Whitford: A lucky dragon’s tongue

A property that has everything, including perfect feng shui.
1 Kellys Rd, Whitford. It was fitting that a travel story brought globe-trotting couple Uzume and August Hergesheimer to New Zealand.

Uzume was working as a television travel reporter when she did a piece about Tonga, and had to come to New Zealand to finish the production work. The couple had been living in Honolulu for six years but were ready for a change.

"Uzume had been here [NZ] and said 'You have to have a look at it. You'll be impressed'," says August, who has a German father and Japanese mother but grew up in San Diego. The Hergesheimers were taken with what Whitford had to offer.

"We wanted to live in the country but not have any country hardship. It's five minutes to Botany township if we need anything," August says.

They loved the 15ha property at Kellys Road with its water frontage, but the 1960s house needed some work when they assumed ownership four years ago. 

"We started with a budget of $200,000 but we more than quadrupled that."

What the Hergesheimers have achieved is a graceful lodge-style home with open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas with timber flooring. They added a wrap-around deck with jacuzzi, from which you can enjoy unimpeded views over the property, the Turanga Estuary and the Hauraki Gulf.

They knocked out walls to enlarge the bedrooms and have created a huge rumpus room at the far end of the house. To get the look they were after, they imported limestone tiles from France when refurbishing the bathrooms. From the kitchen you also have a clear view of their OSH-compliant children's playground.

Having built up some momentum, two years ago they decided to add a self-contained cedar cottage, which overlooks a pond with mood lighting. And then they built what they call the barn, which boasts a wine cellar, study, gym, sauna and two garages downstairs. Upstairs are living areas and a deck with views straight down the estuary.

Uzume says the feng shui of the property and its redevelopment were important to the couple, so much so that they employed a feng shui master to vet the plans and advise on the placement of everything from bathrooms to trees and boulders.

"The property forms a dragon's tongue going down to the water and that's supposed to be very good luck for money," says Tokyo-born Uzume, aged 34. "When we were doing the building we drove the builders crazy; they kept telling us things like 'You can't have the doors on that angle' and 'No one puts a bathroom there'."

August and Uzume have five children, three of high school age studying in Tokyo and two children at a local primary school.

"It's literally a playground for the kids here; you can just give your kids the opportunity to run free," August says.

August spends about two weeks each month in Japan overseeing his health foods business, and for that reason the couple want to downsize but stay in the same area while the youngest children are at school.

But it's obvious they still have itchy feet and big dreams: "What we'd like to do is buy several hundred acres of land in Hawkes Bay or the South Island." 

Vital Statistics

Size: Land 15.7ha, house 322sq m, barn 500sq m, cottage 65sq m.

Price Indication: Interest expected above $6 million. Tender closes May 31.

Inspect: By appointment.

Contact: Christina Hindle, Champion Realty, ph 535 555, mob 021 988 280.

Features: Compound-style living on a subdividable waterfront property with its own freshwater bore and perfect feng shui. Main house has underfloor heating. Air-conditioned 500sq m barn with wine cellar, gym, sauna and stainless-steel dog-washing tub. Self-contained cottage overlooking pond. Children's playground. Wired for broadband throughout.