Coatesville: An entertainer's delight

If fun and fitness are for you, this fabulous home has all the toys. By VICKI HOLDER.

The owner quips: "You can't miss it - it's the house with all the palms." And she's right. The huge trees are unmistakable, spilling along a honey-coloured, plaster boundary wall. They hint at the subtropical paradise to be discovered inside the gates to this large Coatesville hideaway.

However, nothing prepares you for the vast scale of entertainment to be found in the garden on the other side of the house. For this big lifestyle property includes a host of recreational amenities that arrest any need to travel to a holiday resort.

Visitors can bypass the upstairs living area and head from the granite-tiled foyer through a cosy library to the garden. Bifold doors open to the courtyard behind the house where an enormous outdoor barbecue area offers the choice of instant gas or a wood fire in an impressive, mosaic-tiled outdoor fireplace.

Spread out below is an entertainer's delight - a circular lawn surrounded by terraced islands of palms and big succulents in rock gardens and surrounding fish ponds. Spectacular by day, the setting is magical at night, discreetly lit by garden lamps and further enhanced by music fed from hidden speakers.

Sheltered behind greenery, a cabana with its own deck, kitchenette and bathroom treats guests to refreshments while they watch the tennis game on the Astroturf court.

Sun loungers beneath a pergola are positioned along the 25m heated swimming pool with a diving board. The heat is held in by a heavy cover that retracts at the flick of a switch. There is also an outdoor plunge pool under the pergola.

To one side of the library, an entertainment centre features a huge indoor spa pool in a tiled surround and glass walled enclosure. It leads to the gym, sauna and another plunge pool with open showers on a tiled wall beside a full bathroom and storage room. Further along, a games room houses a full-size billiard table.

Seating in a lounge area beckons visitors to indulge in the big-screen television, while a bar area with a built-in fridge-freezer, sink and dishwasher saves having to trek to the main house for refreshments.

Upstairs, a spacious guest suite with a lounge and a double bedroom gives guests their independence. With balconies on either side, visitors have views of the city and countryside.

The children, too, can escape from the rest of the household to their own dedicated quarters next to the library. Two bedrooms open to a fully equipped playground, complete with an impressive sandpit. Between the bedrooms, a huge bathroom features a polished timber floor.

The main living area is upstairs, accessed by the stairs leading from the granite foyer or from a broad external staircase to a wrap-around balcony. Views from this level extend across the valley and beyond to the harbour and city.

A cream kitchen with a timber floor and granite island bench caters for large-scale entertaining, offering a good flow to the dining and lounge areas. Above-the-bench doors allow the chef to pass meals through a granite servery to the living area.

The master suite is also on the upstairs level, making the most of the sun and views. Beyond a walk-through dressing room, the en suite features a huge sunken bath set in a conservatory window. Further along the passage a spare bedroom or study, plus an extra bathroom and separate toilet, give space for an extra guest.

Garages for three cars sit at either end of the house - one includes a workshop and a sink. An irrigation system keeps the gardens flourishing.

Security is well catered for with electronic gates at the entrance as well as a comprehensive alarm system throughout the property. A separate driveway leads to a cottage with a barn and stables attached. The cottage includes a lounge, kitchenette, separate bedroom and bathroom.

All this is set within an even bigger land package with rolling pasture suitable for horses. A private lake with its own jetty is an added bonus and zoning offers subdivision potential.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 601 Ridge Rd, Coatesville.

FEATURES: Resort-like property with extensively landscaped gardens; four bedrooms; library with under-floor heating; three bathrooms; entertainment centre with spa, plunge pool, bathroom, showers, storage, gym, lounge, billiard room, bar and kitchenette, self-contained accommodation upstairs with lounge and bathroom; tennis court; tennis cabana with kitchenette and bathroom; 25m heated pool; plunge pool; three-car garaging; security gates and alarm system; irrigation system.

SIZE: Land area 4.3ha.

AUCTION: 2pm, September 18, at Bayleys Maritime Square Auction Rooms, Viaduct Harbour.

AGENT: Heather Hitchings, Bayleys Culmer Realty, Hobsonville. Ph 416 7788 bus; 412 7160 ah; 021 599 760 mob.