Muriwai valley: Love at first sight

Park-like beauty and a fabulous rural environment greet CEDRIC GRAY in Muriwai valley.

AVISIT to a delightful Muriwai valley property is like a trip down memory lane. Giant puriri trees, spared the crosscut saws of early settlers, stand like sentinels on rolling to steep pasture, providing shelter for sheep and cattle. And the cosy farmhouse was built more than 100 years ago from timber hewn from the bush in the valley.

The house has been extended and modernised since, each project in keeping with its original charm and character.

The property, known as Muriwai Valley Farm, covers 10.6ha, and it was a case of love at first sight when the present owners drove through the gate six years ago. They established a boutique sheep and cattle stud with rare Wiltshire Horn (sheep) and Devon Red (cattle) using organic farming methods, protected a large wetland area to encourage further bird life, and planted a heritage orchard with a mix of stone fruit and subtropical species. The couple plan to expand their stud on a larger property at Ahuroa in Northland.

About 8ha of the property are divided into five well-fenced paddocks. Ample stock water is reticulated from a spring-fed dam, and the paddocks have scattered bush or tree cover, further enhancing the park-like beauty of the farm.

Running through the main valley is a spring-fed wetland, flowing to a series of attractive ponds near the farmhouse. The wetland has been protected from livestock in order to retain its wildlife and aesthetic qualities.

Other attractive features include a small copse of Tasmanian blackwoods and two larger areas of pine trees that have been progressively felled for firewood. To add to the rich and diverse range of plantings is a young olive grove.

The farmhouse has many features of yesteryear, perhaps the most notable being the wide, pitsawn matai floorboards, recently exposed and polished, in the lounge, and the attractive blend of native timber throughout the kitchen and open-plan living areas.

Spacious decking to the north enhances the indoor-outdoor flow, and the kitchen at the back of the house enjoys views of the garden and surrounding bush. There are two bedrooms, a bathroom with a jacuzzi bath, and a freezer room that could easily be converted into a third bedroom.

The hot water system is a combination of solar heating and a wetback on a woodburning Stanley stove. A Jetmaster open fire, set in an attractive brick fireplace in the lounge, provides winter warmth.

The original double garage has been converted into a bright and warm studio, in which the floor and walls are lined with honey-coloured macrocarpa.

Two character cottages nestle under mature trees in the back garden. One is a Swiss chalet style with a double bedroom and en suite, and the other a self-contained rustic cabin with its own covered deck and solar hot water system.

There is a large vegetable garden, potting shed and several large composting bins.

The property will be auctioned on February 18 at Bayleys' Maritime Square auction rooms. For details contact Heather Hitchings, Bayleys, West Harbour, ph 416 7788 or 021 599 760 mob.