SCHOOL ZONES:
Shelly Park Primary, Somerville Intermediate, Howick College.
CONTACT:
Wayne Rawson, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 0274 824 662.
She might be the lady of the manor, but Eileen Dalton likes to get her hands dirty. As she surveys the stunning country estate she shares with husband Andy, the former All Black captain, she smiles with quiet satisfaction at the results of 12 years' hard work.
"I do everything out here myself," she explains.
"I mow the lawn on the ride-on mower and I just love being amongst my plants."
Laid out in traditional English country-style with box hedging, brickwork paths and espaliered roses, Eileen's garden would look right at home in Wiltshire or Hertfordshire but, instead, there's mighty Rangitoto lying across the harbour and you can just make out the iconic Sky Tower, piercing Auckland's skyline. With the city just 35 minutes away by ferry, this is truly the best of both worlds and, needless to say, Eileen and Andy love it here.
You might think that the house has stood on this spot since the 19th century but, in fact, it was the home of the medical superintendent of Auckland Hospital -- previously located in Symonds St. From what Eileen can gather, it was transported here by barge -- in seven pieces -- in the late 1970s.
Originally built in the late 1880s, the handsome mansion is solid kauri and clad with shingles.
With high ceilings, church-like windows, polished kauri floors and staircase, the Dalton homestead is filled with character features. Some are less obvious than others, for example, the narrow passageway between the original kitchen (which Eileen uses as a laundry and scullery) and what used to be the dining room but was later converted to family living space.
"It's where the maid could carry meals to the table without being seen by the owner and his guests," Eileen explains.
Nowadays the passage has a new role -- that of wine cellar, as it is dark and cool and perfect for storing a vintage or two.
A large, contemporary American-style farmhouse kitchen, with open fireplace, now stands proudly at the rear of the house and Eileen can enjoy views to die for while she cooks. She's a foodie and thinks nothing of rustling up lunch for 30 for Andy and his friends after they've finished playing at the Formosa Golf Resort nearby. Afterwards, people often spill outside to mill around the swimming pool.
In winter, the couple enjoy hosting gatherings in their formal dining room, which can seat up to 12 and is also on the ground floor, alongside a good-sized home office which opens to Eileen's much-loved potager vegetable and herb garden.
Image 1 of 6: This shingle-clad 1880s charmer with formal gardens has an air of romance that captivates
On the second floor, a definite rugby theme becomes apparent -- not only because the elegant master bedroom with its near-new en suite and generous wardrobe is practically the size of Eden Park, but also because the screen in the media room comes down so that a televised rugby game can be immediately kicked off. Two more bedrooms complete this floor along with a bathroom adjacent to a storage room.
"If we weren't leaving we would definitely have turned those two rooms into one gorgeous, big modern bathroom," says Eileen.
There's attic space galore and the property also has a self-contained guest suite at the back of the monster garage-workshop and mower shed.
Eileen and Andy aren't sure yet where they're moving to. "We have an open mind. But we're rattling around in here now our two children are grown up so it feels like a good time for a change."
