Howick: Private Paradise

Close to Howick and the beach, this lifestyle property is all about having the country life without the work that goes with it,writes VICKI HOLDER.

Behind the busy parade of modern homes lining Mellons Bay Rd in Howick, a peaceful lifestyle property transplants its owners into a subtropical paradise.

Birds flock to this sheltered spot, which is secluded at the end of a long driveway. Surrounded by majestic trees at least 50 years old, the property is almost untouched by winds and has developed its own microclimate that is perfect for growing subtropical species. A grove of palms forms a lush island in the middle of the lawn. Along one boundary a huge plane tree, a liquidambar and an enormous oak create a dense screen underplanted with magnolias, palms, taro, ferns, hostas, birds of paradise and various other native and exotic plants. Lower down still, an assortment of bromeliads add strappy colour along the borders.

Bromeliads have become quite a passion for owners Peter and Dianne Senior, who have collected more than 200 plants since they moved here.

The vegetable garden has also become a source of pride. In a little-used slope along the side, it fills a gap next to a citrus grove.

Down in the garden you can't see any neighbours or hear any traffic, so it feels much more like the country than the middle of suburbia.

When the couple bought their home from the builder nine years ago, it occupied a bare subdivided paddock. Peter took a year and a half to contour the land into terraces and mounds, creating shell pathways that weave down from a level lawn beside the parking area to large fish ponds that cascade over rocks at the bottom.

Peter moved many hundreds of wheelbarrow loads of soil and brought in over 40 cubic metres of bark. He did it all with his bare hands and it was back-breaking work. He laughs that his mechanical engineering degree was probably less useful than a physiotherapy degree might have been! Not only had he reshaped the property, but his body had changed shape as well. The new muscles he had developed forced him to throw out a few of his old jackets!

But it was all worthwhile, says Dianne, who loves the privacy of the property that is only a five-minute walk from Howick village and Mellons Bay Beach.

Sitting in the living areas feels as if you are still in the garden - all you can see are trees and colour. The family and formal areas spill through french doors to outdoor living areas, each with their own character to be enjoyed at different times of the day. With a gas fire in a white timber surround, the lounge has a warm, traditional feel. It steps through an opening to the dining room where a brick red feature wall adds a dramatic backdrop to the garden view. In summer, doors are left open to a porch heavily draped with purple bougainvillea, which gives shade from the hot northern sun.

The formal areas ease around a corner to the casual family part of the home. This extends from a relaxed sitting area and the cream kitchen opposite into a semi-circular, conservatory-like space with pale timber flooring. Completely surrounded by windows, it is always warm and sunny. Doors open to a generous deck perched high above the garden for a bird's eye view.

All but one of the five bedrooms are upstairs. Guests have their privacy downstairs, along with their own bathroom and toilet that is handy to the entry and internally accessed three-car garaging.

The bedrooms upstairs are entered off yet another living area used by the Seniors as a library retreat. It opens to a narrow balcony connecting the master bedroom with a deck from two more bedrooms. Views across Howick to Cockle Bay can be gained from this lofty aerie. The master bedroom sits in a separate wing alongside the smallest of the five bedrooms and features a dressing room and large en suite.

For lifestylers who are tired of the hard demanded by larger pieces of land in Whitford or Drury, this special property in the heart of town still captures the essence of country life.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 65a Mellons Bay Rd, Howick.

FEATURES: Nine-year-old lifestyle property in the city; hidden, private and beautifully landscaped garden with large trees and fish ponds; garden lighting throughout; five bedrooms, master with dressing room and en suite; three bathrooms; large formal and family living areas; internal-access triple-car garaging; five minutes from Howick Village and Mellons Bay Beach.

SIZE: Land area 1922sq m.

AUCTION: February 18 at Bayleys Clark Realty Howick auction rooms.

AGENT: Linda Drinkrow, Bayleys Clark Realty Howick. Ph 535 5480 bus; 0274 594 221 mob.