication, and a willingness to stretch, and in return, it offers a rare kind of richness and connection.
Our house, nestled in the heart of the city near Hagley Park, was originally built in 1871 by J.B. Way and his family. Originally known as Remuera (Pronounced Remu-wera – Te Reo Māori word that roughly translates to "burnt hem of a garment"), it began as a grand estate with stables, gardens, and lavish interiors. Over the years, it has transformed from a family home to a chapel, a halfway house, and most recently, a backpackers hostel. Today, ****it serves as a vibrant community-focused home ****by the name Windrose House, balancing connection, joy and privacy.
Despite being a bustling community house, we offer plenty of tranquil spaces, including a quiet reading / meditation room, a cozy costume closet, and beautiful outside gardens to frolic in. As since we are just across the road from Hagley Park, one of the largest parks in the city, providing a peaceful escape right next to Avon river. The house is conveniently located within walking and biking distance to everything around the city.
All Walks of Life
🌍 Our community brings together people from a wide range of backgrounds — artists, educators, outdoor guides, entrepreneurs, policy thinkers, technologists, tradies, storytellers, and more — each bringing and sharing unique skills and passions. It is made up of and has been home for people from many cultures and corners of the world, including India, Malaysia, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hawaiʻi, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, the US and the UK. Check to read about everyone who is currently adding magic to this place:
Our Passions
We’re a house full of curious humans. Some of us are adventurers who thrive on mountains, waves, and bush tracks, while others find their joy in music, storytelling, games, art, or a quiet cup of tea with a good book. What we share is a love of learning, connection, and making the most of the world around us — whether that’s climbing a crag, singing a song, or laughing around the dining table.
You’ll often find a gaggle of us climbing at the crag, heading off on weekend camping trips, skiing or surfing when the weather’s right, and getting out into the bush for tramping missions.
We also love sharing music and have a few keen guitarists, pianists, banjo-ists(?). Our dreams of becoming a travelling folk band would be complete with an upright bassist and some cowbells.
Thanks to our proximity to Hagley Park, we basically treat it as our backyard. We head over for impromptu picnics in the sun, wanders through the botanics, and games of PEG or keepy uppy.
At home, there are jam sessions in the lounge, games around the table, people cozied up with a book or movie night on — with the occasional spontaneous kitchen dance party (encouraged and celebrated).