Whangaparaoa: Watching the weather

Photo / Geoff Dale

A fibrolight bach has given way to an architectural home at a beachfront property full of memories.

36 Tindalls Bay Rd, Whangaparaoa.

You can tell the Oppermans' home was designed by people who have lived on the site for nearly four decades.

You can see the sea from every room in the house, even from the back deck.

"We wanted to use the view as much as we could. We knew we wanted some outdoor living, and we've lived here for so many years that we knew what the weather did," Bill Opperman says.

The prevailing wind blows from the sea, so a sheltered deck was built on the other side of the house. But you can still see through huge, glass doors that slide back into the wall, through a large indoor living area and on through more windows to the sea.

With friends, the couple bought a fibrolight bach on the waterfront section 37 years ago as a weekend and holiday retreat for themselves and their three daughters.

"That oak up there," says Bill, gesturing towards a giant old tree, "had just a little trunk when we came here."

The road out along the Whangaparoa Peninsula was gravel.

"It was quite a journey down in the early days, with the three girls and the cat and the birds and the guinea pigs all crammed in together.

"It was so lovely, the kids being able to run free and have their little boats."

Eventually, they bought the next-door section as well, removed the bach and built anew.

It is not often you see such an enormous waterfront garden. The agaves are coming into bloom for the first time in 14 years, and there are piles of true aloe vera, the type you use for burns and wounds.

The large section and the large house are one of the reasons the retired couple is leaving. Bill and Barbara need something on a single level that is closer to their family and grandchildren.

Their 14-year-old home is built across two levels. The master bedroom has its own terrace and massive shutters that can be closed on hot nights so you can leave the windows open.

The curved ceiling above the open-plan dining, lounge and kitchen areas is made of American white oak. The doors have rimu trim. There is also a lot of cedar.

The home has the unmistakable stamp of architect Marshall Cook. Big doors slide back into the walls and shutters provide privacy.

Below, a ramp leads onto the sand. "From half tide, you can swim, and at full it becomes your own private beach."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land approx 2928sq m, house approx 418sq m

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected around $3 million+. Auction May 26.

CONTACT: Carole Thomas, Barfoot and Thompson, ph 021-539-553, 488-9075.

VIEWING: By appointment.

FEATURES: All rooms have sea views including the bathrooms and the bath; new kitchen; unusually large waterfront section; copper sheet roof; Hinuera stone construction; wrap-around decks; ageless, architect-designed house on two titles; land subdividable.