Tranquil haven by the water

141 Matipo Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst.

141 MATIPO RD, TE ATATU PENINSULA

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SIZE: Land 460sq m, house 160sq m approx

PRICE INDICATION: CV $650,000.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 10.45am-11.30am.

ON THE WEB: bayleys.co.nz/1670581

SCHOOL ZONES: Matipo Road School, St Paul’s, Rutherford College.

CONTACT: Blair Haddow, Bayleys, 021 544 555.

AUCTION: September 28. (unless sold prior).

Although it may feel that Auckland is filling up fast with housing that's cheek to jowl, there are still some wonderful "undiscovered" treasures to be found. And down a private driveway at the end of pleasant, suburban Matipo Rd, overlooking the river and mangroves, Jude Wales' delightful north-facing house is definitely one of them.

The builder who developed the enclave 20 years ago built it as his own house and Jude has refreshed and rejuvenated it completely, achieving an effect that would be right at home in a city townhouse but with added bonuses that rarely exist in town.

Inside the front door and beside the huge double garage, which also contains the laundry and keen artist Jude's work space, stairs take you past a round wall to the upper floor.

The combined living areas have spectacular views across the water, framed by tall, well-established trees.

The decor is light, bright and sophisticated -- and the perfect backdrop for modern furniture, with clean, classic lines, but other styles would look just as good in here.

Neat and well-contained, the kitchen with its sparkling benchtops has all the bells and whistles you'll need and the ever-popular central unit with bar-stools, so Jude can entertain as she cooks.

"It's a great place for having friends to visit or stay," she says.

"When we're all ready, we simply move over to the living area -- or outside, if the weather's okay -- and being so sheltered, it almost always is."

Also on this floor are three double bedrooms -- one of which she's using as a reading room plus the main bathroom and a smaller one in the master suite, which also has french doors opening to the eye-catching garden. All the wardrobes are large.

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A keen interior decorator, HR manager Jude has worked her magic throughout the interior, but the garden is arguably her most successful -- or at least spectacular -- production.

"It was all over the place when I moved in but I felt it could look really good, so I set to work."

Jude has planted lots of subtropical trees and shrubs, including ferns and palms that are already growing at a rate of knots.

The terraced design has allowed her to add features such as the raised pond where she's currently babysitting a friends' tiny goldfish, seemingly without any known intervention from her two fluffy cats, Linus and Flynn.

The patio is an entertainer's delight and has potential for a spa pool.

As a keen boatie, Jude has loved the local neighbourhood where at Taipari Strand, just below her house, people, run, bike, walk their dogs, water ski, row and kayak.

A coastal walkway that follows the peninsula and the local marina, with boat ramp, is a short drive away.

Access to the rest of Auckland is good, with Ponsonby just 10 minutes away as is Pt Chevalier -- which has the closest beach. The North Shore can be reached in 20 minutes, the shops at Westgate are nearby and there are good little restaurants in Te Atatu.

When the Northwestern Motorway upgrade is finished, the airport will only be half an hour's drive, so the area is opening up dramatically.

Jude's looking for a place to base her next project.

"The cats just love this garden and they'll be as sorry as I am to leave it."