EAVES BUSH APARTMENTS, KENSINGTON PARK, PARKSIDE DRIVE, OREWA
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ON OFFER:
Latest release of 16 two- and three-bedroom homes, all with balconies, bordering Alice Eaves Scenic Reserve and a 300m walk to Orewa beach. Apartments are single level and range from 121sq m to 144sqm (not including decking). Top-quality fixtures and fittings, including Smeg kitchen appliances.
PRICE INDICATION:
From $949,000 for a ground floor two-bedroom apartment with one basement parking space, to $1.4 million for a second-floor three-bedroom apartment with two parking spaces.
CONTACT:
Sales office 0800 576 7392 or 09 959 1003
John Sax can't help smiling as he shares an anecdote about the time he went for a casual weekend stroll around Kensington Park, the housing development his company Southpark Corporation is building in Orewa, and got chatting to some of the newest residents.
After asking what they liked about livingthere -- and being bombarded with lots of positive feedback -- he asked one woman, who'd moved in six weeks earlier, if there was anything that wasn't so good.
"She told me that she was worried that she was going to become an alcoholic, because she kept getting invited out to dinner all the time," says John, who hadn't let on who he was.
"She couldn't believe what a sociable place it was to live in."
John was pleased to hear how friendly it was (he assumes she was joking about her drinking getting out of hand) because creating a development with a strong sense of community had been high on his list of priorities when he took over Kensington Park in 2009.
John bought what had once been a camping ground from a developer who'd gone into receivership, and continued with the vision of an exclusive coastal community in the popular beachside town of Orewa, near Silverdale in Rodney.
This was Southpark's first foray into residential property -- the company had previously focused on re-developing commercial sites and built the luxury Treetops Lodge near Rotorua -- and John had specific goals he wanted to achieve.
He was determined to create a neighbourhood that not only provided residents with top quality homes, but gave them a harmonious place to call home.
Some of the features introduced to help foster that sense of community included shared facilities such as a swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium and communal barbecue area; setting aside space for reserves where outdoor events can be held and children can play, and creating a lake that is a great spot to gather. Racing remote-controlled yachts on the lake is a popular weekly event.
The 16ha site will eventually include 4ha of parkland. Roads were planned around established trees that had been there for several generations and an orchard and vegetable gardens supply produce available to all residents.
"Those areas also give people a chance to come together," says John.
He says the residents have embraced the opportunities given to them at Kensington Park and "created this extraordinary sense of community themselves".
Regular social events are organised by the residents' association and include a monthly mix-and-mingle evening.
Image 1 of 3: It's a social whirl of nights out and drinks for the inhabitants of a convivial community. Photos / supplied
Resident Sam Malcolmson, a former All Whites soccer player, describes Kensington Park as "our little jewel that will always glisten".
"A lot of wise, experienced, good human beings live here, which creates a very good atmosphere," he says.
Around 500 people live in apartments, townhouses, duplexes and freestanding homes in the award-winning development, which is being built in stages.
A building containing 16 apartments, due to be completed by the end of the month, is now being released. The Eaves Bush Apartments look out on the 16ha Alice Eaves Scenic Reserve that borders Kensington Park, and are just metres from native trees, walking trails and streams.
The two- and three-bedroom apartments all feature spacious decks. The master bedrooms come with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe, and the bathrooms are fully tiled and have underfloor heating. Kitchens have quartz bench tops and top-of-the-range Smeg appliances.
"We're pretty neurotic about using the best building materials," says John.
"And our home buyers know they are getting very good quality."
Fibre-optic cabling, double-glazing, heat pumps, an alarm system and video-monitored intercom are all standard, and all the apartments have freehold unit titles.
The distinctive timber exterior cladding, gables and deep verandas were chosen to give Kensington Park a look that was classic and timeless and in keeping with the resort style of the development.
"We wanted it to feel like it had been there for a long time and will be there for many years to come," says John.
He feels a responsibility to make sure buyers have homes that are sustainable and green as well as comfortable and stylish.
