I met a real character this week. I was roaming around a building site above St Clair with builder Dick Geeves when a scruffy guy wrestled a laden wheelbarrow right by me as he made his way down the hill. Dick explained to me that he was the owner of the grand masterpiece that he was putting the finishing touches on: Frank Varsanyi.
Frank and Dick then gave me the guided tour of the impressive build that should have been part of the TV show Grand Designs. Frank is a collector and a passionate historian, which was always going to spell trouble when he decided to build his dream house in St Clair.
Among the collection of fittings waiting to be shoehorned into the three-story structure are the doors from a previous ODT building, windows from various heritage building demolitions that Frank couldn't bear to see thrown out, massive kauri pillars, theatre doors and lots of other recycled treasures.
Frank is an avid collector, but not in a materialistic kind of way. The objects are more like a record of his adventures – every piece has a story and reveals a little more of the eccentricity coursing through his veins.
I soon discover that he is also a master sculptor – modelling life-size busts of 23 of the world's great warriors complete with authentic costume, jewellery and weaponry – the hoard of a lifetime of exotic travel.
"It's hunting," he tells me. "You can't just buy a complete headdress for a Papua New Guinean warrior – you have to search. It's an adventure."
Adventure seems to have fueled Frank's life. He can't surf anymore – his hip won't let him, but his zest for travel and adventure is inspiring, contagious even.
"This here is going to be my bedroom," he tells me pointing to the back of an old ski bus with Mt Cook in the destination pane. It's a far cry from the grandeur of the house that's nearing completion 50m below where we stand, but Frank doesn't seem to notice.
"Look at that view – it's paradise here."
The bus is just another adventure on his horizon, but key to his dream of bringing awareness to the extent of the human impact on this planet. It's a noble cause and a gigantic project, but something tells me Frank's up for the adventure.
See you at the beach ...
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