French connection - Birkenhead Point

The pull of her home country has proved too strong for the French owner of this clifftop Auckland property.

10 Tizard Road, Birkenhead Point.

She has a home that many aspire to - perched on a clifftop, overlooking Auckland city and the stunning harbour, with the bonus of riparian rights. But for Frenchwoman Simone Miller, the allure of her homeland is too strong.

Simone bought the brick and tile, two-storey home after moving to New Zealand in the 1950s, but after retiring from the tourism industry she's spent nearly 20 years visiting her family in Provence.

She would leave Auckland's dreary winter and spend the northern hemisphere summer in France, while tenants kept an eye on her Birkenhead Point home.

But at the age of 85 Simone began finding the long distance travel too much, and last year she moved back France permanently. She is now living with her niece near Valence, and her beloved Auckland home is on the market.

Auckland friend and fellow French native George Re is not only the power of attorney for Simone - he also has fond memories of the sought-after home.

George met Simone in 1973 when they both worked at the city's former Hotel Intercontinental, and then flatted with her at the Tizard Road house when he immigrated to New Zealand in 1980.

He made the most of the home's waterfront location and would meander through the property's bush down to the sea, or wander to the end of the cul-de-sac and through a park to the water.

"That is a very beautiful walk," he says.

Although the location is ideal, the house was originally built in the typical style of the 1950s.

The main living areas were at the front of the house and overlooked the road, while the bathroom and small bedroom were at the back of the home. The layout didn't accommodate the panoramic water view.

"My corner bedroom had the views out to the water, and the toilet was the only other window at the back of the house," laughs George.

In the late 1980s, Simone renovated the home, moving the kitchen and dining area to the rear to take in the view, and adding a large deck that runs the width of the house.

From the deck, you see over the top of the property's native trees, out to sea and on toward St Marys Bay, Herne Bay, and all the way to the Waitakere Ranges. You also have dynamic views over the Harbour Bridge to the Sky Tower.

The spacious self-contained one-bedroom flat in the basement also commands views of the water vista from its large lounge.

Once connected to the upstairs by an internal staircase, the flat is now accessed by a separate path that runs down the side of the house. The path also leads to a picturesque studio nestled in the bush.

The upstairs area has three bedrooms: two at the front that overlook the lawn but have privacy from the road, and George's former bedroom with views over the Harbour Bridge. George is sure Simone can still see her Auckland view in her mind's eye, from her reclaimed home in France.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 1

SIZE: Land 1179sq m, house 180sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV (2005) $760,000. Auction July 29.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-2pm, Wed 5-6pm, next Saturday July 29, 12-1pm.

ON THE WEB: www.harcourts.co.nz # bi060614

CONTACT: Heather Selwyn, Harcourts, 027 496 9895.

FEATURES: 1950s brick and tile home on a clifftop site with mature bush, riparian rights and amazing harbour views. Polished floors, a self-contained flat, plus a studio/workshop hidden in the garden. In a cul-de-sac a short walk from the Birkenhead ferry terminal, cafes and specialty shops.