CONTACT:
Jeremy Pryor, Bayleys, 027 280 2121, (07) 579 0611.
AUCTION:
August 26.
Do you like blue, Mary?" was the first question the real estate agent asked Mary Milham when he took her and her husband, Rod, to look at a property in Plummer Rd in the Bay of Plenty 15 years ago.
She said she loved blue, and her veracity was put to the test when she saw the deep blue kitchen of the newly built house she and Rod fell in love with.
It wasn't just the modern blue kitchen that attracted them to the 1ha property. Even the road brought a smile to their faces -- an especially attractive country road just a couple of kilometres off State Highway 2 north of Tauranga.
They also loved the rural location, the views to Mauao and Mayor Island, the proximity to the coast, the style of the house, the colours and the decor, and the newly laid out garden.
"The bones were all there and we just added to it," Mary says.
Fifteen years on they still love the property and it's only the need to downsize now that they're in their 70s that's driving their move. They're leaving behind a spacious, elegant, contemporary home, a landscaped garden, and a 43-tree avocado orchard.
At 230sq m, the house has space to spare. The big kitchen has sliding windows that open to the coastal views, a luxurious number of floor-to-ceiling cupboards, and a tiled floor which continues through to the adjoining dining area. Bifolds open this space up to the deck, which is shaded from the summer heat by an ornamental grapevine.
A log burner keeps the dining area warm in winter, while the open-plan lounge alongside has a big open fireplace. The bifolds here open to a deck that claims the afternoon sun.
The master suite is positioned to catch the sunrise and has doors that open to a bricked terrace. The en suite is fully tiled in smart, charcoal tiles. Two more double bedrooms, a family bathroom and an office complete this wing of the house, and there's a fourth bedroom to the side of the double garage.
Image 1 of 5: On the edge of NZ's fastest-growing city lies an ample property with its own avo orchard
The space and light in the house, and the fact many rooms open to the outdoors, have made it perfect. When they bought the property it came with a commercial box hedging nursery and they continued that for some time, supplying 80 outlets. As you'd expect, the garden features a number of box hedges and topiaries.
"The original trees were just tiny specks when we came here," Mary says, pointing out the numerous mature evergreens, palms and deciduous varieties planted for shelter and privacy, and as purely ornamental trees.
A slope of large magnolias lines the upper boundary, and the flower beds on the upper level step down to a trellised rose bower which draws the line between the garden and the orchard.
The avocados spread over the rear half of the hectare with a separate driveway down the fence line to the storage and implement shed. The orchard has just had its second best year, with each tree producing a bin of avocados.
The area is well known for its avocado orchards, as well as a popular golf course, but Rod and Mary have also appreciated that Tauranga city is an easy drive via several satellite villages, including the Bethlehem Town Centre, which has a large shopping mall.
The convenient location, water views and proximity to beaches have convinced them to stay in the Omokoroa area, on the edge of what is now being called New Zealand's fastest growing city.
