Happily ever after awaits in Gleniffer as a fairy-tale castle lists for $3.75m
A jaw-dropping castle featuring its own Rapunzel balcony – as well as an enchanted forest and maze – has hit the market with price expectations of $3.75 million.
Tucked away in “a misty corner of a magical valley”, the highly coveted village of Gleniffer is a relaxed 40-minute drive inland from Coffs Harbour, midway up the NSW coast. Here, an enchanting fairy tale of love and devotion unfolds.
The castle at 50 John Locke Place is the centrepiece of a lush and private five-hectare estate boasting 250 metres of private Never Never River frontage, the perfect swimming hole for a dip on a warm day.
This unique and regal property, with stunning garden landscaping, is located 10 minutes from the larger town of Bellingen. It offers two standout homes: a three-bedroom fairy tale-style castle and a warm, family-friendly, and practical four-bedroom homestead.
The castle’s grand entrance flows through to the Great Hall dining room, complete with an old-fashioned pulley-operated dumbwaiter for serving upstairs, alongside a spacious main bedroom.
The second floor opens to a light-filled mezzanine, while the third floor reveals the enchanting Rapunzel room – a cosy, storybook hideaway with a balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens and wishing well.
The one-of-a-kind property was dreamed up by its former owner, the late Barbara Moore, a renowned Bellingen pharmacist for 15 years, known for her eccentricity.
In the beginning, there was only land. Moore created her dream castle – using windows imported from Kirk in Scotland in the Great Hall – a passion project that became her life’s work for a quarter of a century.
Ray White agent Geneva Isenbert describes the castle as a “rare and exquisite piece of real estate”, which has attracted widespread interest, particularly from Sydney.
Isenbert says buyers are looking at it as a venue suitable for various uses, including weddings, events, or turning it into a cafe or restaurant.
“There is so much to look at and take in, not only from the castle, but the homestead, the beautiful clean river, and the grounds that have a spectacular view of the mountains.”
“You can really see and feel all the hard work that Barbara Moore put into it,” Isenbert says.
Other features include a gazebo with a kitchenette and bath, a “disco studio” in a large shed, rainwater tanks, a dam, a citrus orchard, and modern connectivity via Starlink.
There’s even a platypus to spot in the Never Never River, the perennial stream of the larger Bellinger River catchment that runs through the land, which lends itself to canoeing, fishing and relaxed picnics.
Moore’s niece, Rachael Moore and her husband, Andre Meyer, have lived at the property since 2021, after packing in their Sydney abode to care for her aunt in her final years.
Moore, who remembers visiting the property as a child, says her aunt finally completed the castle a decade ago.
“As kids, the castle was always out of bounds; she was worried my three siblings and I would break things,” she says.
“It was just a big grassy hill before she planted 10,000 trees and native plants to create biodiversity and to attract an abundance of wildlife.”
Her aunt’s last wish was to open the property up as boutique accommodation, a chance for others to enjoy her globally hand-sourced collection of decorative treasures.
“My aunt went to Paris to buy the fabric for the curtains, and bought the front doors from Spain. There are artworks and antiques on every wall. It’s like stepping into another world,” says Moore.
“The windows came from a church in Scotland after she spotted them in an antique catalogue, which was what inspired her to build the castle.
“When the windows arrived, they were cracked, so she learnt new skills to restore them.”
The yoga-teaching couple made her aunt’s final wish come true, listing the property on Airbnb and running a wellness retreat business on site.
“People’s jaws drop to the ground when they come here.”
Now, Moore and her siblings, who have enjoyed so many family events at the magical site, are – in the voice of Elsa from Frozen – ready to “let it go”.
“We live, work, and play on the property, and now it’s time for someone else to build their dreams here.”
Like most visitors, Isenbert says she also has a favourite space within the sanctuary.
“Oh, I say all the time, the Rapunzel room at the very top of the castle, because of the name and just the nature of what it is. It’s so beautiful up there. You can just look out onto the balcony at all the grounds, and it’s lovely.
“But the river’s stunning, and to have so much privacy there too.”
The property is being offered to the market via private sale.
