'I wouldn't say we agreed instantly': The renovation that brought an old school back to life

When Ian "Hippy" Rogers and his wife Sue first laid eyes on the dilapidated buildings in the tiny Southland township of Tokanui, they saw two very different things.

Sue saw potential. Ian saw hard work.

"I wouldn't say we agreed instantly," Sue says with a smile. "It was more a wife nagging."

In front of them sat a long-abandoned schoolhouse, a derelict outdoor swimming pool and changing rooms almost completely swallowed by towering macrocarpa hedges.

Quarry Hill School first opened in the late 1800s, although the building the Rogers eventually bought dates back to 1958. The school closed in 1993, and while neighbours had owned the property since, little had been done with it.

That was until 2017, when the Rogers came to town.

For Sue, renovating a school had long been a burning ambition, although she admits people look at her strangely when they discover her day job – she's a school principal.

"We'd been looking for something unusual. We liked renovating, so my random idea was to find an old school in Southland."

The first task was removing 30 years of overgrown hedges, vegetation and wildlife from the half hectare block.

Working with Invercargill builder Craig Brown, they gutted the school back to its framing. Insulation was added and most of the windows were retrofitted with double glazing.

"Structurally it was already about 90 to 95% sound," Ian says.

A new 9.6-metre beam was installed above the kitchen and lounge to support part of the rear wall and a small extension, while wherever possible the couple reused original materials.

For Sue, it was important the renovation never lost sight of the building's past.

"It had to feel like a fun school," she says.

Ian admits he had no say in the colour palette but has embraced the bold, quirky design.

"It's still got the character and the history of the school within the building."

Original touches remain throughout, including a giant chalkboard above the bed and the cubby holes where generations of pupils once left their school bags.

Outside, one of the biggest transformations is the old swimming pool. It was badly damaged when the Rogers bought the property and, for a while, they weren't sure what to do with the space.

"It could have become a nursery, a big glasshouse or a veggie garden," Sue says.

But they kept coming back to the same idea: turning it into a quirky, beach-themed chalet that could be used as possible short-term accommodation.

The main school building took about three years to complete, while the one-bedroom retreat inside the former pool is a more recent addition.

All up, the couple estimate they spent about $250,000 on the renovations, not including their own labour. That's a little more than Sue's original estimate.

"You'll probably laugh at this. When we first bought it, I thought it would cost us $50,000."

The renovation may have transformed the property, but living in Tokanui has been just as rewarding.

"Everybody knows each other and they all come together. It is what a community should be," Sue says.

Former pupils still stop by from time to time, and the couple have been happy to show them around.

They'll be sad to move on, but feel it's time for a new adventure. Sue is already clear on one thing.

"Not an old school!"

Ian's advice to the next owners is simple: "Enjoy it.

"It's a beautiful little spot, a beautiful little section. It's got history. It was always part of the community and should always be part of the community."