Chris and Estelle Tant are keen cyclists. As well as regular cycling and adventure holidays, most weekends they bike from their home in Allum St, Kohimarama, to Titirangi's Scenic Drive. These rides almost always include Tamaki Drive, says Chris. After all, it makes sense to pedal along one of Auckland's most scenic cycling routes, so close to their home. "This is a great area if you're active," says Estelle. "There is so much to do, not just the cycling, but walking, too."
Often Chris will walk his kayak on its wheeled base down to nearby Kohimarama Beach and head out on the water to Rangitoto and Browns Island.
When the couple, formerly from Orakei, moved in with their toddler son Alex, Estelle was pregnant with Jeremy, who has just celebrated his 21st birthday. Recalling the original 1950s weatherboard home, Estelle says, "It was a basic little place when we bought it".
The sloping rear garden was not more than a patio and a "jungle" of planting. Wanting to make the most of their new family home, they renovated soon after moving in to a design by Paul Macintosh, now director of Macintosh Harris Design. They added a new master bedroom wing and a tiled extension to the living area, with French doors that open on to a balcony.
