Sow's ear to show pony in Waimauku

1537 State Highway 16, Waimauku. Photo / Supplied

1537 STATE HIGHWAY 16 WAIMAUKU

4

2.5

SIZE: Land 12.2ha; house 474sq m, including decks and in-house stables.

PRICE INDICATION: Set sale Wednesday, December 1 (unless sold prior). GV $1.97 million.

INSPECT: Viewing by appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/150466

SCHOOL ZONES: Woodhill Primary, Westlake Boys', Westlake Girls', Massey High School, Waitakere College, Kaipara College.

CONTACT: Mary Massara, Bayleys, ph 021 412 622.

FEATURES: Equestrian oasis in the middle of horse country featuring large home with magnificent bedrooms, entertaining area, luxurious bathrooms and gourmet kitchen. Five stables attached to house. Building site for second house prepped and serviced. Off- street parking for at least 20 cars or 10 horse floats.

When Sarah Lowndes soaks in her glorious king-sized spa pool in the en suite of her Waimauku home, she can watch the wild deer coming out of the neighbouring Woodhill Forest bush to drink from the ponds on her property.

Sarah bought the 12.2ha property two years ago to turn it into an equestrian centre. She tells how she was attracted by its gentle, rolling terrain, and its closeness to Woodhill Forest and West Auckland's biggest equestrian centre, Woodhill Sands. Plus it is only five minutes from Waimauku's shops and services.

But it wasn't an easy task transforming the remains of a disused kiwifruit orchard and overgrown pine trees into the immaculately groomed property that it is today.

The first thing Sarah did was to landscape the property, felling some trees and levelling and reseeding the paddocks in an equine-friendly mix of chicory, clover, plantain, cocksfoot and endophyte-safe ryegrass.

"It's a wonderful concoction of grasses, especially for horses," explains Sarah. "It's beautiful, with a sort of a slightly bumpy look, and the horses absolutely thrive on it."

Her property also has 35 cross-country jumps around the grounds and a 1.5km circular riding path, plus some bush tracks.

Next on the to-do list was preparing a building site and sorting council paperwork for a home with stables. The resulting house features four large bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, an entertainer's kitchen and lounge, all looking out to rural views with sliding doors opening out to either deck or lawns.

Ultimately, this building was to become guest accommodation, as Sarah had planned to build a beautiful mansion on an elevated building site on the property. "I built [this] house, but it's really a stable block that can be reconverted to that. The other building site is ready, prepared with water and electrics and permission to put a house on it.

"But the house hasn't happened now as I have bought a new farm in Peak Rd in Helensville. So this land is just waiting for someone to come along and build their dream house here. It is the most beautiful site, with lovely rural views ... and it backs on to Woodhill Forest, which makes riding so easy. The property has a lovely contour and is easy to look after. And it looks to Waimauku Hill, out to Helensville and the back of Woodhill Forest."

Sarah says that while she has set up the property as an equestrian lifestyle zone, it could be used for other activities.

"The contour is absolutely superb for a golf course. All the paddocks have wonderful electrical fencing, which is very expensive and accepted by the international federation for horse events. You could keep any stock if you wanted.

"We have had some lovely events here; it works beautifully. We've had the Waitemata Hunter Trials and the Blythe Tait course and the house is great as a party room. We have had a lot of parties there with up to a couple of hundred people. There is the massive deck and it is so easy to entertain. The outdoors is especially great in summer and is configured so you can always find sun or shade, breeze or no breeze."

Sarah hadn't intended to move quite so soon, but couldn't resist the opportunity to buy the larger farm.

"The farm is a different property altogether. This one is a lifestyle block and easy to maintain, and the other one ... I need my head looked at!"