Waterfront: A homely delight

By VICKI HOLDER

Arriving at Cotton Wood – a rambling, old-fashioned property along the banks of the Tamaki Estuary – is like turning back time.

Owned by Judy and Tony Laity, the homestead conveys a mellow ease that wraps around you, forcing you to slip down a gear or two in preparation for home-made lemonade on the veranda.

Having meandered among the pretty garden beds, floating like islands on the sweeping expanse of lawn between the house and the river, your thirst may need quenching.

More importantly, you crave the pleasure of reclining in the sun in a comfortable chair where you can assimilate the splendour of all you have seen.

One of Auckland's oldest, best-known and most-beloved gardens, by virtue of its regular inclusion in the Trinity Garden Festival, Cotton Wood has been in the same family for 75 years.

It was established by Auckland businessman Athol Wells whose daughter, Judy, grew up and married there. Judy's love of gardening began early when she helped her mother tend the flower beds. Her mother was not at all fazed when Judy returned to live at Cotton Wood in 1980 with her husband Tony, and enthusiastically set about redesigning the garden. Gardens must evolve and this one has seen many changes over the years.

So too has the old homestead, originally a humble weatherboard bungalow that was awkwardly positioned high on the lawn. The Laitys had architect Harry Turbott open up the front of the house with large verandas that step down to the garden on all sides. He softened the roofline so that it now nestles over the house like that of a classic Queenslander.

Although it's not a grand home, it's full of character and delightfully homely. Enormous picture windows frame the garden from a cosy lounge and the master bedroom wing. These large rooms straddle the dining room, which unfolds through bifold doors to a big outdoor room recessed in the veranda.

Nearer the river, stately deciduous trees across the lawn shelter the house. Deliberately trimmed, they treat those inside or on the veranda to perfect glimpses of the yachts moored on the estuary.

On the river side of the house, the rooms enjoy the morning sun. On the other side, the kitchen and adjoining family dining and sitting rooms, a television room, the study, the third and fourth bedrooms and the large swimming pool soak up the afternoon sun.

No matter where you are in this home, the garden views are exquisite. And the garden is completely at one with the homestead.

Flower beds full of shrubs and annuals are sculpted into undulating borders flowing around the edge of the property, complementing the river below. Pastel shades of silver, mauve, white and pink sweep across the borders nearest the house, while more vibrant hues of scarlet, orange and fuchsia add drama further away.

In a shady corner beneath a big oak tree, a subtropical island overflows with bromeliads, agaves, succulents and palms. Hidden behind an elm, an old, whitewashed glasshouse backs onto a small orchard and vegetable cages, left over from an era of self-sufficiency.

Clumps of shiny, green clivias topped with bright orange flowers thrive under the pohutukawa along the water's edge. A bench seat made of ponga logs invites you to sit and enjoy the river view.

Just 15 minutes from central Auckland, Cotton Wood's beauty and generosity offers joy and a retreat from modern life. To make it even more enticing, resource consent has been granted for a 46m private jetty and 27.8m pontoon, from which you can sail off into the Hauraki Gulf.

Vital statistics:

Address: 87 Kings Rd, Panmure.

Features: Magnificent garden estate on Tamaki Estuary with riparian rights; resource consent for jetty and pontoon; formal lounge and dining; four bedrooms; study/library; all rooms open to covered verandas; fully self-contained one bedroom guest accommodation with lounge/kitchen and garage; swimming pool; boat shed; zoned 6A/one unit per 375 sq m.

Size: Land area 7501 sq m.

Auction: On site at 2 pm, April 6.

Agent: Nicola Bull and Deborah Kelland, Kelland's Real Estate. Ph 302 2209 bus; Nicola 027 477 4667 mob; 524 4511 ah; Deborah 027 492 0439 mob; 372 8809 ah.