BEAMING WITH DELIGHT

There’s wow factor in the gardens as well as the house on this rural block, writes ROBYN WELSH

RAMARAMA

84 Cooper Road

4 2 2

Dreena McElhinney fell totally in love with this property when she walked through this home for the first time. Or so she thought.

But by the time her husband Phil had spent three months hacking through overgrown trees down one side of the property, she discovered a whole lot more to love about this property. “We discovered the rest of our land and I found a whole lot more garden,” says Dreena.

Phil’s tireless hard work brought these original exotic trees out into the fresh air and sunlight. It also confirmed the vision that Dreena and Phil have brought to life for their entire property far beyond the house itself. There are defined outdoor areas beyond the picture walls with paths, a walking bridge and split level decks that invite everyone out to take in the fulsome, textural gardens and handsome trees filled with birdlife.

This couple certainly had plenty of bare land to play with because there was little more than a path up to the front steps when they moved in.

The payback for Dreena and Phil has been their family’s love of this entire property where those among their 11 grandchildren who want to can run freely, catch frogs in the garden and appreciate the bush for its magic.

“We’re not precious about any of it,” says Dreena, recalling the days when children would ran free, build huts in the bush and build dams in the local creek.

As for her garden, Dreena lists the native trees that have replaced the pine trees they cut down in and around the bottom paddock. These new plantings include flaxes as well Puka, Kauri, Totara, Pohutukawa and Puriri trees. “We’ve tried over the years to introduce natives wherever possible,” says Dreena. Their choice has enhanced the entire ambiance, says Scott McElhinney of Barfoots who is Dreena’s son. “The beautiful selection of native trees brings in the wood pigeons and tui which creates such as magical atmosphere.”

As for this Hinuera stone/ Cedar house, Dreena says it is as perfect today as it was when they bought here in December 2003 to be closer to her job as the Barfoot’s Papakura branch manager.

Dreena and Phil have done little more than repaint the interior and update appliances because nothing needed to be done. In the kitchen with its laminate bench, they thought about re-polishing the cabinetry handles then decided against even that when they realised they were solid brass.

Acknowledging the layout, the big picture windows, the sarked rimu ceilings and the solid timber doors, she says “if a house is well built then it doesn’t need to be changed and the credit goes to the original owner here who did a brilliant job”. Auction: November 13 Contact: Scott McElhinney, Barfoot and Thompson, 027 210 8887