This luxurious Ti Point home has a subtly Balinese bearing but a dazzling Kiwi setting, perched on a clifftop with extraordinary sea views and a cable car down to a privately nestled beach.
Businessman and ex-Aucklander Tim Connell, who has a background in publishing, bought this coastal plot 12 years ago.
He was entranced by its extraordinary peacefulness, lifestyle and views over the ocean towards Little Barrier, Great Barrier and, on a clear day, the Coromandel Peninsula.
Matakana, Omaha and Leigh's amenities are nearby. However, onsite the emphasis is on tranquillity, fuelled by burbling birdsong, the vista and the isolated beach from which to swim, kayak, boat or paddleboard.
Tim says: "The last time this land sold was in 1876. I wanted somewhere with a bit of bush and no immediate neighbours.
"Having virtually your own private beach within an hour's drive of Auckland is just heaven for someone like me who loves fishing and diving."
The isolated beach at the base of the cliff is easily reached by the property's four-person cable car but the public can only access it by boat, so rarely do.
Tim says: "It's a deep water beach, which just drops away. Four weeks ago we got a 15-kilo kingfish just off the beach and I regularly get crayfish off there.
"When my girlfriend Janna wants snapper I can nip out and get them in no time. In summer she'll paddleboard over to Mathesons Bay to get a coffee, and paddleboard back."
The property is on the grid with three-phase power but can operate off the grid thanks to solar power, a generator, its own sewage system and 50,000-litre water tanks.
Tim appreciates the flow and generosity of the recently completed two-storey home that Tauranga architect Kelvin Peck designed for him. Wrapped in verandas, it's redolent of relaxed island-style living.
Tim says: "I was born in Singapore, grew up in Asia and always loved homes with big surrounding verandas, high ceilings with ceiling fans and dark wooden floors. That's exactly what we've got here.
25 Ti Point Road, Matakana. Photo / Supplied
"It's not overtly Balinese but you can sense the nod to that style. And it's incredibly relaxing."
The 373m driveway planted with natives complements prodigious mature bush. It leads to a triple-bay garage with two adjoining bedrooms, a guest room and a bunk room.
The main home's double front doors sport impressive Zanzibari brass door studs normally used to deter marauding elephants. The doors are French oak, as are the wide floorboards.
The cedar over block home has impressive vaulted ceilings across its upper level, finished with hand-laid sarking.
25 Ti Point Road, Matakana. Photo / Supplied
The big open-plan living-dining-kitchen revels in an outlook that can feature pink-tinged sunsets, boats or marine life including orca and dolphins.
Tim says: "We've had days where we've sat in the living room just watching the birds working, listening to the 'boom' as the gannets hit the sea."
The premium Poggenpohl kitchen aids their frequent entertaining - last night was dinner for 12 watching the All Blacks-Lions game.
Doors open living up wide to decks and the tiled infinity pool with salt water and solar heating.
25 Ti Point Road, Matakana. Photo / Supplied
An alfresco kitchen has a barbecue, fridge, ice-maker, sink and surround sound for outdoor entertaining.
The landscaped grounds also incorporate level lawn, a secluded hot tub in a bush-boardwalk setting and a mini orchard.
Two of the three bedrooms in the main house are suites with walk-in wardrobes and en suites featuring exquisite tiling, also seen in a separate bathroom.
Tim is selling because business interests now mean it makes sense for him to be Auckland-based.
