Waiatarua: Freedom

The busy streets of London's East End are a distant memory for the owners of this delightful family retreat in Titirangi. By VICKI HOLDER.

Disillusioned with his quality of life as a cop in East London, Dave Nield and his wife, Debra-Ann, emigrated with their family to Auckland 14 months ago.

They came as part of a government scheme designed to fill the city's quota for policeman. Citing escalating violence, lack of respect encountered on the job and awareness of diminishing freedom, they say the opportunity to come here was a real godsend.

As Dave established himself in the Avondale office, the family began to explore areas to live. Many of their colleagues settled on the North Shore.

"But that wasn't us," recalls Debra-Ann. "We wanted a lifestyle more remote from our city life in London. We went out to Piha and that sold us on the west coast. Then we came here. We didn't really know what we were looking for. But when we saw this, we just knew."

Only 10 minutes from the thriving village of Titirangi, the large bush-clad property offered peace and quiet away from the city bustle with staggering wrap-around views over rolling hills across the whole of Auckland, with the harbours and Rangitoto Island in the foreground and the islands of the Gulf and the Coromandel in the distance.

Being mesmerised by the setting didn't mean they overlooked the considerable amount of work there was to be done on the house. They were quite prepared for "the blood, sweat and tears" it took to bring it up to the standard they were used to back home. It was to be no short-term fix-up, but a major, quality overhaul designed to last.

Dave explains the batten-and-board home was once a little bach built in the 1920s and added to in the 1960s. To turn it into a more comfortable, spacious, quality family home, the Nields hardly left a wall untouched.

"We wanted clean, modern lines, so we virtually rebuilt everything from scratch. We put new timber floors in the downstairs living area. We built new walls and new ceilings with insulation. We re-wired, re-plumbed and added temperature-controlled heating in every room. It's a bit of an English thing but we like to be warm and often sit there at night with hardly any clothes on!"

Towards the back of the open-plan family area, they installed a new kitchen, designed by Kitchen and Vanity with features they used to have in England. The pale timber cabinetry is tawa and a chopping bench with drawers below is like a traditional butcher's block. Pull-out bins give easy access to groceries and a vertical pantry offers great storage. A small office next door was created from the original bar the previous owner left behind.

The room is now a big, practical, open space where the Nields dine, with french doors opening to the deck. As night falls they watch the glorious view of the lights coming to life across Auckland.

The children sleep in their own wing downstairs, where there is a new mosaic-tiled bathroom and the big bedrooms open to the deck.

Lights come on automatically as you head upstairs to a generous parents' retreat and the master bedroom suite with a sauna in the bathroom. Tongue-and-groove ceilings and the skirtings in this area were taken from a single kauri tree.

The lounge opens on both sides to a small balcony in the trees and a sunny afternoon courtyard overlooking a grassy lawn where the children play, if they're not scouring the tracks through the native bush that ramble down to the bottom of the property.

"The sense of freedom here in this property, as in New Zealand, is vast," says Debra-Ann. "In England, you came home, locked the door and that was it. Here, you feel safe. When I want the children, I have a bell by the front door and they come running. They absolutely love it."

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 505 and 507 Scenic Dr, Waiatarua.

FEATURES: Renovated and rebuilt five-bedroom cedar batten-and-board home on Waiatarua Ridge with views across Auckland to harbour and Gulf islands; two separate wings - one upstairs, one down; family lounge downstairs and parents' lounge upstairs; all rooms open to balconies, terraces or courtyards; study; two bathrooms, including master en suite with sauna; temperature-controlled heating in all rooms; three-car garaging underneath top floor plus extra garage at gates; electronic gate entry; cedar joinery; new kitchen; new bathrooms.

SIZE: Land area 5415sq m.

AUCTION: 12.30pm, July 10, on site.

AGENT: Cherie Final, Harveys, Titirangi. Ph 817 8011 bus; 021 403 300 mob.