Ararimu valley: Monarch of the glen

CEDRIC GRAY takes a stroll around the beautiful grounds of Glengariff.

About 18 years ago, Carl Vessey was working on a gracious old villa at Montgomery Farm near the Auckland International Airport when he made an offer to buy the building. In next to no time, he was the new owner.

Look at the 100-year-old villa now and it is monarch of all it surveys on a 39ha property of character and contrast in the Ararimu valley, South Auckland.

Carl and his wife, Carol, can take a bow. Faithfully restored, the villa occupies a commanding site at the end of a wide, sealed driveway, flanked by lawns that have been beautified by silver birch, rhododendrons, pohutukawa, camellias, roses, a striking fountain and a fish pond.

"I'm no farmer," says Carl with a smile. Yet he has developed the property into a farm for all seasons, by subdividing the gentle to steeper contour into 35 paddocks (with a central race) for ease of stock management, planting three sidings in pine forest for stock shelter (about 8ha), and building two dams, one of which has been beautified by native plantings. The dams provide excellent duck shooting.

Named Glengariff, the property at 144 Markham Rd, 8km from the southern motorway, has grazed about 400 sheep and 50 cattle, and in its best year more than 1800 bales of hay have been harvested. There are two hay sheds and two sets of stock yards.

With several homes in the valley of similar vintage, the villa is in good company. It was rebuilt by Carl over a number of years, Carl taking care to preserve as much of the original features as possible - as well as adding some of his own. Twin brick chimneys, for instance, were demolished, the bricks now forming an arch between the kitchen and family room, as well as an attractive feature wall in the kitchen.

A rimu fireplace has been retained. So has the veranda on three sides. French doors from the main living area - lounge, family dining and kitchen - provide a lovely indoor-outdoor flow to the veranda and beyond to a nearby solar-heated pool and to a sheltered outdoor dining area at the rear of the house.

Typical of its era, there is a generous hallway, a modernised bathroom (with a clawfoot bath) and four spacious bedrooms.

The well-appointed kitchen features a cosy breakfast bar, soft cream benchtops - the same sarked rimu ceiling extends to adjoining rooms - and modern appliances.

Impressive outbuildings on the house site include a large implement shed wired with three-phase power, and ideal for vehicle storage or a home workshop. There is also a nearby three-door barn, or garage, with a loft, toilet and office space.

The Vesseys intend moving to a smaller property in the district, and Glengariff will be auctioned on site by Harcourts, Papakura, on October 22. Contact Bevin Allen and Karl Todd on 296 6024 for details.