– James Cameron plans move to NZ (Stuff, Feb. 1, 2012):
Hollywood movie mogul James Cameron is coming to live in Wairarapa – and he is bringing his family with him.
The director of blockbuster films Titanic and Avatar has purchased two large plots of land along Western Lake Rd in south Wairarapa, where he is expected to arrive and live later this year.
Records released today from the Overseas Investment Office show that James F Cameron, of Canada, was given consent in December to purchase two separate properties, one 817 hectares and the other nearly 250 hectares.
The purchase price is listed as confidential.
Owners of the two properties were staying tight-lipped about the sales, citing confidentially agreements.
Bill Shaw, who along with wife Annette owned Pounui farm on the hillside overlooking Lake Onoke, said he had been ”sworn to secrecy”.
”But that’s probably just going to flame the rumours isn’t it,” he said.
He wouldn’t confirm Cameron as the new owner.
”There’s lots of famous people down here, just most of them are shepherds.”
Heather McCreary, who owned the smaller dairy farm block at the edge of the lake, would also not comment today.
Cameron is thought to be arriving later this year to begin work on a sequel to the box office hit Avatar, to be made with Weta Digital.
But the documents show that Cameron’s New Zealand connection will be more than just a working one.
”James F Cameron and his family intend to reside indefinitely in New Zealand and are acquiring the property to reside on and operate as a working farm,” it notes.
The two properties are located just minutes down the road from the exclusive Wharekauhau Country Estate, a favourite of two other famous Wairarapa filmmakers, Sir Peter Jackson and wife, Fran Walsh.