The most ambitious of the Summit Road rest houses, the Sign of the Takahe is the jewel in the crown of <PERSON>'s grand scheme. Inspired by the roadside inns and old manor houses of England, it was built to <PERSON>'s own design, but apart from a sketch of the entrance there were no plans, work proceeding according to his daily dictation. Unlike the <PERSON>, Bellbird and Packhorse, which, with their modest proportions and unassuming lines, harmonise with the landscape, the Takahe makes a stand for Old World grandiosity. Completed after the war and officially opened in 1949, 15 years after <PERSON>'s death, it now functions as a restaurant.