SCHOOL ZONES:
Te Huruhi Primary,
Waiheke High School.
CONTACT:
Martin Dobson, ph 021 376
952 and Charles Collins, ph 021 376
095, Kellands.
FEATURES:
Two-storey holiday home
with three bedrooms and two-bedroom
self-contained unit, across the road from
popular beach. Solidly built on large
section with great beach and ocean
views.
A house filled with happy memories sits on this prime spot on Waiheke, just across the road from the beach on The Strand at Onetangi.
Margaret Watterson is happy to recall the good times her family has shared in the island holiday home which was owned by her parents, thelate Shirley and Gordon Watson. Positioned in the middle of The Strand at number 33, it enjoys immediate and panoramic views of Onetangi Beach, which Margaret describes as "arguably the best open, coastal beach on Auckland's eastern coast".
She tells how Shirley and Gordon bought the property in 1973, and until 1980 the site housed a very old bach, so the family would spend their holidays at the bach next door. Then, in the late 70s, Shirley and Gordon decided to build on their site, commissioning Gordon's cousin to design a two-storey bach that would maximise the site's outstanding views.
Building was completed in December 1980, with the upstairs area featuring a large, open-plan kitchen, lounge and dining area. These spaces open on to a deck, which runs the length of the front of the house and allows family members to enjoy the sensational beach and ocean views out to Great and Little Barrier islands and the Coromandel Peninsula. The upstairs area also includes a bathroom and two bedrooms which look back to the garden area behind the house and the native bush ascending ocean cliffs at the rear of the section.
Downstairs is a large bedroom, bathroom and laundry, internal garaging and a large room that can be used either as an extra bedroom or a rumpus/playroom. This opens into the front garden. Completing the building on the property is a self-contained, two-bedroom unit. The garden is low-maintenance, promoting maximum time for relaxation.
Margaret says holidays at Waiheke have been a tradition for her family, dating back to Gordon's grandfather's first visit in the early 20th century. And the beach had a special significance for Gordon and Shirley: they first met there in the late 1960s. Margaret, the couple's eldest daughter, tells how for many years Gordon and Shirley would make a two- to three-hour journey from Auckland on the old ferries (the Kestral, the Baroona or the Iris Moana) most Friday afternoons and enjoy a relaxing weekend swimming and walking on the beach.
They also enjoyed sailing to the island in Gordon's timber boat, crafted by his father. "Sadly, these trips came to an end in 1989 when the boat sank in the Hauraki Gulf, requiring Gordon and Shirley to be rescued by a passing Quick Cat. Trips to the island are now much quicker on the regular Fullers ferry service which takes approximately 35 minutes," she says.
The house on the Strand has hosted many family gatherings and celebrations. "Most memorable," says Margaret, "was Shirley's 60th birthday, when Gordon surprised her with a helicopter trip from Auckland to the bach, where a large group of family and friends were waiting to celebrate with her.
"The greatest value of the property, however," says Margaret, "has been the years of happy family holidays and memories it has provided, including picnics along the beach under the spectacular pohutukawa trees, endless swims and walks along the beach and day trips to neighbouring beaches, or simply lying on the deck enjoying the sunshine and sound of the ocean."
Margaret says her family are sad to be selling the property now but believe it's time for a new family to enjoy its fun, peace and beauty. The home has good bones and the section is a generous size for Waiheke, allowing possibilities for renovation or development.
