Far from the madding crowd
An expatriate finds a peaceful haven and a chance to give his family a Kiwi lifestyle, he tells Donna McIntyre
It’s hard to think of two places more different to live in than the busy Thai city of Bangkok and the tranquil waterfront at Mangonui. Yet that contrast was the attraction for Tony and Anette Norman when they bought this home in Mill Bay, Mangonui Harbour.
Tony had been involved in financial restructuring in Bangkok, a role he describes as extremely difficult intellectually as well as hazardous — at one stage requiring armed guards.
Contrast those surroundings 15 years ago to their home today in this quiet part of the world, where the water laps at the rock wall in front of their home and they can look out the window to their yacht moored in the bay.
“Coming from Bangkok, which is a crowded, polluted zoo, to Mangonui was quite a change,” Tony says, explaining his well- paid role enabled him to stop working “at the tender age of 51”.
“For the first time in my life I didn’t need to consider getting a job in consideration of where I was going to live.
“My Swedish wife and I decided we would leave Thailand. She wanted to maintain her connections with Sweden but not to live there.
“We didn’t want to live in the US … Asia … Africa or South America. We had been living in Australia before we went to Thailand but Australia didn’t have the same appeal.”
Tony, who grew up in Birkenhead, suggested New Zealand, but Anette’s concern was that the country she had visited as a backpacker in 1984 might be too quiet after their busy lifestyles.
“Then my mum sent me a newspaper clipping with an insert with a picture of this house we now own,” says Tony.
“I showed it to Anette and she said maybe New Zealand has changed.”
“So I flew down and had a look at the place and thought it was fantastic.
“I really wanted to introduce our son ( now 21 and graduated from university) to the Kiwi lifestyle for a kid. That is how and why we ended up in Mangonui.”
The Normans’ Mill House sale includes a selfcontained studio, separated from the main house by a two- car carport. The home sits next to another property called Mill Lodge and Rose Cottage which he and Anette also own. When they bought the properties, the two titles were bound together by a dormant body corporate structure, but Tony has worked with the local council to so the titles can be sold separately.
The bay is called Mill Bay because there was a timber mill at this site from 1880 to 1915.
The Normans’ “neighbour” is the Department of Conservation, including the Rangikapiti Historic Reserve.
“Effectively we have no human neighbours. It is very quiet and secluded, lots of bird life, lots of sea life.”
Their east- facing 330sq m home with beautiful matai flooring and kwila decking was built in 1996 by the previous owners. There are harbour views from just about every room.
“At one end we have a large entertaining room with a bar and the glass doors fold out and basically open up a whole wall facing the sea. It is a rustic style with a definite focus on seamless indoor outdoor living,” says Tony. “You feel very connected to the sea.”
Downstairs has the entertainment room and bar at one end. Behind that is one of the few rooms without a view — a guest bedroom and en suite. Out of the bar on your right is a study. On the left side of the hallway, connecting the bar to the rest of the house, is a laundry, the front door entrance, a TV snug and then, at the end of the house, the entire width is one large living and formal dining room. Turning right leads to the kitchen and informal dining space, facing the harbour. Upstairs are the large master bedroom, another bedroom and a bathroom.
The home has two fireplaces with a heat transfer system. “It is really comfy,” says Tony.
The home has served the family well. Their son has enjoyed his Kiwi childhood, Anette travels each year to visit family in Sweden and Tony’s financial expertise led to him being approached to chair and co- chair health boards in Northland and Auckland. They are selling to live in Kerikeri.