Rural peace, sea and mountain views
This lifestyle property at 551 Frankley Rd, only minutes outside suburban New Plymouth, was just what Raewyn and her husband David were looking for 14 years ago.
The couple were retiring from their Rahotu farm and wanted to downsize closer to city conveniences. A prospective property, though, had to meet David’s expectations.
“David said ‘I want to see the mountain ... and I’d like to see the sea’,” Raewyn recalls with a smile. “I said ‘You don’t want much, do you?’”
They found both views here, however, on this elevated setting that delivered an inspirational combination of outlook, space, and privacy. “We spotted the home in the paper. David said: ‘That might do us’.”
Privacy makes a statement on a first visit here. Visitors turn off Frankley Rd onto a sealed driveway that leads them down into and through a lush valley, with lifestyle properties left and right, and up the far slope to arrive at the level setting of this home. There’s not another house to be seen up here.
There’s a sense of anticipation for visitors as they approach this end of the drive. Raewyn says people go ‘Wow!’ as they get their first glimpse of the sea horizon visible out in front of the home as their car tops the driveway. Then they come into the home and say ‘Wow!’ again.
Their steps through the living areas and into the large conservatory prompt that extra response.
From here, you look out over the panorama of rural landscape as it falls away to the sea. The former power-station chimney and Paritutu Rock are features that stand out in the view, rising against the backdrop of blue sea.
“We put this conservatory room on,” Raewyn says. “We just live out here.”
It’s not surprising that Raewyn and David have enjoyed the use of the large telescope on its tripod in the corner of the conservatory. “You can see people on the top of Paritutu ... and make out good detail of ships sitting out there,” Raewyn says.
There’s much more than that to catch the eye from here.
“You can watch the ships coming into port, see the rescue helicopter as it leaves the hospital, the chimney flashing its red light at night, and on a good day, you can see the White Cliffs up the coast.
“And we don’t have to buy fireworks ... we see them out there as soon as they go on sale, right through to Christmas.”
They are all bonus aspects of life here. The couple bought this property as a transition from a full farm operation and its has worked well in that role.
There are almost 4.9 hectares of land here, providing 12 paddocks that they created to allow easy grazing of up to 14 beefies. “You could put on more,” Raewyn says. “There is good grass growth for that.”
The previous owners had horses here, and there are other stock options that the next owners could consider.
Raewyn and David refined the property after settling in - harvesting pine trees from the lower land to create more pasture. A portion of pines remains in the corner down there that their grandchildren call ‘the forest’, and there’s a little creek running through it.
Trees, of the native variety, are an environmental focus at the centre of the property - about a hectare of mature bush that has been protected by a QEII covenant. That no doubt helps support the healthy bird population on this property.
“There is so much bird life here ... I love hearing the moreporks at night,” Raewyn says. “That’s one of the things I will miss when I leave.”
The protected bush is a stroll from the house, with a set of timber-framed steps leading down into its quiet, shady world. Raewyn and David established an orchard border along the edge of the bush that provides palate-pleasing crops of peach, plum,
feijoa, guava, grapefruit and avocado.
Nearer the house, there are more fruits - lemon, lime and mandarin.
Raewyn will also miss her gardens of texture and colour that have now matured around the house. “There was nothing much when we got here, just lawn that rolled into the paddocks. I loved establishing the garden ... David built up the front lawn to level it off and between us we created it all.”
They also put in a petanque court near the house, which proves popular when friends and family get together here.
David added his own practical touch to the property, extending the driveway around in front of the house to the western boundary where he had a 15m-by-10m high-stud shed built to provide workshop space and storage for a motorhome and boat. The height allowed him to include a loft area above the workshop space.
Raewyn says life has been very comfortable in the single-level, 347sqm brick home that has four bedrooms, an office, three bathrooms, and triplecar garaging. It was built in the early 2000s by award-winning New Plymouth building firm Hassall Homes.
Quality was obviously a focus for its original owners. It shows in the many features that impress on a tour of the house - from the panelled doors and moulded architraves to the 2.7m-high ceilings throughout.
The tour begins with the double entry doors that open into the wide, tiled foyer, and continues inside into the living areas at right. They comprise a huge family room that wraps baywindow-style around the internal kitchen, and an adjacent formal dining room that could also be a second living area. The huge conservatory opens off the family area.
The kitchen is a eye-catching design with cabinets finished in a glossburgundy paint. It’s well-equipped to cater for gatherings of family and friends, with a double wall oven next to the bench where a wide five-burner gas hob sits, and plenty of preparation and storage space.
A woodfire in the family room warms up chilly winter months, while in the formal room next door, there’s a gas fire for convenience.
Along the pleasingly wide hallway, there are generous storage cupboards, the family bathroom, office, and the four double bedrooms, with the master suite enjoying sliding-door access out to the front gardens. “It’s lovely in summer with the screen door to let in cool air at night.”
During the winter, ducting brings in warm air from the fireplace in the family room to all bedrooms.
The garage is a triple and has plenty of storage space, with bonus storage in the ceiling above the laundry, reached via an attic ladder that hinges down when needed.
Bayleys consultant John Blundell is marketing the property, which he says should attract plenty of interest from prospective buyers. “It is so peaceful, and so close to town ... which is top of most people’s list.”