Puhoi: Healthy alternative

VICKI HOLDER checks out a stunning eco-friendly lodge north of Auckland.

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to live in an environmentally friendly house without forgoing any of the creature comforts, The Ridge is an opportunity to find out.

A luxury eco-lodge set in the hills above Puhoi - 45 minutes north of Auckland's CBD - it was designed as an escape from busy city life, offering visitors an indulgent place to pause on their travels.

To get to this peaceful hideaway, you take a breathtakingly bendy road through native bush. Once you've arrived you can sit 166m above sea level and enjoy the awesome views stretching about 50km in every direction. Gazing down over bush and pasture out to sea, you can just make out the islands of the Hauraki Gulf on the horizon.

There to welcome you is charming owner Philippa Benson, an English woman who ran a commercial interiors business in Paris for 13 years. When she came to New Zealand on holiday, she fell in love with the place and decided to return to build The Ridge. Now a leading advocate for the Puhoi village, she is very much involved in the community, which makes her an interesting and knowledgeable host.

Philippa's property is only two and a half years old. A handsome, architecturally designed timber building, it is fitted out to the highest standard. Three comfortable guest rooms, named after the Wenderholm, Mahurangi and Tawharanui regional parks, enjoy spectacular views, a private deck and generous en suites. Fabulously comfortable beds were specially made, featuring natural fibre mattresses.

Top priority was given to the health and well-being of visitors and permanent residents when the lodge was built. To that end, it was constructed from natural, non-toxic, chemical-free materials, and carefully designed for energy efficiency with passive solar heating, insulated walls, ceilings and floors. A trouble-free, gravity-siphoned mechanical waste treatment system requires no power and little maintenance.

The combination of wool insulation and eco-paints allows the house to breathe, eliminating condensation. Allergy sufferers will appreciate the oiled wooden floors and the use of non-detergent-based soaps and shampoos, and the halogen lights are equipped with transformers that reduce electro-magnetic interference.

The guest facilities include an outdoor dining area, so you can enjoy the stunning views while the chef tempts the tastebuds. A large outdoor space with deck chairs is great for sunbathing, and an outdoor clay fire keeps guests warm at night. The guest lounge, with leather sofas and an open log fire, is equipped with Sky Digital, video, DVD and surround-sound stereo equipment. And the guest library has information on things to see and do.

While there are bush walks to do within the property, there is a lot happening in the immediate vicinity. If you get sick of the peace and quiet, Philippa has suggestions for day trips. She provides a walking map to the historic village of Puhoi, which was founded in 1863 by pioneers who journeyed from the Kingdom of Bohemia, about 100km south of Prague, when land was being offered free to fare-paying emigrant families.

While this idyllic country lodge is run as a luxury bed and breakfast, there is an opportunity to either build the business or just enjoy the home as a country retreat.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: The Ridge, 147 Greenhollows Rd, Puhoi.

FEATURES: Luxury eco-lodge carefully designed to be energy efficient; owners' suite plus bathroom, lounge, office; three guest suites; dining room, lounge, library; internal-access garage; fully monitored alarm; panoramic rural and sea views; private; peaceful bush setting; architecturally designed and purpose-built; quality fixtures and fittings; low-maintenance property; petanque court; bush walks; wheelchair access to lodge; plentiful rainwater catchment and storage.

SIZE: Land area 2ha.

TENDER CLOSES: 4pm, November 26.

AGENT: Michael Hood, UP, Herne Bay. Ph 361 6483 bus; 021 677 066 mob.