Waimauku: Wedding belle

A colonial home set in beautiful gardens has made an ideal wedding venue. 

Bridgewater Country Estate, 561 Peak Road, Waimauku.

Rose Bridge always gets a kick out of showing off the view from the terrace of her colonial-style property to couples planning a wedding.

"I love watching their faces when they look out over the gardens and they say, 'Wow, look at that'," Rose says.

It's the same reaction she experienced when she discovered the property after five years of searching on and off for a wedding venue. "I had this dream of having a quiet country lifestyle but at the same time making money out of it," Rose says. "So I hit on the idea of having weddings in summer and then heading off overseas in winter for a holiday.

"I was looking for places with gardens about an hour maximum out of Auckland and when I came out on to the terrace of this place I thought, 'Wow, I've found it'."

One of the first things Rose's husband Gary did when they brought the property nearly four years ago was to build wide steps from the terrace to the gardens so brides could make a grand entrance before the waiting wedding party.

Unfortunately that was one of the last things Gary did as he took ill soon after, but fulfilled his dream of seeing Sarah, his son Nick's bride, be the first one to use those steps at the first wedding they hosted. Gary died the next day, and Rose, who has four children, has continued to run the estate with the help of family.

Building the steps is one of the few changes that Rose has made to a home that used to be a private residence which would occasionally host bus tours.

A commercial kitchen has been added, the car park has been sealed and what used to be the billiard room has been turned into a conference room. The covered terrace can seat 100.

The property was established in the 1970s by a farming couple and boasts an AstroTurf tennis court, swimming pool, car park, a conservatory, ponds and a waterfall, all set in a grand English-style garden backdropped by native bush with a boardwalk through mature kauri, rimu, nikau and kahikatea.

The weatherboard house has large reception rooms - one with a daunting brick fireplace. There are two main wings - one with three bedrooms and a bathroom, the other with a bedroom, en suite and private sitting room.

Since Gary's death Rose has plugged on, but it's not the same without him, and she has decided to sell.

"It's a lovely job, but a dream's only a dream if you have someone to share it with."

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 4+

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGE: NO GARAGE BUT SEALED CARPARK FOR 40 CARS.

SIZE: Land 5.6ha, house 428sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Buyers in excess of $1.5 million should inspect. Tenders close February 16.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1pm-2pm.

CONTACT: Shona Jurlina, Bayleys, ph 417 0017 bus, 0275 997 022 mob.

FEATURES: Homestead with two commercial kitchens and a conservatory. Spectacular garden with walkways, water features and native bush. Tennis court, swimming pool.

enue.