It is hard to believe, but less than 20 years ago the former Waitakere City Council was prepared to let a block of bush tucked on the edge of Titirangi be cleared and turned into a housing development.
Alan and Alison McDonald and a couple of neighbours got wind ofthe plans and put up a fight. They rallied the neighbours and found a lawyer who was so incensed his firm allowed him to fight pro bono. Their eventual win in 1997 meant that the McDonalds and their neighbours acquired the land and kept it in bush reserve, edging Kawa Glade and Kawaka Reserve.
"It brought the street together and we're still all friends now," says Alan. "There would have been 50 people celebrating here, and even now, if we're doing a street get-together 20 or 30 people will turn up."
Fortunately their 1960s house can cope with the crowd. Tucked down a long driveway, the ranch-style house is sited to take advantage of the north facing aspect, getting sun even in the depths of winter. A wide lawn between decks and bush, ensures that low winter sun penetrates the living rooms. When the McDonalds moved in with their two-year old daughter they liked being walking distance to good primary schools, handy to shopping centres at Kelston and New Lynn, and the trendy cafes of Titirangi.
In their 27 years in the house the McDonalds gradually worked on the building, tweaking here and there to improve its functionality, and spent hours working on the garden.
Image 1 of 5: Bush surroundings lend character to sunny, four-bedroom ranch-style property. Photos / Karlene Ashworth-Dennis
"There were three bottle brush trees, and a lot of weeds, that was it," says Alison. "It was all clay, so we brought in truck loads of peat and built up the beds."
The couple like colour, so brought in sub-tropical king palms to edge their lawn, under-planting the bush with red clivia and bromeliads. They cleared weeds and over the years have built delightful bush walks with gravel, sleepers and bricks to trail through to the reserve at their boundary. Much of the bush has self-seeded to create the regenerating haven they hoped for.
Nearer to the house their green fingers have nurtured raised beds for veggies and colourful flowering pots between the garage and the deck. The couple will really put their gardening skills to the test next, having bought a commercial flower business in the Bay of Plenty, so are selling their bush property to move south.
The McDonalds' tweaks to the house have created more sunny spots for living. They pushed out a wall a mere 500mm to create a light bright kitchen and banquette seating for the breakfast table. With french doors opening to a covered deck, this is where visitors gravitate: an all season outdoor living room.
The north and western sides of the house are surrounded by decks, and in the cathedral-ceilinged living room, they pushed out a wall and added more french doors to draw in the sun.
The family areas of the house include two double and a generous single bedrooms, and a recently refurbished family bathroom, plus a multi-purpose sitting room that has done duty for their two girls as a teen sitting room and media room, but is now the couple's office. Their master bedroom has views to the bush and a brand new ensuite. The extra-wide lock up garage has a utility room and room for a full workshop.
They are sad to be moving on, but proud of what they have achieved for their street, and indeed the future of the Waitakeres' bush. "The character of the place changed [because of the law suit], the whole street opened up, everyone knows everyone else," says Alan. Here's hoping that the next owners want to be part of that community.
