Coromandel: Third time lucky

91 Whangapoua Road, Coromandel.

After floods kept destroying a renovated Coromandel villa, it was time to move it.

The creation of the boutique lodge Crystal Creek is actually a tale of two villas, two floods and one determined owner: Chris Lyon.

Chris moved to the Coromandel Peninsula six years ago after serious health problems meant he had to give up his successful Auckland interior design business. So, with his building, restoration and landscaping skills, he decided to buy run-down homes, place them on sections in Coromandel township, work his magic then sell the finished product.

Chris found an 1869 derelict villa in the township and moved it on to land just north of the former mining village. The kauri building was turned into a three-bedroom, three-en suite home with lush, landscaped gardens. With an offer on the property, Chris bought another kauri villa, this time a heritage property that was situated in the town but had to be moved to make way for a motel.

Then came the first flood. The 2002 "weather bomb" hit, causing the nearby river to swell, engulf the restored villa and take with it the garden - and the sale. Suddenly Chris was stuck with one restored but water-damaged villa and another villa in need of attention, and somewhere to live.

"Because we didn't sell the house, I couldn't buy a section, so luckily a friend offered to rent me some land [on Whangapoua Road]. So I shifted the heritage villa there, put it up on bricks and it just sat there for a few years. The building was all kauri but hadn't had a lot of love for a long time," explains Chris.

So it was back to plan A - tidying up the restored villa in the township, but nine months to the day of the weather "bomb" there was more bad luck for Chris.

"I had the home all fixed up again, and the day we put it on the market was the day of the next flood. Luckily, because our neighbours were planning to have a party, we decided to stay with friends that weekend so we weren't in the house when all the water went through it."

Now Chris had a water-damaged home in a flood zone and definitely no sales in the future.

Fortunately, Chris had some good luck at last. He was able to buy the Whangapoua Road section, and he took up his sister's idea of combining the two villas on the land. "I got the plans of both houses, and after looking at them, realised they could go so well together."

The joining and restoring of the two villas resulted in Crystal Creek Lodge that opened last Christmas as boutique accommodation for mainly international visitors. It has six bedrooms with en suites, and a fabulous kitchen that Chris' partner and chef Noi Somnok uses to create Thai meals for guests.

Chris and Noi never planned to use the combined villas as a lodge and are selling so they can go back to the original plan of just restoring and selling villas in the increasingly up-market town. And this time, they'll buy sections far away from the river.

Vital Statistics

Size: Land 3327sq m.

Price: Offers between $700,000 and $800,000.

Inspect: Open home Sun 3pm or by appointment.

Contact: Sharon James, Century 21, ph 07 866 8716, mob 021 235 4771.

Feature: Home and income currently run as boutique lodge; six bedrooms; two lounges; large kitchen; study; courtyards; landscaped garden; separate cottage; close to Coromandel township.