A pillared gateway on Charles Rd has an intercom and video to let the couple know who has arrived and welcome them up the gently curving driveway flanked by poplar trees. There's a second Charles Rd entrance to the cottage and a third entrance from Lewis Rd giving easy access to a four-bay barn.
The main drive sweeps up to a turning circle in front of the expansive house, which has a real sense of presence thanks to its multiple roof gables. Underfloor heating warms the entry foyer's tiled floor. Off it are a separate study,
a guest toilet and the grand dimensions of
a formal dining room-lounge with wood-burning fireplace.
The foyer flows through to the sunny
open-plan family room-kitchen on the northern side of the house, which has a lovely outlook over level lawns and the surrounding countryside. Looking towards the two recliners in front of the family room's TV and fireplace, Beverley says, "This would have to be one of my favourite spots to sit down and have a wine at the end of the day. You look out at all that land and it's so peaceful." The open-plan expanse shows off the 4m stud and includes an informal dining area.
The kitchen is large, with servery windows to the outdoors, granite bench-tops and the luxury of a roomy walk-in pantry. Living flows outdoors to decks often used for barbecues, under
a sarked macrocarpa roof. The home's eastern corridor has a separate laundry and an internal-access triple garage with an additional toilet.
The home's western wing houses the master suite, the family bathroom and three other big bedrooms, including the guest bedroom with its own patio. The whopper of a master suite has doors out to the deck and rural views. Behind the bedroom there's a long makeup counter with two basins, separate his and hers walk-in wardrobes and an en suite with a spa bath.
Near the decks is a fenced, heated pool with a pebbled bottom. The front of the pool house opens up, embracing its pool-side setting.
A pool table is in the pool house's main room, plus a sink and fridge. There is also a bathroom and a small room containing pool plant.
A short stroll from the main house, the self-contained Hinuera cottage boasts internal-access double garaging (with laundry). Its main living area-kitchen is accompanied by two bedrooms including a master with walk-in wardrobe and en suite plus a second bathroom.
Allan owns businesses Alert Engineering and Alert Motorsport and loves the storage on offer in his three-bay barn-shed, to which he's added a mezzanine floor. It has a wash-bay outside (useful for vehicles including horse-floats ) and the couple typically run about a dozen cows on their property, which is fully fenced with electrical fences.
Now that the Lewis girls are grown, the large property and its four buildings are too substantial for just Allan and Beverley.
