Tonight, the second season of Grand Designs NZ kicks off with aplomb, documenting a self-described 'concretologist' building his dream home on a cliff-top on Auckland's scenic Point Chevalier.
Getting a sneak preview of the completed home this week, it was remarkable that the stunning, elevated ocean views, framed with native trees, were matched in splendour by the home's gorgeous construction.
When you spend a huge chunk of your wage on rent, you live in a very different Auckland to that of the home-owning multi-millionaires.
Entering one of their homes is like going on holiday to an exotic land. And when it's a Grand Designs home, the sightseeing is particularly great.
It would be spoiling it to give away details about the completed central Auckland home, but as can be seen in tonight's episode, it's a truly brilliant, unique construction that has to be seen to be believed.
Two different long-haired Persian cats, a big one named Maverick and a littler one named Lacy, splayed out in the lounge, oblivious to both the opulence of their abode and the excitement of the humans exploring it.
"The homeowners aren't trying to win a rose or a bachelor or half a million dollars by taking part in this series. So I want to say we really appreciate you sharing your stories with us," said Sue Woodfield, TV3's Head of Commissioning and External Production, to past and present Grand Designs NZ stars.
"When [Grand Designs UK host] Kevin McCloud came here a couple of years ago, he said something which I really loved: 'Now that we've explored all the corners of the globe and been into space, building a house is the last great adventure that we can go on'.
"By sharing your stories, you're enabling the rest of New Zealand to go on that adventure with you."
Such a passionate quote demonstrates how intensely passionate for design these folk are. In tonight's episode, one bloke snivels while fondly remembering the only building that ever made him cry through its beauty alone.
It's that passion that makes Grand Designs far different to most of the other building and real estate shows on TV - it's more of an art show, and in tonight's episode, the art's primary medium is concrete.
The build went over budget, perhaps inevitably, but the biggest scars it leaves on its loving owner aren't financial.
A horror accident strikes during the build that nearly resulted in permanent blindness, adding an enormous amount of stress to what's otherwise a fairly trouble-free build for such a remarkably ambitious construction.
While the outcome of that accident could've easily been far worse, it makes it all the more poetic that the homeowners can live out the rest of their days enjoying theirs home's most extraordinary views.
Tonight's Grand Designs NZ episode doesn't capture the home's magnificence in the same way that watching a documentary about the Pyramids of Egypt isn't the same as visiting them in person.
But for going on a spectacular Kiwi adventure from the comfort of your own home, it is very grand indeed.
The second season of Grand Designs NZ premieres on TV3 at 8:30pm tonight.
Newshub.
