SCHOOL ZONES:
Stanmore Bay School, Whangaparaoa College
CONTACT:
Lisa Stone, Harcourts, 021 504 674 or 520 8126.
It says something about the Crowe family of Stanmore Bay that the first structure they built on their property was a tree house, and the second was a flying fox.
Ian and Pamela Crowe bought a large tract of bare land in the Whangaparaoa Peninsula suburb 23 years ago with an eye to creating a large home where their three children could grow up with the best of beach and suburb living, without being squeezed into a town-sized section.
"It was meant to be," says Pamela.
"Finding a piece of land like this was a surprise in Stanmore Bay, even 23 years ago.
"There really wasn't anything else like this anywhere, so near the sea."
The large property overlooked the new council gym and pool complex, was an easy walk away from the primary school, playing fields, playground and beach, and was 30 minutes from the city, off peak. It was also in walking distance of the future site of Whangaparaoa College and the Whangaparaoa mall.
The one drawback was that they hadn't planned on building a house, not with kids aged 2, 5 and 7. Ian, being a resourceful chap, fitted out an old bus as living quarters while they decided what to do.
"The kids loved living on the bus. It was an adventure, they thought it was great," says Pamela. "But it wasn't so good for me."
While they made plans for their home, Pamela planted the property in native and fruit trees and Ian built a tree house for the kids up in a large pine.
He linked it with a flying fox, so that although the kids didn't have fripperies such as bedrooms or bathrooms, they had plenty of scope for adventure. They would set off on expeditions around the property wearing, for reasons Pamela couldn't fathom, ski suits and crash helmets.
Image 1 of 9: 020715 NZH Home 12 Te Ruru Way, Stanmore Bay home of Ian & Pamela Crowe Photo: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
When Ian eventually built the kids' bedrooms, on the top floor of the new three-level house, he continued the adventure theme.
The three rooms have adjoining loft spaces and are connected by a series of tunnels.
When they moved in, after a year in the bus, the kids felt so lonely in their separate rooms that they dragged their mattresses together and slept on the floor, side by side.
Over the years, the family grew into the space. Ian had been adamant they were going to need a lot of it. He had a grand piano to accommodate, for starters, so he built accordingly.
As well as the kids' bedrooms, the upper floor has a sitting room and a master suite with balcony that takes in wide sea views.
The middle level has another two bedrooms and a spacious open plan living area that opens out to decks to the north and east.
Double garage aside, the lower floor is given over to the family's music habit, with two rooms purposed for music and a storage area dominated by instruments. True to form, when Ian decided to add a swimming pool, it was no ordinary pool.
It was three metres deep at one end, to accommodate a high jumping platform, and had a "log" fixed across the middle, for play fights, of course.
Pamela is still getting over her surprise at that one, but she says the advantage of such a large property (which also includes an asphalt tennis court, a barn with mechanic's workshop, a large shed and a chicken run) was that it kept the kids happily occupied, challenged and safe right up into adulthood.
The house is due for renovation but Pamela says they're leaving that up to the next owners, as the large site has potential for development. Meanwhile, she and Ian are moving to the Coromandel.
"This has been an amazing family home but now that the family has grown, it's time to leave."
