Host with the most in Pakiri

Pakiri Pt Lodge. Photo / Supplied

PAKIRI POINT LODGE 112M GREENWOOD RD PAKIRI

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SIZE: Land 4.8125ha, house 590sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $4.85 million. Tender closes March 23.

INSPECT: By appointment.

ON THE WEB: harcourts.co.nz/MJ5572

CONTACT: Nicky Rhodes, Harcourts, ph 486 8205 or 021 378 283.

FEATURES: Luxury lodge constructed from block, cedar and stone on the cliff of Pakiri Beach. Main lodge is single-level, with all bedrooms enjoying superb sea views. Owners' quarters upstairs. Several living areas throughout the home, as well as conference room and basement wine cellar - all with lift access. Property has riparian access to beach and is surrounded by reserve.

Promoting New Zealand wine and food to overseas guests is one of the real kicks that Rae Ah Chee gets from being involved in Pakiri Point Lodge. And the lodge provides the perfect setting to introduce foreigners to the delights of New Zealand, with its awe-inspiring views along Pakiri beach and out to sea.

Rae, who has a background in catering, developed the lodge with business partners Bill and Evelyn Chong. It was his solution to the retirement dilemma, because he didn't want to stop working altogether.

They bought the prime headland site looking north up Pakiri Beach, with riparian rights, in 2004 after farmland was subdivided for development. After a tough resource and building consent process, construction on the lodge began in 2007 and it opened in 2009.

Building in such a prominent position, the trio was at pains to blend the lodge with its environment, hence the choice of Te Kuiti limestone and cedar as the main construction materials, with a copper-coloured aluminium roof.

"We used 150 tonnes of the limestone and we've used it very naturally; it came up in boulders and it was then broken down and put together randomly," says Rae. "The colours of the building work with the sea, sand and sky, and the grassy hills."

Architect Peter Chibnall came up with an award-winning design that maximises the views from the five guest rooms, which are all on the ground floor. The central part of the lodge comprises the kitchen, living and dining areas, with the eastern wing of the building containing three bedrooms and the western arm, two bedrooms - all with their own bathrooms and patios. Gabled roofs with large overhangs emphasise the lodge feel, but also provide protection from the elements on the decks.

With four 25,000-litre water tanks on site, Rae always encourages guests to use their baths. The water is triple-filtered for purity, while grey water is used to irrigate plants in the extensive landscaping around the lodge.

The views aren't the only breathtaking feature: inside the entrance, guests are greeted with a glass floor that looks down into a luxuriously appointed basement wine cellar.

There is also a conservatory near the front door before you move through to the open-plan living and dining rooms that flows out to a deck overlooking the beach.

A day room next to the kitchen is sometimes used for breakfast and there is a "night room" adjoining the main lounge and dining area that has a TV and stereo.

Upstairs is a collectibles room packed with memorabilia that fans of James Bond would enjoy, and from there you can move on to a small gym and the library, which has a fireplace and a covered, glass-balustraded deck that Rae reckons has the best views. To the rear of this level are the owners' quarters and an office.

Limestone work around the fireplaces and in the odd interior column, teamed with Australian gum floors, give the lodge a simple but elegant feel aimed at putting guests at ease.

"We're not a formal place," says Rae. "We want people to relax and unwind."

When Rae decided he wanted to spend more time with family, the Chongs decided to sell up, too, so the business is now for sale, offering someone an enviable lifestyle.