Embrace outdoor living
Dine on the deck with views over the water to Ponui Island and the setting sun, writes Catherine Smith
Stephen Waters is selling more than just the family house, he’s selling a community, too. “Kawakawa Bay is a lovely community, it is all the things we wanted when we went out there as a family,” he says. “We wanted the kids to grow up in a village, raised by the community.
“They could have fun by themselves, the good thing about a place with 400 people is that everyone recognised them. It was the values that we all grew up with.”
When the couple moved out to the area from Glen Eden, they were looking for a great place for their kids — then aged 5 and 3 — to run around. The huge L-shaped property overlooks Ponui Island, is surrounded by bush with the boat ramp just down the road and 240ha of bush behind.
The original bach was a tiny 54sq m but had a position right at the front of the land to get the best views and with the beach right over the road.
The couple called on Waiheke architect Chris McCarthny, of Gulf Architects, because he knew how to work with tricky coastal sites, briefing him to create a house with curves and a nautical feel that reflected the setting, built around the footprint of the old bach.
The house was built over three levels, which gave the family the separate space for adults and kids. The master bedroom is on the top floor, complete with a study that overlooks the stairwell and main floor. It has the best views, looking out over the ocean, and the en suite bathroom has had a recent refurbishment. Stephen says he is a bath person, so made sure that the corner tub had windows so that he could bathe with a view (new tiling and fixtures have updated the room, too).
The kids had three bedrooms on the living floor, with their own bathroom.
The lower ground floor has the fifth bedroom and another bathroom, but for most of its life was used as the rumpus room by the kids and friends, as it has its own entrance from the driveway. There’s room for storage for all the boats and outdoor gear — Stephen was heavily involved in the community’s junior sailing. The local boat club has one of the highest memberships in the country.
The main living room was designed to embrace outdoor living. The front deck faces the sunsets and views across the water, and in summer the family pretty much lived outside (“It was the best dining with a view,” says Stephen). Tucked to one side in the curve of the roof is a second deck that shelters the barbecue, opening off the kitchen so that prep cook and barbecue chef can pass dishes back and forth.
The kitchen was done in a long-lasting, highpressure laminate, so the only update it has needed after nearly 20 years is decorative, bluetiled splashbacks as well as a new hob, oven and dishwasher.
Elsewhere, the house has been completely reclad with cedar and new waterproof decking installed. Windows and doors on the front, seaside of the house have been updated with doubleglazed joinery. . The polished strand-board floors give the casual beachy vibe that makes the family feel like they’re on holiday all year round. The living room has dramatic curved ceilings, but also a more cosy television area tucked towards the back. The house has hosted plenty of significant events, easily fitting 60 to 80 people, or 30 for a sit-down dinner.
But with the kids now grown and flown the nest, and Stephen’s work taking him to Wellington, he is selling the family home of 20 years and relocating to Nelson for a slightly easier commute. The entrance to the motorway is only 35 minutes away, the CBD an hour, but the serenity of the farms, council reserves (there are a string including Tapapakanga, Waitara and Tawhitokino, plus the kayak trail, bike paths and more) are of more interest for family’s like Stephen’s.
5 3 1*
121 KAWAKAWA BAY RD, KAWAKAWA BAY SIZE (more or less): Land 1501sq m, house
269sq m.
PRICE GUIDE: Over $1.6 million.
INSPECT: Sunday 19,
10:30-11am.
SCHOOLS: Clevedon primary, Papakura High, Macleans College.
CONTACT: Tom Rawson, Ray White, 027
948 9960
ON THE WEB: rwmanukau.co.nz/
1753046
*Plus OSP.