The Giants House is a mosaic garden on the hillside above Akaroa, created by artist Josie Martin over several decades. The terraced gardens descend the slope in a series of outdoor rooms, each filled with large ceramic and tile mosaic sculptures — figures emerging from walls, faces peering from hedges, fantastical creatures on steps and in ponds. The work is idiosyncratic, personal, and entirely unlike anything else in the country.
The property is open for visits from late spring through autumn (check the website for current hours). It is a short, steep walk up from the main street. The views over the harbour from the upper terraces are excellent. Worth at least an hour, more if you take it slowly — there is a great deal of detail to find.