KEY POINTS:
Bluff's famed Paua House has been sold to an Australian couple.
The house is renowned for the collection of paua shells by its former owners Fred and Myrtle Flutey.
But when the Fluteys died -- Myrtle in May 2000 and Fred in December 2001 -- ownership of the house was transferred to a family trust and later bought by their grandson, Ross Bowen.
He removed the 10,000-plus shells from the house in February and their whereabouts are unknown.
The house was put on the market and real estate agent Steve Weir yesterday confirmed the house had been sold for a figure around the $275,000 asking price, The Southland Times reported.
The Australian couple were ecstatic about buying in Bluff, he said and are keen to turn it into a family home.
Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt said the sale could spark the start of a new venture.
"It means now that something fresh can start," he said.
Ideas such as a paua shell cafe or tearooms had been circulated, he said, but at the very least a monument or statue recognising the Fluteys' contribution to Bluff and Southland was needed, he said.
He said he would take his suggestions to the next Invercargill City Council meeting.
- NZPA
