Having sailed boats in the past, Peter Churchill always felt the lure of the sea.
And that's what drove the decision by him and wife Paula to buy this Spanish mission-style home on a clifftop overlooking the Tamaki Estuary and with views out to Rangitoto.
"We were in Bramley Drand wanted to be on the water," says Peter. Luckily, they spoke to a real estate agent who knew the original owner of this property was considering selling -- and a deal was done eight years ago.
"There are a series of streets that follow the cliffs around here and they are highly sought-after," says Peter.
On the street frontage of this property is a two-bedroom home -- also in Spanish mission style -- and that's where the original owner lived while the three-level home overlooking the water was built, around 1977.
"The cornerstone of the design was to capture the view," says Peter, pointing out that you can see the sea even from the garage.
A couple of years after they moved in, Paula and Peter began renovating both homes, with kitchens and bathrooms upgraded in two stages, and the decor updated as they opened up the house and improved its infrastructure.
"It had a Spanish theme, with lots of dark timber and wrought iron gates. It seemed a bit dated to us," says Peter.
Entry is at the mid-level into a foyer with the kitchen straight ahead and the dining and living areas off to the left. Sitting at the centre of this layout is a massive brick chimney that spans all three levels.
"The original owner told us there are enough bricks in this chimney to build a three-bedroom house," says Peter.
Image 1 of 7: Close to the city-bound ferry, and offering European styling, is this highly sought-after property. Photos / Ted Baghurst
With granite benchtops and a breakfast bar, the modern kitchen flows though to a dining room and lounge area that opens to a balcony tucked into the northeast corner of the house. The main living area overlooking the bay also opens to this balcony and has glass sliding doors backed by a glass balustrade so this room can be opened to the sea view.
Sitting to the west of the lounge is a bedroom with an en suite that has a walk-in shower with water views.
"It's a wonderful place to wake up in the morning because you can hear the racing skiffs out there and a guy on a megaphone urging them on," says Peter.
"And you can hear the ferry leaving -- three toots when it is ready to go and one long one if someone is in the way. The ferry is seven minutes' walk away and takes 30 minutes to get downtown; it's a beautiful way to get to work."
Upstairs, there is an office on the landing that leads into a day room, where Paula used to do her scrapbooking. From the office you can see down to the lounge below. At the rear of the home is the laundry and double garage, while downstairs are three more bedrooms -- one with an en suite -- as well as the main bathroom and a lounge with a fireplace. This space opens to a paved loggia, a sheltered spot for barbecues and enjoying the views.
From the loggia you can step down to the back lawn and make your way down to the beach below. The previous owner had a pulley system to ferry picnic supplies to and from the beach.
With their children having left home, Peter and Paula are downsizing. "We've got much more than we need," says Peter. "We've loved it, we've enjoyed it but it is time to move on."
