SCHOOL ZONES:
Clevedon Primary. Buses provide transport to neighbouring colleges.
CONTACT:
Denise Jenner, Bayleys, 027 255 5011.
AUCTION:
Closes 4pm, Tuesday, November 22 (unless sold prior).
For a small community, Kawakawa Bay has a great atmosphere, says Monica Thomas.
"There is a great spirit in the bay. It has a lot of facilities for such a little place. You have the deep-water wharf for fishing and boating. We also overlook Waitawa Regional Park, which has walking, horse riding and mountain-bike tracks. There is a beach, too.
"It's just a great place to live. This seaside settlement also has a health clinic, library, church, kindy, gas station and dairy.
"Every fortnight on a Saturday they have a local farmers market, which is quite fun. It is well attended and it has nice things like a baking stall to raise money for the clinic, homemade pickles and homegrown vegetables."
As well, Clevedon, with primary school, kindy, cafes and shops, is a 15-minute drive away. "At the weekends there is the well-known farmers market and also the village market.
1327 Clevedon-Kawakawa road.
"If we have the need to go into Auckland we catch the ferry from Pine Harbour, which is a relaxing way to go into the city."
Monica and husband Dennis bought this timber home in 2001. It was practically new, having been built the year before by the previous owner. The exterior is band-sawn timber, joinery is aluminium and the roof iron.
The couple came out from England for three or four months each year until they settled permanently when they had residency and then citizenship.
"We have always liked the area and we used to have a little house down in the bay," explains Monica. "And then this one came up for sale and we couldn't resist it."
The appeal of the four-bedroom home is the resort-style setting and the view, she says. "The view, the location and all the things to do around here.
1327 Clevedon-Kawakawa road.
"The views are glorious, looking out to the Coromandel, Pakihi, Ponui and Waiheke islands."
The couple have developed the garden, landscaping it beautifully with palms, sub-tropical succulents, some cottage-garden planting and sculptures by local artist James Wright.
The property also has a tennis court that has provided fun for family and friends over the years, and two fully fenced paddocks where the Thomases used to keep sheep.
The home's 240sq m of living area is on one level with the double garage underneath. There are decks on two sides of the home, the front and the east side facing the view and the tennis court, and overlooking the gardens.
Ranch sliders open from the sitting, dining and family rooms to the decking, and the master and a second bedroom also access the deck.
1327 Clevedon-Kawakawa road.
Two bedrooms and a family bathroom overlook part of the garden. A modern kitchen with walk-in pantry is next to the dining area.
The generous width of the decks, plus the overhead shelter, make these outdoor spaces ideal for entertaining and al fresco meals, and Monica and Dennis can always find a quiet place for relaxing or dipping into a good book.
A pizza oven provides alternative outdoor cooking.
"It is a very comfortable family home," says Monica. The home's elevated site means it gets plentiful sunlight, creating a light and airy atmosphere. For the dullest winter days a gas fire and an electric radiator provide additional warmth.
"Monica and Dennis are selling to downsize. "We want somewhere with less land and a smaller garden. We don't know where, we are just going to see what happens," says Monica.
