The usual wish list of views, outdoor living spaces and a flash kitchen couldn't have been further from Gary Campbell's mind when he instructed a real estate agent to find him a new property in Northland. The first item on his list was a really good shed, followed by flatland, a reasonable house and a tar-sealed road.
He'd been dairy farming at Waipu but when his daughter, who had been share-milking, decided to buy into her own farm, Gary took the opportunity to find something tailored to his own needs.
"The agent said this one met most of my requirements, and it did," he says.
The 3.2ha property was flat, the shed was big enough, and the house, a California bungalow, was much better than just "reasonable". "It's a 1929 vintage house that was moved here from Takapuna in 1996, and I was attracted to it," Gary says. "I'm a believer in good things that last the test of time and this was a solid house with quality carpentry. When you see some of the stuff that's turned out today it gives you an appreciation of quality work."
The house had been given a makeover before Gary bought it and when he viewed it was full of the owners' antiques. "Luckily I had a bit of old antique stuff myself.
"A friend of mum and dad had lost his job as a cabinetmaker during the depression so they had given him some work making furniture. He made a bedroom suite, a rimu extending table that you wound out with a crank handle, and some chairs."
Image 1 of 5: With its fruit trees and garden, this special rural property offers a world of relaxation.
The pieces are very much at home in the bungalow and Gary has added to the collection. His favourite piece is a pianola made in 1929, making it exactly the same age as the house. He bought it locally with 200 rolls, and he's since added 300 more.
The backdrop to the vintage items is period-style decor using wallpapers, friezes and timber detailing.
"I'm not a woodwork person but I believe most of this is native timber, and I have been told the floors are matai," he says.
"They were put down in the era of six-inch boards rather than four-inch, so we have the nice, wide, tongue and groove floorboards."
Beautifully crafted wooden joinery, panelled doors with leadlights and ornate fireplace surrounds are other vintage features.
The kitchen and bathroom were modernised by the previous owners but they kept the old pedestal basin and the lovely old copper toilet cistern and handle. However, the bath and shower were brought up to date.
Also typical of the era is the amount of space. There are three big bedrooms, an office or fourth bedroom, and two bathrooms. At 202sq m, the house is closely matched by Gary's requisite barn at 190sq m with three-phase power and a concrete floor.
The free-draining, sandy loam has a good fertiliser history and all the fences and gates have been renewed, providing a dozen well-cared-for paddocks. There are also fruit trees and established gardens.
"This block produces enough each year to pay the rates and insurance, and to put enough meat in the freezer for a couple of families," he says.
"Our next step is to a little property we've lined up at Poroti, on the Mangakahia road about 6km from Maungatapere.
"It sounds like the middle of nowhere but it's actually closer to Whangarei than we are here."
