CONTACT:
Richard Sumner, Barfoot & Thompson, 027 292 4754.
AUCTION:
July 19
* Plus shedding
Kate Keane reckons anyone hankering after a rural lifestyle but wanting to stay near the city will love her and husband Glenn's 2ha oasis in the middle of a large family farm.
Kate, who is from Scotland, came to New Zealand for the polo industry and fell in love withClevedon first and then with Glenn.
The old family homestead where their block is was in bad shape, so 15 years ago they built a large brick-and-tile GJ Gardner home with a roomy deck.
Although their block is in the middle of the farm, Kate says it has a separate title and is peaceful.
Auckland City is on the doorstep in one direction, and Hamilton and the Coromandel are equally close in the opposite direction.
"It's very rural. We look out on to one of the biggest kauri trees in South Auckland.
"My husband's grandfather milled the kauri off the farm and because it was out in front of the old family house he left it there.
"Frequent visitors are tui and woodpigeons. Tui hang off the kowhai tree and there's a totara and rata all in the garden so there are lot s of native birds, lots of kingfishers.
"It is on a farm, a beef farm, so the cows are in the front paddocks.
"It's not a rural section off a concrete driveway, you come through the middle of the farm to access the property and it's so peaceful.
"Everybody that comes says all you can hear is the birds singing."
Kate, Glenn and their two children run sheep on their block and Kate has a horse and a pony.
Image 1 of 6: Down in the middle of what was the family farm, most noise comes from the birds.
"We've had a couple of cows. It's really set up for a lifestyle block. We've got a big vege garden and we do a lot of home produce. It's easy-care, everything's fenced, it's easy to look after."
There are farmers' markets in the village and good schooling around, too, she says.
"It is a good lifestyle out here. It's a lovely place to live. There's lovely people that live here. There are a lot of 10-acre blocks, a lot of lifestyle blocks.
"It's not that far from anywhere but we are still rural. You come off the motorway and you turn a couple of corners and suddenly you're back in the countryside again and that's lovely."
Clevedon has vineyards, cafes and boutique shops, plus a pharmacy and amenities.
Kate is president of the pony club, which is booming.
"It is an up-and-growing area and it's becoming rarer and rarer to buy properties out here because people are hanging on to them now."
The Hunua Ranges are the backdrop and have mountain bike and horse tracks.
The property is great for the kids, Kate says, with room for a game of cricket on the front lawn or eeling down in the creek.
The house is designed to have indoor/outdoor flow and has a large entertainer's deck with a spa pool.
Many rooms access the deck and the double garage has an extra toilet with external access, which Kate says is great for a rural property.
"It's the longest time I've lived in the same spot. I've done a lot of travelling and a lot of polo and I've had some amazing experiences but I've never lived in the same place for 15 years like I have with this ."
