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LATEST VERSION OF THIS PAGE | LATEST SITE UPDATE LIST | THE NEW HOMEPAGE
UPDATED 031113 | ADDED 100311 | RAGLAN, NEW ZEALAND | RETURN TO THE MAIN FUTURO HOUSE ARTICLE | RETURN HOME
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115 Riria Kereopa Memorial Dr, Raglan 3297, New Zealand | 37°48'16.13"S 174°50'40.77"E
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Google Maps | Satellite Imagery Date 050209
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Additional Images & Video
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Notes, History & Resources
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Update 030313
This video, posted on YouTube by Mike O'Neill, features some nice footage of both the exterior and the interior of the Raglan Futuro. Update 022013 A Futuro for sale will almost always generate a little publicity and this one is no exception. Campbell Live, a leading current affairs program broadcast on New Zealand's TV3, just ran the following segment on the Raglan Futuro and its upcoming auction. A little too "alien" centric and not enough focus on Futuro's architectural significance for my own taste but it does include some nice exterior and interior footage. [030313] This video has been removed from YouTube - you can still find it streamed on the TV Station's website here. Update 020413 The photos below are courtesy of Ray White Real Estate and accompany the sale listing for 115 Riria Kereopa Memorial Drive that can be found here. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Update 012613 Recently David Osbiston aka ozbizbozzle sent me this excellent close up shot of the Raglan Futuro. Don't know when it was taken but it is one of the nicest shots I have seen of this particular Futuro. Thanks for allowing me to display it here David. 
Update 092212 The confirmed date for this unit has been updated based on this nice shot of the Futuro taken on 081712 by Noel Jones and published under CC 2.0. 
Update 080112 The confirmed date for this Futuro has been updated to 042212 based on the date of this photo by Lieve Van den Bosch. Original Images 100311 Image By fletch128 | CC 2.0 
Additional Images:
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Update 031113
The Raglan Futuro has now been sold; the sale was for $80K and was for the Futuro only, neither the land nor the other buildings were a part of the deal. The buyer was from Christchurch; no indications as yet of whether the Futuro will move there but since the land was not a part of the deal the assumption must be that it will be moved from its current location. Thanks for keeping me up to date with developments Sue. Update 030613 In email correspondence with a local entrepreneur I am told that he Futuro did not sell at the auction March 2nd. That same local entrepreneur is currently working on a possible purchase which, if successful, would almost certainly add another Futuro to the list of those available for rent. We will likely know the outcome of that within a week or two. Me, I am keeping my fingers crossed all goes well; this would almost certainly provide another opportunity for those who have an interest in the Futuro House to get just a little taste of the "Futuro" experience by renting one for a vacation. Update 020413 It seems that the Raglan Futuro is on the market; up to be auctioned at 5:00 PM March 2nd 2013. The property at 115 Riria Kereopa Memorial Drive can be found listed for sale by Ray White Real Estate here In the listing we read that the property up for sale includes the spaceship, a second dwelling, a large 3 car garage and a brand new 30 year lease. There are open viewings February 6th and 9th and the property will be auctioned March 2nd if no one purchases it before then. A Waikato Times article by Daniel Adams that can be found on stuff.co.nz provides more information on the listing along with a little historical context. Adams tells us that: "Ray White real estate agent Stephen O'Byrne says there is good interest in the quirky offering, priced at 'high twos, low threes'." The article goes on to recount how sea captain Peter Farrell decided to buy the Futuro after some of his junior officers saw it in Tauranga in the 1970s. Sadly Mr. Farrell recently passed and hence the upcoming auction. Good luck to all who bid; I would love one of those bidders to be me but sadly such a thing is way beyond my means and in any case Raglan is half way around the globe from where I "lay my hat". Here's hoping a true Futuro "nut" wins the auction and that the Futuro gets the attention and care I for one believe it deserves. Original Information 100311 The Futuro at Raglan, New Zealand is owned by a retired ship's captain who bought it on the spot when his ship berthed one day and he saw the Futuro. The Captain had it located at Whangaparaoa for several years but on his retirement relocated it to its current home in Raglan. The Futuro is seated on a concrete base though the standard steel support frame is also visible and it appears to be in excellent condition and still in use. In a post on the Raglan Futuro the blog Gorgeous with Attitude references an interview with the Captain by Venetia Sherson that was part of the research for the book Baches of Raglan [Venetia Sherson; Andrea Wilkinson; David B Cook; Beryl Fletcher; Waikato Institute of Technology]. The book, no longer in print [Amazon, Google Books, WorldCat, Better World Books] was published in 2008 and was the work of the students and lecturers of the Waikato Institute Of Technology. The Captain is quoted as describing the Futuro as "... one space. The kitchen is about six inches higher than the lounge area the bed is tucked in behind a screen, out of sight. The toilet and shower are just outside the main area." and he calls it his "moon house". Not surprisingly the Captain says that children love the Futuro and that [if the parents allow it] he even likes to tell them a "little white lie" and say it actually came from outer space." As an interesting aside and a comment on both my intelligence and on the problems with making assumptions I actually searched many times and many places for a book titled "Beaches Of Raglan" thinking that "Baches" was a typo. Only after several failed searches did I try with the original spelling and discover that a "bach" was a holiday or beach home. The "confirmed" date for this Futuro is the date of the Robyn Gallagher Image - 122610. Sources & Reference:
Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use?
I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me. As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both. |
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