Top billing in star spot near Orewa

710 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa. Photo / Geoff Dale

710 HIBISCUS COAST HIGHWAY OREWA

4

2

2

SIZE: Land 1.82ha, house 218sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $2.2 million.

INSPECT: By appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.harveys.co.nz/HN2742

SCHOOL ZONES: Orewa North School, Orewa College.

CONTACT: Kumar Guru, Harveys, ph 021 125 5911.

FEATURES: Five-year-old, four-bedroom Lockwood home in stunning cliff-side setting. Direct access to a secluded beach, a maturing olive grove and stunning views. Only 35 minutes to Auckland and minutes from the amenities of Orewa and Waiwera.

A year spent living in two caravans and a container were the sacrifice that Ross and Candace Robertson and their then-seven-year-old son had to make in order to build their cliff-edge home on the Hibiscus Coast.

Extensive geo-tech reports had provided the reassurance that the land was stable, but by the time the design had been thrashed out and council requirements met, they were facing winter. Ross laughs when he remembers it, but at the time the fun did wear a bit thin.

"Luckily it was a dry winter and showering under the stars and campfires were fun, but you can be sure we were glad to be able to move in. Bathrooms and insulation are wonderful things when you haven't had them for a while."

The house they spent 2004 designing has realised everything they had set out to achieve. After 15 years of living on Waiheke, both Candace and Ross had developed a keen interest in sustainable living and the concept of building "light" was not new to them.

Consequently, they looked to use naturally sourced, sustainable materials wherever possible and, in conjunction with Lockwood's design team, came up with a two-storey, four-bedroom design that made the best use of these materials without sacrificing any of the jaw-dropping views across the Hauraki Gulf.

These views were the reason they bought the site in the first place. From Rangitoto in one direction to the Barriers and Coromandel in the other, the sea, sky and bush stretch out in a never-ending panorama below them. Whether it's pods of orcas and dolphins in the ocean, or wood pigeons and tui swooping across the valley, the outlook is "heart-stopping", says Candace. "I almost always take a photo at dawn. Our bedroom is on the easterly corner of the house and the sunrise across the water is just magical. I never want to miss it."

Along with this dramatically situated master bedroom, the top floor contains two more bedrooms, the family bathroom and the kitchen, dining and main living space. Wrapped with decks and views that go on forever, almost all of these spaces have direct access to the outdoors. Downstairs, a second living area doubles as a studio bedroom, and with an adjacent kitchen and bathroom, is somewhere that is in regular use by overseas family and friends.

It is these international roots that are drawing the Robinsons away from the home they thought would be theirs forever. They both want their son to know the Australian side of his family and, as he starts secondary school next year, now seems the right time to make the move. Candace, the Kiwi, is finding it especially hard.

"We've been two years in making up our minds to [leave], but the time has come."