Mangawhai / Te Arai: Natural beauty

Breathtaking, gorgeous and idyllic, this piece of paradise north of Auckland is the definition of a dream lifestyle destination. By VICKI HOLDER.

Upping the ante on the romance stakes, marketers of Manaia Estate near Mangawhai, north of Auckland, have pulled out all the stops. Anyone who has become tired of a continuing plethora of enticing lifestyle destinations wheeled out over the past few years will surely stop in their tracks with this gorgeous piece of landscape eye candy packaged in some of the most seductive promotional material you'll ever see.

Scenes straight out of an international fashion magazine portray beautiful young people set against a beautifully tinted backdrop of rolling green hills, golden sands and clear blue seas and skies.

Not your everyday piece of heaven, Manaia is a large residential block soon to be transformed into 25 sections set in 192ha acres of farm park and pristine native bush - just 90 minutes' drive north of Auckland.

The blurb accompanying the pictures slowly reels you into this idyllic rural location. "A paradise for lovers of the outdoors," ... "green carpets greet your waking gaze...", "rolling to a sparkling ocean...", "murmured song of crystal waves...", "the soundtrack to a morning stroll...". And so it goes on.

The site affords panoramic pastoral and sea views, with Te Arai and Pakiri Beaches close by, the perfect playground for water sports enthusiasts. Manaia Estate owners also enjoy a one twenty-fifth share of the farm park, an area leased from the Manaia Estate Residents' Association for breeding 500 ewes and a truffle farm.

Truffles, or Perigord Black Truffles to be precise, are prized throughout the world for their unique flavour and intoxicating smell. The ultimate gourmet taste treat, they have been attributed with other qualities such as their ability to boost health and virility. While they may vary in size from 2cm to 10cm and look like a cross between a shrivelled avocado and a lump of coal, they are succulent and firm.

Truffles are grown under oak or hazelnut trees, producing one crop every year between May and August in the Southern Hemisphere. Truffle host trees usually start producing within six to eight years from planting. When the truffles mature, the trees grow fairy rings around them, and trained dogs with a keen sense of smell are used to hunt them out.

Manaia's developer Bill Lee says 4600 trees were planted on the estate in 2002. Their roots have been tested to confirm they have been successfully infected with the fungus that creates the truffles. Lee expects the total annual production to be around 900kg, which, at an average sale price of $1000 per kilo, will provide an income of $900,000 and equate to a nice little royalty of $90,000 to farm park owners. Once the 3500 trees planted in 2004 are producing as well, then the farm park will be earning even more down the track, making it not just a holiday dream but a great financial investment.

As it has been a working farm, it includes all the usual farm assets, such as a woolshed, implement sheds, manager's quarters and farm machinery. The block will include a small lake with a tennis court and a fully developed equestrian centre with dressage facilities, stables, stalls and paddocks. Residents can take their horses along the beach or ride the trails in the farm park and surrounding hills. A community pavilion will be completed next month.

A permanent, live-in manager will maintain the non-farming grounds and all other amenities. Residents can feel assured their investment is well protected. Entry to the estate will be controlled by electronic gates and the style of the architecture and landscaping are covenanted to ensure everything is in harmony with the exceptional natural surroundings.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: Manaia Estate, Te Arai, Wellsford.

FEATURES: 25 sites on large farm park close to beaches; residents have 1/25th share of farm park and associated facilities - these include pasture, truffiere, covenanted native bush and roading; equestrian centre with dressage facilities; man-made lake; tennis court; entertaining pavilion; strict covenants on architecture; panoramic sea views.

SIZE: Sections are 4000sq m, plus one 3555sq m; total land area 192ha.

PRICE: Sections from $400,000.

AGENTS: Jody Calvert and Julian Brown, Belle Property, Queenstown. Ph 03 442 9000 bus; Jody 027 2379 109 mob; Julian 021 790 153 mob.