Site for sore eyes in Orakei

1 Huriaro Pl, Orakei. Photo / Geoff Dale

1 HURIARO PL ORAKEI

4

2

2

SIZE: Land 1330sq m, house 347sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $2.85 million. Auction March 30.

INSPECT: Sunday 1.45-2.30pm.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/361368

SCHOOL ZONES: Orakei School, Selwyn College.

CONTACT: David Rainbow, Bayleys, ph 021 923 364 or 520 8888.

FEATURES: Large property with sea views in blue-chip location only a few kilometres from the CBD and close to Auckland's popular eastern suburbs beaches, shops and cafes.

It's a hard road finding the perfect house - especially when you're used to living in a stately homestead surrounded by acres of land in what has since become one of Auckland's most cherished regional parks.

For more than a decade, Tim and Brenda Couldrey lived in the serene grounds of Wenderholm, a rural paradise cradled by the Puhoi and Waiwera rivers, 48km north of Auckland.

In the mid-1960s most of Wenderholm was acquisitioned under the Public Works Act to become Auckland's first regional park, but the Couldreys retained their house and 6ha of surrounding land.

The couple decided to give up their right to retain their portion of Wenderholm in 1973 after they moved permanently to Auckland, where Tim ran his customs agency, H.W. Couldrey and Co, from the top floor of the Ferry Building.

Their former homestead is now named Couldrey House in recognition of their painstaking efforts to restore it and their generous decision to gift antique furniture and other artefacts. These are on display today in the Couldrey House Museum, which is set in the gardens at Wenderholm Regional Park.

While living in an apartment in Orakei for two years until 1968, the Couldreys had an excellent opportunity to assess some of the city's blue-ribbon real estate on the cliffs of the coveted eastern suburb.

So when a 1330sq m corner site came up for sale in Huriaro Place on the north side of Fenton Circus, just across from where they were living, they wasted no time in putting in an offer.

"They loved everything about the house, especially the view," says Carolyn Reid, Tim's only daughter, who lived at Huriaro Place in her 20s with her father and stepmother.

Few changes have been made over the past 44 years to the sturdy two-level brick-and-tile house, which was built in a U-shape to take in 180-degrees views that sweep from the cityscape and port across to Devonport and Rangitoto Island. Sitting in a prime position with only a half-a-dozen others in the small street, the house looks down over Paritai Drive.

The sunny top level of the house, now a deceased estate, includes the original east-facing kitchen and snug, and a beautifully proportioned formal living room facing north-west that links to a circular dining room - both perfect for entertaining.

Also on this level are a large, welcoming entrance foyer, four bedrooms and the main bathroom. Two of the bedrooms open on to decks that look out to sea and, some years ago, the Couldreys added a second bathroom at the northern end of the house.

"They had a rush of blood to the head and also put in a spa pool on the lower level as well as a swimming pool in the front garden for their grandchildren to enjoy," says Carolyn.

Most of the lower level of the house is taken up by a huge rumpus room, which for several years was used as a storage space.

From the sheltered U-shaped entertaining deck and barbecue area on the top level of the house, an external staircase leads to the flat roof of the house, where there is potential to add extra rooms and capture panoramic sea views.

Like the house, the large garden has strong bones - including two enormous Phoenix palms and a weeping elm - and great potential for a stylish renovation. The property is also zoned 2B, so it could be subdivided for two

new homes.