Country: Sport for all

Check it out - a fantastic family home that's perfect for entertaining and with a variety of sporting facilities on tap. VICKI HOLDER reports.

The lives of sports-mad city dwellers are often spent zooming across town as they try to squeeze in their recreational activities between work and home.

However, life isn't nearly as complicated when you live on a resort-like, lifestyle property in West Auckland, complete with tennis court, heated swimming pool, golf hole and gym.

When a horse paddock came up for sale 14 years ago, it was too good an opportunity for the property's sporty owners to miss.

They just had to buy and develop this gently sloping piece of land. Facing north, it had a magnificent outlook, with great views of the upper harbour and the city.

Sheltered from the quiet, country road behind a floodlit Astroturf tennis court, the large, family home sprawls across the property. The bedrooms and living areas wrap around the decks that look out to the swimming pool and view. Sweetly perfumed cherry pie, gardenias and lavender scent the air, which makes sitting on the deck and soaking up the view an intoxicating experience.

In front of the pool area, a stretch of lawn rolls down to a backdrop of native bush. The lawn includes a good-sized golf hole. It's a golfer's dream - no need to travel to the club for practice.

The northern side of the property remains a wide expanse of land, apart from a small citrus grove and a few fruit trees that never grow high enough to block the views. However, the road side is screened for privacy with a profusion of trees and flowering shrubs.

A tree-lined, black-cobbled driveway heads down to an exceptionally large parking forecourt and the twin double garages with internal access. Camellias, rhododendrons, vireyas, azaleas and scented magnolias thrive among bushy conifers, lending a well-established air to the property.

The entry opens to a marble entrance hall, which extends to the gym on one side and three large bedrooms on the other. Two of the bedrooms flow through ranchsliders to the deck.

There is a built-in study adjoining one of the bedrooms. While the other bedrooms are big enough for desks, another small office area at the top of the stairs is a pleasant escape from the family action.

Near the bedrooms, there is a spacious, tiled, family bathroom with a rimu sarked ceiling. A utility room containing the laundry gives plenty of space for storage, ironing and sewing.

Upstairs, family living and entertaining revolve around a big, white kitchen with a panoramic view of Auckland. White-tiled floors, white cabinetry, a white laminate benchtop and white appliances are balanced by the warmth of a pitched, sarked rimu ceiling with halogen lighting.

A breakfast bar between the casual living area and the kitchen is a relaxed place for family dining. The formal dining area, a separate room with floor-to-ceiling windows, provides a perfect view of the tennis court.

A lounge in front basks in sun, while, around the corner and down a few steps, the snug includes a log fire.

The main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and an en suite, and enjoys superb views of the property.

Treating sport-lovers and those who love to entertain to a wealth of options unattainable in town, this luxurious estate is only seven minutes from Titirangi village and 20 minutes from Auckland.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 112 Carter Rd, Oratia.

FEATURES: Blue chip property with harbour and city views; heated swimming pool; golf hole; floodlit Astroturf tennis court; professionally landscaped gardens; orchard; four bedrooms, master with walk-in dressing room and en suite; gym; casual and formal living areas; two fireplaces; separate dining; snug; study; twin double internal-access garaging; central vac system.

SIZE: More than 8000sq m.

AUCTION: At 1.30pm, on site, May 11.

AGENT: Richard Cadness, Harveys, Titirangi. Ph 817 8011 bus; 817 5742 ah; 025 513 364 mob.