Picture-perfect lifestyle property with manicured gardens

With an avenue of trees leading up to charming home set among manicured gardens, this Oruanui lifestyle property reveals itself like something from a fairytale. “This is a feel-good place where you can put your feet up and relax,” says owner Jos Clarke, who along with husband Richard has poured 18 years of TLC into this board-and-batten beauty. Jos and Richard first moved here 18 years ago with their three children, when only a small shearer’s cottage graced the property. With a keen appreciation for its history and attention to detail few could rival, the Clarkes set about finding the perfect pieces to enhance and expand their dream home. Nothing ultra-modern or over-the-top for them everything had to match the charming picture that first greeted them. “When you come in, it still looks like a little historic cottage - we tucked the addition out to the back,” says Jos, who has since met numerous people who remember the original shearer’s cottage. This cottage has been cleverly turned into the the hub of the home, an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. The feeling of light, space and old-world elegance is tangible, with high ceilings, timber floors and a rustic butcher’s block/central island that perfectly matches the beautiful country kitchen. Another nod to years gone by is the central fireplace, which heats up the whole house in winter, perfect for those chilly Taupo nights. And forget about the TV - the Clarkes find they spend most of their time chatting around the dinner table. A family lounge is set away from the main hub, creating a peaceful retreat, with beautiful french doors opening out to the sheltered deck, where you can fire up the barbecue while admiring the extensively landscaped gardens. Richard and Jos created the garden, with its automated sprinkler system, to be a lush oasis filled with mature trees. In summer, the family would put on music and throw open the doors, allowing the music to travel to the far corners of the garden, where Jos and Richard would tend the garden and the children would run around on the large lawn, which the Clarkes dubbed ‘the soccer field’. Inside are four spacious bedrooms, the master with its own ensuite and walk-in wardrobe - the perfect adult’s retreat. The large second bedroom is on a mezzanine floor, lending itself beautifully for use as a studio, as light streams through, creating a feeling of tranquility all around. A sleepout with two bedrooms and bathroom has been a firm favourite with visiting family and friends, and would be perfect for BnB rental - there’s no shortage of visitors to tourist magnet Taupo With room for a boat next to the chook house, a marquee on the lawn and a horse or some sheep on the property, this is rural living at its best. A 10-minute drive from Taupo and a school bus stop outside the gate, this is perfect for free-range families and downsizing farming couples who still want access to a beautiful, relatively easy-care garden.