Sunshine, cheap houses and the chance to do work that is beyond ordinary, the only catch, sharing work stories is strictly off-limits.

The Government Communications Security Bureau, one of our most secretive agencies, is on the hunt for workers at its Waihopai Station facility, in Marlborough.

What goes on under the distinctive white domes, often likened to enormous golf balls, has been the cause of speculation and protest since the site first opened in 1989.

WARWICK BLACKLER/FAIRFAX NZ In April 2008, three activists got past security to get into Waihopai Station where they used a sickle to deflate the kevlar covering of one of the satellite dishes.

But for those who want a look under the kevlar coating, the GCSB is advertising for a computer/communications technician and a database administrator.

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To help convince applicants to make the move to Marlborough, the bureau plays up the lifestyle on offer in the region, making note of cheap house prices and high sunshine hours.

SCOTT HAMMOND/FAIRFAX NZ The Anti-Bases Campaign organiser Murray Horton, right, gives a speech at a protest against Waihopai Station last year.

"Those of you struggling to buy a house in one of New Zealand's larger cities should check out the average house prices in Blenheim (you'll have time while you're stuck in the traffic)," the job listing reads.

"While you're there take a look at the sunshine hours. You'll be looking at 2015's sunniest town. It's no coincidence that we're the centre of New Zealand's wine industry."

There have been stories about unmarked white vans making trips to nearby wine companies, but a GCSB spokesman said there was no wine allowance on offer.

DEREK FLYNN/FAIRFAX NZ The deflated satellite cover.

"While we encourage our staff to take full advantage of the special characteristics of the region, we do not offer special allowances for the consumption of local produce," he said.

The listing also noted the perks of working for the bureau, which included "unique and extremely interesting work that you don't get to do anywhere else".

"You'll never have to take your work home with you, but the hours can be flexible."

SCOTT HAMMOND/FAIRFAX NZ Police block the road to protesters at an Anti-Bases Campaign event outside Waihopai Station last year.

The spokesman did not respond to a question about whether or not taking not taking work home was to do with the secrecy of the role, or whether employees had to sign confidentiality agreements.

However, the listing said "the GCSB treats all applications for employment in the strictest confidence and we ask that you maintain a similar level of confidentiality".

"You are expected to exercise discretion during the recruitment process and throughout your career."

CHRISTINE CORNEGET The naked satellite dish.

A question about whether surveillance conducted at Waihopai Station had ever detected or prevented a threat to national security went unanswered, along with another query about the exact nature of the station.

"The GCSB exists to protect New Zealand and New Zealanders and the advertised role will contribute to that. It is long-standing practice that we do not comment on operational matters," the spokesman said.

However, he did refer to a report by Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy, called 'Intelligence and Security in a Free Society', which outlined some of what went on at Waihopai Station.

The report described the facility as a satellite communications interception station, which collected communications, some of which were selected and examined by analysts.

"The GCSB conservatively estimates that there are over 1 billion communications events every day on the commercial satellites that are visible from Waihopai station," the report said.

"We were told the proportion of those 1 billion communications that are actually intercepted equates to roughly one half of a bucket of water out of an Olympic-sized swimming pool."

Using a needle in a haystack analogy, the report goes on to say that the GCSB filters intercepted material for relevance using search terms.

"Only those communications that meet the selection criteria are ever seen by an analyst," it said.

While the report concluded that what went on at Waihopai Station could not be termed mass surveillance, that conclusion was not shared by everybody, especially the Anti-Bases Campaign.

The organisation, which was formed in 1987, was staging its annual protest against the "super-secret Waihopai satellite interception sybase" in Marlborough next Saturday.

A leaflet about the event said the main focus of the group was "monitoring the activities of the NZ spy agencies and working to opposed the continual expansion of secret surveillance".

"Secret surveillance is undemocratic, impossible to control properly and tramples on human rights and privacy."

Waihopai Station is part of a network of facilities used by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, made up of agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.