- Film-maker Brendan Donovan is selling his Karekare bach, once home to poet Allen Curnow.
- Donovan bought the two-bedroom retreat in 2002, modernising it while preserving its original style.
- The property features bush and sea views, with upgrades including a new kitchen and insulation.
Forget Hollywood. The West Auckland bush and beach suburb of Karekare is where Kiwi film-makers have been hiding out.
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Earlier this year, Whale Rider director Niki Caro sold her stylish two-bedroom bach on Karekare Road.
Now her next-door neighbour at 101-103 Lone Kauri Road, director Brendan Donovan, is selling his Karekare bach, which used to be the home of New Zealand’s first modern poet, Allen Curnow.
Donovan, who studied Curnow’s works at university, bought his two-bedroom retreat sight unseen in 2002 for $250,000, complete with furniture. He even slept in the poet’s bed for a spell.
The bach has been modernised but is still the same bach Curnow used as his writing retreat. Photo / Supplied
Brendan Donovan on set. He bought the Lone Kauri Road bach sight unseen in 2002 while he was working and living in LA. Photo / NZME
Allen Curnow is considered one of New Zealand’s best poets. Photo / NZME
The film-maker, who is best known in NZ for his 2010 coming-of-age drama The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell, was living and working in Los Angeles when he spotted the listing during a brief trip home.
“I saw it back in the day when they would advertise in the classifieds. I rang the person up and, uh, she said, ‘Do you know Allen Curnow? It’s his property’.
“And I said, ‘Well, actually I do. I’ve studied him, but I’ve just got to get on a flight and go to LA’.” Donovan sent his mother to view the property, and her long email concluded with the words: “Buy it.”
“It turned out that there was already a conditional offer on it, so I had to go unconditional without ever having seen it,” Donovan told OneRoof.
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When he next returned home, he had a very nervous drive out to Lone Kauri Road, not quite sure what he would encounter. “But when I got there, it was an awesome spot and quite a magical little piece of New Zealand history as well,” he said.
“When I bought it, I said, ‘Look, I don’t have anything, so if you want to leave anything there, it’s fine by me’. I slept on Allen’s bed for years and used his furniture and the crockery, and everything in there.
“The bed was made out of old crates and had a simple mattress. It took probably 10 to 15 years before I replaced it.”
Donovan has modernised the home in the 24 years he has owned it, but kept it very much in its original style as much as possible.
“The kitchen was literally orange and, and, and white like it is now. But it was very old. So we’ve meticulously recreated it. Same with the curtains, those yellow curtains in there look identical to the [originals]. But the only place I could find [similar fabric] was in England. They’re sunflower yellow linen.
The bach looks out to the bush but also boasts sea views. Photo / Supplied
“I’ve seen myself really as a caretaker there because it really is a place of provenance. Allen’s probably our first truly modern poet. He’s definitely a kind of giant in terms of his poetry.”
Donovan uses Curnow’s fold-out desk to work on screenplays. “That’s where I wrote the screenplay for my own feature film, The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell.”
Currently, Donovan splits his time between working in the film industry and teaching film at the University of Auckland. He said he first offered to sell the property back to the Curnow family, but sadly, they weren’t in a position to buy.
He has engaged Ray White agent Maria Fontes, who sold Caro’s bach, to sell the property. In her listing on OneRoof, Fontes highlighted the private setting and the proximity to the beach.
“Both bedrooms enjoy bush and sea views, with French doors opening directly onto the deck, perfect for soaking in the afternoon sun and the spectacular sunsets,” she wrote.
“The home has been thoughtfully upgraded to respect its original character while enhancing comfort. Improvements include a new kitchen, heat pump, curtains, and insulation, with refreshed bathroom fittings, recent roof maintenance, and an enhanced water system. All appliances are new and included with the property.”
Curnow was once described as the “Nietzsche of Lone Kauri Road” by the Spinoff. His work spans 70 years, 15 volumes of poetry. He was also a playwright and an anthologist. Curnow taught at the University of Auckland, and one of his most famous students was writer and later poet laureate C.K. Stead.
Donovan told OneRoof that Curnow had caused a minor scandal shortly before buying the home. He had hooked up with one of his students, despite being a married man. The new couple had headed west, looking for privacy.
- 101-103 Lone Kauri Road, Karekare, Auckland, has a set sale date of April 2
