It's probably every fisherman's dream to be able to launch his boat from the bottom of the garden, and it came true for Lew Johns when he and his wife Gail moved to Whenuapai in 1978.
The family had been living in Mt Eden and Lew would fish in the Kaipara, but it was a bit of a hike and he was keen to find something closer to home. "We started touring around looking for places and when we came here he said, 'I'd love to live here'," says Gail.
Unfortunately there was nothing for sale but undeterred, they asked a real estate agent to canvass the area for them, and he found the property in Pohutukawa Rd. At that time the area was quiet farmland and there were no houses past the end of the motorway.
"The land had a little bach on it so to start with we came here every weekend," Gail says. "We had a business in Auckland and discovered it wasn't too hard to go back and forth so when the kids were 9 and 11 we decided to build here."
They wanted good family areas, plenty of garaging, outdoor living spaces and views from all the bedrooms and living areas, so Lew designed the floorplan and had an architect draw it up.
The 340sq m house is a typically substantial, well built, 70s-style home, and although there have been changes over the years, the good bones and some of the original features remain. The big lounge with its log burner adjoins a dining room, and both have ranch sliders to the deck. The adjoining kitchen was completely refurbished two years ago, along with the bathrooms, and has new cabinetry, bench tops and appliances, making it a bright, contemporary space. A hint of iconic 70s style remains in a brick feature wall, which is echoed in the lounge.
Image 1 of 6: Sit and watch the rowers glide by and the dolphins frolic from waterfront property, a short dinghy journey from the pub
When Gail decorated the house she indulged her love of pretty colours and patterns in the bedrooms, and the luxurious drapes and furnishings reflect that.
Once the house was established, Gail turned her attention to the garden. A few fruit trees, but little else, were already there and at the outset she planted a cottage-style garden.
"But we still had the business in town then and it was too much work, so I went subtropical. That sorted it and it was much easier to care for. There's lots of colour in subtropicals and I love the shapes."
The garden encloses the outdoor living space that Lew wanted. There is a pool, a spa, a slate-paved terrace, two covered alfresco dining areas and a large deck. The area is enclosed by the house and fencing on three sides, but is open to the water views at the front.
Gail loves watching the water and says "all sorts goes on out there. There are rowers training, people in boats, and dolphins".
Her son used to come home from school and go waterskiing. "And it's easy to put the dinghy in and go to the Riverhead pub for lunch."
The house is a boatie's dream with three garages and a fourth, oversized garage to fit a 6.7m boat, or a camper. Storage of fishing gear is never an issue.
Gail won't miss the garages, but she does wish she could take her kitchen to the retirement village she will soon be calling home. "I'll be looking at the same water I'm leaving behind here."
