Ararimu - Shock of the new

The transition to country living wasn't easy for a couple of city dwellers.

22A Dunrobin Lane, Ararimu.

Country life was at first a culture shock for former Herne Bay dwellers, Sarah and John O'Leary.

There were no decent cafes or restaurants when they went rural four years ago. But Ararimu, a 40-minute drive from Spaghetti Junction, is in a state of change. Farms are being subdivided into lifestyle blocks, and large new houses are peppering the countryside.

It's not surprising then that the ex-Herne Bay dwellers found a five-star restaurant within cooey and a choice between two good schools, Ararimu primary and a private primary/college ACG Strathallan.

Sarah's found her hairdressing clients have followed from Herne Bay and for ad-man John the countryside heals the effects of city hubbub and helps generate creative zing.

For Sarah, after an initial period of settling in, moving to the country made her realise there ``was much more to life,'' than city living. And as she grew up on a Bay of Plenty farm and John stems from Hawke's Bay, country life is in their blood.

The obvious impression about John and Sarah's house is a peaceful feeling caused by its close relationship with the land. Wall-to-ceiling ranch sliders (with tinted safety glass) the length of one side make the fields seem almost as if they are an extension of the lounge and three main bedrooms.

John prefers to sleep without shutting the blinds, except when there's a full moon. Next thing, he says, you'll find the horses are staring inside from the other side of the glass. ``It's almost like camping.''

The sense of size is reflected in the main bathroom and large walk-in wardrobe - currently full of glad rags, Sarah quips, that don't get much use.

People enter the property down a sealed country lane. Once inside the house, you're aware of a huge lounge, which opens up onto decks and green lawns and the grazable 2.8ha beyond.

A large open plan kitchen with an island helps make it a great home for entertaining large groups. The current function as a huge playroom for kids on trikes seems as much fun though, for Gracie, 5, and Molly, 3.

There's a large gas cooker, and Sarah says the gas bottle for the stove - delivered to the door - only needs to be replaced once every three months. A second lounge and annex could double as a large office - it is currently Sarah's hairdressing salon.

You might say the materials - glass, concrete, aluminium and steel - have a cool feeling, but this house has a decidedly dry heat. Built on a concrete slab and north-facing, it was warm even during the recent cold snap.

The fire and gas heating is almost superfluous, and even in a cold winter, heating bills are close to zilch. Sarah says few people understand that sunlight on concrete can keep a home warm, and ask if the house has underfloor heating.

The glass is supported by a large structure of rolled steel joists. The flat-looking coated steel roof is actually slightly sloping and is used to supply water to a large tank.

John designed the house himself - employing a professional to draw up the plans. He felt the land deserved something more than just a box slapped on top.

The idea was to have a wedge coming out of the land. ``The land deserved something different - a bold statement,'' he says.

Sarah says the house was completed within six months, although the building process was a tad stressful. The couple are set to move up the road, where John is looking forward to building something similar.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: Land 2.87ha, house 300sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $1.09 million plus.

INSPECT: Sun 1-1.45 pm, or by appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz # 350336.

CONTACT: James Twigg, Barfoot and Thompson Papakura, ph 298 8029 bus, 021 500 668 mob.

FEATURES: Large indoor/outdoor entertaining area. Passive solar heating plus bottled gas. Biodynamically nurtured paddocks for grazing horses. Sealed access. Bare block of similar size also for sale (covenants apply when building).