COAST AND COUNTRY
This lodge-style property is only 10k from town, but its setting offers a real coastal-country vibe, writes LEIGH BRAMWELL
It’s a great house for big parties — 50 or 60 people is no issue — but the owners of this European-inspired homestead want more land, which is driving their move to a larger property.
Not that this one is small — the lodge-style house sits on almost 9000sq m, and it’s right on the edge of the Kerikeri Inlet in a park-like setting.
Tom Frei and his wife bought the home in 2016, captivated by it the moment the agent took them there.
“We immediately fell in love with it,” Tom says, citing the tranquil setting, proximity to the water and the sustainable planting as just a few of the attractions.
The property is only 10k from Kerikeri’s town centre, yet it has a real coastal-country vibe. Windsor Landing with its sandy beach, jetty and boat ramp is virtually in the backyard, and the property is home to kingfishers, pheasants, fantails and moreporks.
As well as the landscaped gardens with their stone walls, hedges and mature trees, there’s a productive vegetable garden with irrigation, and numerous fruit trees including citrus, feijoa, apple, pear, plum, apricot, cherry, fig, walnut, macadamia, peach and avocado. Some were already established and Tom planted more.
In contrast to the big open spaces, there’s a small, enclosed garden abutting the house.
“My wife had the idea of an English-style garden, and we put the picket fence around it to keep the chickens out,” Tom says. Neat box hedges, chip paths and garden art define the space, and it contains a favourite sitting spot for coffees in the morning sun.
The house was built in 2014 and at 334sq m it is indeed perfect for large parties and for family life.
It’s built of cedar and schist, and the schist has been continued inside in the column that separates the foyer from the living area, and in a bespoke fireplace surround and slab hearth.
The living area has a kitchen with beautifully crafted timber cabinetry, a butler’s sink and modern appliances, and adjoins the lounge which opens via three sets of bi-folds to the front deck and its view of the water. At one end is a library area complete with mezzanine and wooden ladder.
There are three bedrooms
“My wife had the idea of an Englishstyle garden, and we put the picket fence around it to keep the chickens out.”
and two bathrooms, and the main suite has walk-in wardrobe, en suite, and its own, private sitting area.
All the flooring — polished concrete in the living areas and bathrooms and timber in the bedrooms — has underfloor heating, and for additional comfort there’s a big log burner in the living area.
Solar electricity is provided for the entire property — including the 5.5m heated swim spa — by 56 solar panels and a 20 kWh battery.
There is a facility to charge an electric vehicle in the carport, and all electrical power not used is exported and pays for the line charges and additional power consumption during winter.
Sale: $2,850,000
Contact: David Baguley, Bayleys, 021 831 440