Warkworth: Divine inspiration

The look of the new homes is important to Paul and his family, who want the development to blend with the wine-tasting facility and the surrounding environment.

A new style of secure community on Matakana Estate offers land buyers a view over their very own vines, without the hard work of maintaining

Paul Vegar remembers an evening sitting with his mother Pat overlooking the family vineyard. They were on the balcony of the home he, his brother and sister had built for Pat and her husband, Kevin Fitzgerald, at the top of Matakana Estate.

"Pat and Kevin said it would be nice to have some neighbours to share a wine or a coffee with," recalls Paul. "It can be lonely living in the country, and they thought it would be nice to walk through some common areas and say hello to people without losing their privacy."

Now the Vegar siblings are turning Pat and Kevin's idea into reality, creating an exclusive community within their vineyard that is one of the first of its kind in New Zealand.

They have opened up seven lots for sale, which in total make up about half the vineyard. The owner of each freehold lot will gain an idyllic house site set among a section of the estate's vines. Lot owners will own the vines on their land, but will not have to tend them. Paul's team will continue to care for the vines by hand, and cover the vineyard's operating costs. Lot owners will benefit from the fruit of their vines through a complimentary wine allocation and preferential buying rights.

"We let the vines mature before deciding to share the land," says Paul, "and we didn't want to clutter the estate. It will remain a working vineyard - any vines we have to remove to make way for the homes we will plant elsewhere."

The look of the homes that owners may wish to build on their lots is important to the family. Paul is planning to build his own home on the vineyard within the next year, and his sister Marie and their brother Peter and his wife Jean also work there every day. They have drawn up what some might regard as strict covenants outlining how the homes should look, but the guidelines will ensure the development blends in with Pat and Kevin's house, the wine tasting facility and the surrounding environment.

For example, each lot has a defined house site area of a maximum 3000sq m; horizontal rather than vertical architecture is encouraged, and preferred building materials are solid block plaster with timber joinery. House colour should be inspired by the local Matakana clay. Even a minimum building cost of $550,000 is required to ensure quality.

"It will remain a working vineyard - any vines we have to remove to make way for the homes we will plant elsewhere"

"We hope the covenants will enable everyone to work toward the same vision," says Paul. "We want to protect the integrity of the vineyard environment, and stay sympathetic to the landscape."

Water tanks and TV aerials will not detract from the view - water will be provided by a common bore, and TV beamed in using equipment at the top of the vineyard.

The entire development will be surrounded by a wall, but unlike the gated communities in the United States and South Africa, there will be no physical gates. Instead, 24-hour surveillance cameras will provide security.

"Because this is a family-owned-and-run vineyard, the people who buy these lots know that we're here for the long term," says Paul.

"We'll be working around them every day, and living on the same estate, so we want to do everything we can to ensure a happy environment."

Vital Statistics

LOCATION: Matakana Estate vineyard, nr Warkworth, 50 minutes north of Auckland.

WHAT'S FOR SALE: Seven freehold 3-3.5ha lots, including ownership of the vines on the respective lot, complimentary wine allocation and preferential wine buying rights.

BEAR IN MIND: House construction must follow strict covenants and cost a minimum of $550,000.

PRICE OF LOTS: $700,000 to $1.3 million.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Beaches, golf courses, Tauwharanui Regional Park, Goat Island Marine Reserve, art and craft venues, cafes.

CONTACT: Linda Fry, Milford International. 09 489 5133, 021 971 244.

 

 

them.