Country: Outback appeal

CEDRIC GRAY visits an Aussie ranch-style home that boasts an impressive list of luxuries.

There is no mistaking the grandeur of this Australian ranch-style house on the Riverhead-Coatesville highway, 35km north of Auckland.

Practically everything about the 5.43ha property, owned by John and Louise Dobson, is big and beautiful - from the 473sq m dwelling to the expert landscaping around the picturesque pond, the 20-plus species of native and exotic trees and the eight well-fenced paddocks in the fertile river valley.

The house was built eight years ago, when John returned from a working stint "hundreds of miles from nowhere" in Western Australia. It has real outback appeal, with wide, covered verandas, high, 3.3m ceilings, a wide hallway, space to spare in every room and an outdoor entertaining area that's big enough to host every man and woman in town for the day.

Around 52,000 bricks were used in the construction. They were recovered from a New Lynn house, cleaned by hand and transported to the site with heart rimu from the South Island - the latter a quality feature of the interior finish.

A striking river rock gateway and a sweeping, exposed aggregate drive - lined on one side with a row of magnolias - leads to the impressive entrance.

However, there is even better to come. The kitchen and family areas open to an outdoor area boasting a heated swimming pool, a spa and a tiled area that stretches almost the length of the house - more than 44m.

The sun-filled kitchen, beautifully finished with solid rimu cabinets, serves a large family area and a large formal lounge, complete with a colonial-style open fireplace.

The four bedrooms are off the hallway. The master bedroom features a walk-in wardrobe, a small area for casual dining and a luxury en suite with a tiled, heated floor. The guest bedroom also has an en suite, and there are two further rooms at the end of the hallway that are used as offices.

The nearby pond is a feature of the landscape. It has its own gazebo for outdoor relaxation and a jetty. The pond and the wide variety of trees attract heaps of birdlife.

The outbuildings include a stable area alongside an all-weather dressage arena.

The property has direct access to the trekking trails in nearby Riverhead Forest.

The Dobsons plan to build a smaller home on a neighbouring property.

Marketed by Bayleys, West Harbour, this property will be auctioned on June 5. Contact Shona Jurlina on 416 7788 for details.