By CEDRIC GRAY
Coachman's Rest taps into a slice of New Zealand history. Stage coaches travelling between Thames and Auckland rested there. Doubtless the horses were watered in the bubbling spring-fed Whiskey Creek while the passengers quenched their thirsts with a dram or three.
Today, Coachman's Rest is a charming 2.08ha property
where nature, in its varied forms, continues to blossom. The Ramarama gardens, within a couple of minutes' drive of the southern motorway, are admired year-round by garden groups. They are full of interest - a neat potager here, camellias and rhododendrons there.
Back at the property, a giant gingko tree is about to burst into leaf and there are lovely magnolias at the end of a lengthy driveway lined with flowering cherry trees. The lawns flow to the banks of Whiskey Creek, which meanders through the rear of the property in sharp contrast to the old stone walls on the neighbouring land.
Coachman's Rest is owned by Laurence and Anne Begg. Anne is a well-known landscape artist who finds the peace and quiet of the gardens so inspiring. Her studio is invaded by the fragrance of old-fashioned roses for most of summer. There are also wisteria-covered the decks, which wrap around most of the home.
"It's truly a beautiful spot," she says. "We open the doors in summer and it becomes a summer house. Even in winter when it can be miserable outside we can light the log fire and look out to the garden."
The house started life as a two-bedroom cottage more than 30 years ago. It is now a gracious home of three bedrooms with a neat kitchen and a large family room complete with log fire and exposed timber ceilings. Two of the bedrooms are upstairs.
The family room, a recent addition, is the hub of the house. The kitchen fits snugly into one corner, allowing maximum space for family dining and entertaining.
While the home and gardens are an obvious attraction, the property - at 237 Ararimu Rd - is also well known locally for its orchard. The sheltered location favours limes, macadamias and feijoas. The land is equally suited to light sheep grazing.
The property will be auctioned on October 28 by Barfoot & Thompson, Papakura. For details, contact Cherry Cooper, ph 298 8029 or 021 955 141.
