Hunua: Natural beauty

Native bush and fabulous rural views make this large
Hunua property a country delight, writes CEDRIC GRAY.

When Ken and Margaret Williams engaged an Auckland architect to design their Hunua home, there were several "musts" on the brief, perhaps the most notable being that the natural beauty of the environment must be preserved at all costs.

The couple insisted that the beauty of the outdoors "flow into every room", that the nearby native bush should complement the bold use of native timber they had chosen for the house and that the glorious rural views not be compromised.

The result is a treasure. Sheltered by the Hunua Regional Park on one boundary, the gracious 500sq m home blends to perfection with the bush-clad hills and rolling pasture, healthy enough to have carried famed pedigree Hereford cattle until Mr Williams' death some years ago. Ken was a master builder and chairman of the New Zealand Builders' Federation - hence a quality home built to stand the test of time.

It stands on around 39ha (in two titles) about 4km from the tiny Hunua township, and is within easy reach of Auckland city. Best of all, however, is the peace and privacy - a lengthy tree-lined drive from Hunua Rd crossing the Wairoa River on one boundary, grazing land on which totara trees provide admirable shelter and the bush as a backdrop.

The two-storey home, built in 1990, is superbly presented. It has an attractive entrance foyer leading to the formal lounge and library to the right, to the rimu timber staircase and a stunning central conservatory - "the hub of the house"- to the left. The lounge has a striking schist fireplace and matai timber ceilings.

The spacious kitchen has an eye-catching range of modern appliances to match the gorgeous rimu and macrocarpa fittings and mobile island food preparation area. It serves a relaxed family dining area and a nearby formal family dining room. On this level, too, there is a large sewing room (or fifth bedroom). There are two downstairs bedrooms, including the master bedroom (with en suite) and a second bedroom with an adjoining bathroom.

A stylish feature of the ground floor is a series of sunken gardens, which add greatly to the tranquil indoor-outdoor flow to the main living areas.

Two upstairs bedrooms have their own en suites, both opening to an outdoor balcony. A conversation area takes advantage of the lovely views to both sides of the house, and guests have the use of tea-making facilities hidden behind timber rolling doors.

Three-car garaging, a walk-in cool store and ample storage adjoins a wide paved area at the end of the driveway.

The glorious surrounds include a cluster of raised gardens, a picturesque sun house and a lovely walkway through the native bush to a nearby waterfall. Scores of native trees have been planted in recent years to further encourage native bird life.

For further details of the property, which has an asking price of $2.45 million, contact Mike Butler at Barfoot & Thompson, Papakura, on 298 8029.