Devonport - A Kiwi playground

A family returned from Japan to an idyllic lifestyle in a character-filled home.

20 Cheltenham Rd, Devonport.

Ian and Jenny had been living in Japan for 10 years when they decided it was time their children learnt how to be ``Kiwi kids''.

Alexandra was then 5, and Lenna 3. Jenny had spent time as a child at Stanley Point and still had what she describes as a ``romantic'' image of the Devonport area.

In her case, however, her vision of the idyllic seaside lifestyle her family could have by moving home became reality.

While Jenny and Ian were still working as teachers in an international school in Tokyo, they bought this villa halfway along Cheltenham Road, which runs between Cheltenham beach and the city coast of Devonport.

They moved home and settled in for the next 18 years. It's easy to see why. The 1902 house, which was built for a harbour master and later belonged to an early mayor of Devonport, is welcoming and rich with character.

A polonia tree by the front gate will soon be covered in blossom. Seen throughout Japan, Ian and Jenny planted the tree to remind them of a country they had loved living in.

Frangipani trees and palms flank the steps up to the front door, where leadlight windows are repeated in the lounge to your left.

This large room stretches half the length of the house on its northern side, with banks of windows to maximise the light. A window seat invites you to stretch out with a book. An open fire provides winter cosiness.

Across the hall is an enormous bedroom with a bay window, which has a full size bathroom as its en suite. Next door is a bedroom/study painted a rich red.

A door at the end of the grand hallway gives entry to the kitchen and dining area. French doors flow out to a deck drenched in morning sun, and a sub-tropical garden containing banana palms, agaves and sculptural dracaenas. T

he couple knocked down an old garage to create a courtyard in the spot that catches the last of the evening sun. Alexandra had her 21st party out here, and the family hopes they'll have just enough time to celebrate Lenna's here in a couple of months.

Back inside, a hallway leads off to a bathroom, and a bedroom that opens onto the deck. Stairs lead up to a large master bedroom and sitting area created in the roofspace, with windows placed in the roof to allow light in.

A balcony provides a view of Rangitoto to the north, of North Head rising up from behind the house, and of the city to the south.

``We come up here to watch the fireworks,'' says Ian. A dressing room is plumbed for an en suite should the new owners wish to put one in.

Ian says the area is like one big playground, and having beaches at both ends of the road has been fantastic.

``Lenna and I have a tradition where we have our first swim in the sea on Labour Weekend, and our last at Easter. She was a real water baby.''

They've explored the ``dungeons'' of North Head, walked around the coast to discover bays only locals know about, and enjoyed Devonport's sense of community.

The family is not moving far. An opportunity arose to buy a house on a site at Stanley Point where Jenny's mother, aunts and cousins were raised, and which Jenny visited as a child. Jenny's pleased she and Ian can keep the land in the family.

``But it's still quite a wrench leaving this place,'' she smiles. ``It's provided us with such a wonderful lifestyle.''

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: *

SIZE: Land 827sq m, house 280sq m approx.

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected above the 2005 CV of $1.45 million. Auction September 28.

INSPECT: Sun 11.30am-12.30pm, Mon 6-7pm.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz # 450999

CONTACT: Victoria Bidwell, Bayleys, ph 021 947 080, 489 0975.

FEATURES: 1902 villa with many character features and a modern flow. Upstairs bedroom and sitting room with balcony and views. Walking distance to schools, shops, parks and beaches.

*No garage but off-street parking for 2 cars.