ABSTRACT
Ownership of a second home for the purpose of leisure is common in a number of countries, yet the “leisure” aspect of ownership has seldom been critically examined. This chapter addresses this gap through a case study of a small lakeside second home community in a remote South Island location in New Zealand. Specifically, it asks, “How are notions of leisure and community perceived, enacted, and negotiated in a second home leisure community?” It critically examines and unpacks the notion of second home leisure communities and uncovers areas of tension and paradox. Interviews with second home owners were designed to elicit perceptions of leisure and its significance in a second home community. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the importance of shared values and ways of life centred around leisure, and the ways in which leisure shapes and reshapes the second home community through themes of “together” and “apart”.
