Numbers game in Leigh

100 Omaha Block Access Rd, Cape Rodney. Photo / Supplied

100 OMAHA BLOCK ACCESS RD, CAPE RODNEY, LEIGH

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SIZE: Land 27.119ha, house 280sq m (more or less).

PRICE INDICATION: Above CV of $5.1 million.

INSPECT: By appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/183877

SCHOOL ZONES: Matakana Primary, Snells Beach Primary, Warkworth Primary, Mahurangi College.

CONTACT: Shane Romani, Bayleys, ph 021 889 906 or (09) 422 6363.

FEATURES: North-facing property on 1.5km stretch of coastline with riparian rights, including private beach. Spacious, three-bedroom cedar home with self-contained studio.

The silliest question you could ask Carol and Bill Clark would be why they bought their property at Cape Rodney, right at the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf.

The answer is evident from just about anywhere in their two-storeyed home which offers 360-degree views of an extraordinary area of coast, bush and beautiful farmland.

Not that their 27ha was anything like this manicured estate when they first saw it almost 30 years ago. It was covered in gorse and rubbish, and it took the couple several years to clear it, plant it, and build their spacious cedar home with its spectacular views.

Once it was cleared, a flock of sheep took care of the pasture and kept the gorse at bay, which gave Bill and Carol time to embark on an extensive planting programme. More than 600 pohutukawa have been planted, along with countless flaxes.

The oldest trees provide a superb display of blooms at Christmas. The younger ones are just pushing their heads through the grass. "It's an exposed site so it's taken them a while to get going," explains Carol.

They owned the property for seven or eight years before the house was built, visiting at weekends and staying in a bunkroom while working out where the main house should be sited. With the help of their architect they decided that the position from which they would get the full 360-degree view would be perfect for the house. The brief was for something spacious, open-plan and uncluttered, and that is just what they achieved. There are three bedrooms, a studio and ... a lighthouse.

"The lighthouse was already there when we bought the property," Bill says. "It's powered by battery and solar, and over time, the light itself has got smaller, but much brighter."

The property also has an olive grove with 120 trees. That happened by accident - many years ago there was a slip in one of the paddocks and Bill wanted to plant out the area to stabilise the land. "I'd barely heard of olives," he says. "I didn't think much about it but a couple of nights later Peta Mathias was talking about them on the TV and the idea took hold."

They planted Koroneiki, Frantoio, Leccino and J5, and are now part of the Matakana Olive Oil Co-op which sells its oil at the Matakana Farmers' Market.

The property borders the Goat Island Marine Reserve so there's ample marine life to watch. Bill and Carol have enjoyed their own beach, accessed by steps from the house, and say it's the perfect place to relax. Because it's part of the reserve they don't fish there, but the water is ideal for poking around the rock pools with the grandchildren. There are some fishing spots elsewhere on the property outside of the reserve, but Bill laments that he hasn't had a lot of time to fish. He was always distracted by the work that needed to be done. However, that'll change once they've moved to Auckland.

They're retaining a 1ha site on the cape to build a holiday home, and from then on in, visits to the beach will be truly relaxing.

- Leigh Bramwell