Waiheke Island: Greece is the word

A British couple have fulfilled their dream of finding and doing-up a place on Waiheke Island, writes Catherine Smith.

43 Great Barrier Road, Waiheke Island.

Waiheke Island residents know they have a secret Mediterranean lifestyle only 40 minutes from Auckland's city buzz. Great Barrier Road, with its wide sea views and clifftop properties, is top of list for those-in-the-know. But word managed to spread to the rest of the world, as illustrated by British couple Paul and Lucy Cohen who emigrated three years ago with this road on their dream list of perfect spots to live.

"Our fantasy was to find a do-up on Great Barrier Road, as we'd visited here twice and were just smitten by it," says Paul. "When this came up it was exactly what we'd dreamed of."

Paul's skills as a carpenter had been mainly focused on restoring English barns, so he was taken by the magnificent timber used in the house. The previous owner had started the project, building his Greek-style villa from choice demolition pieces including 100-year-old doors, bank windows, kauri pillars from old warehouses and even remnants from an old convent.

The couple were taken by the builder's careful work, using tanalised timber and plastering, finishing with four-coat paint over the top - techniques that have stood the test of time. He even left off-cuts of marble and granite for bathroom floors, while other parts of the house have recycled kauri floors.

A winding driveway with the best views of the valley leads to the whitewashed house on a stunning clifftop: in Greek style, it reads as a cluster of smaller houses tumbled on the hillside. Both indoor and outdoor rooms take in uninterrupted north sea views over the Hauraki Gulf above Enclosure Bay. Just around the corner is Palm Beach and the island's walking tracks, while minutes away is Oneroa village.

Paul finished the house, spending three years honing the original design, digging in terracing to collect sun and views throughout the day and clearing the track to the property's magic private bay. Enormous boulder steps and walkways give way to a sandy beach. The tropical landscaped gardens and lawns have their own breathtaking views over the gulf.

The main house has a large open plan living and kitchen area, with doors opening on to a large terrace for outdoor entertainment. Macrocarpa kitchen cabinets are hand-finished. The thick walls create natural insulation and the windows allow passive solar heating in the winter, but the house stays cool all through summer. If needed, a fireplace cosies the room in the winter.

Bedrooms are positioned to wake up to the sunrise from the master bedroom, and enjoy the sunset from the second bedroom. Dreamy whitewashed floors and walls invite an endless holiday frame of mind.

Paul uses the private self-contained apartment in the west wing for his business as a massage and Zero balancing practitioner. It has a large open plan bedroom, living area and kitchen (plus a mezzanine bedroom) . Lucy paints and sculpts. The apartment has its own private outdoor living so can be entirely separate from the main dwelling or, by using an internal door, it can become part of the house.

At the top of the driveway is parking for up to five cars and a sleepout/shed.

Paul and Lucy's next dream is to build a traditional timber frame house. They have already begun scouting for a location on the island and sourcing materials to start their project. Meanwhile, a slice of the Mediterranean is up for grabs.

Vital Statistics

BEDROOM: 4

BATHROOM: 2

GARAGE: OFFSTREET PARKING FOR FIVE CARS.

SIZE: Land 3339sq m, house 160sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV (2005) $1.25 million. Auction February 15.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Matthew Smith, Unlimited Potential, ph 361 6658 bus, 027 222 4804.

FEATURES: Mediterranean-style waterfront home of plaster, recycled beams and joinery, featuring two living rooms opening to decks and rooftop terraces. Landscaped gardens with a walkway to the beach. Self contained guest wing.