Mark and Bobi Petch have been hanging out on the site of the White Heron Hotel, in Parnell, Auckland, on and off for 50 years. First, when the hotel was the place for rock n roll in the city and later when they came to own several apartments in the developments that were built on the site of the old hotel.
Bobi, who was road manager-secretary to pop singer Dinah Lee in the early 60s, says: “I can remember it being the place to be in the 1970s when it was the White Heron Hotel. Mark and I would come down and have drinks by the pool.”
The iconic White Heron Hotel opened in the 1960s, hosting international celebrities such as Joe Cocker and Bob Marley plus lots of local glitterati.
Decades later, after Mark’s business successes and the hotel’s demise, the Petches bought a penthouse in the Heron apartments. Then they heard two boutique architecturally designed buildings were being built just north of them – the White Heron Point luxury apartments.
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Bobi says: “It’s just such a fantastic location, so handy to Parnell and town with such wonderful views.”
They owned a penthouse in the White Heron’s Hobson building for about nine years.
Bobi says: “But then we decided we’d build down in Wanaka and make that our main base so we didn’t need the same sort of Auckland home.”
They downsized to this still exceptionally generous north-west facing, corner garden apartment in the Judges building not quite a year ago.
Bobi says: “As well as having a great harbour view and being so sunny it doesn’t really feel like you’re in an apartment, because it feels private and opens out to its own garden-level grounds.”
Their gated community is on the clifftop at the northern cul-de-sac end of St Stephens Avenue above Judges Bay and the Parnell Pools. It has Double Grammar zoning, Parnell School just up the road, visitor parking and a gymnasium.
The apartments were completed in 2008 of solid concrete accented with large swathes of distinctive exterior stone and abundant glass.
Apartment 2D is accessed from a svelte ground-floor foyer shared by just a few residences or via the lift from its two car parks in the basement of the Judges building. Car enthusiast Mark is publisher of NZ Autocar magazine.
The Petch’s 231-square metre home starts with an entry foyer before you turn into a big open-plan lounge-dining-kitchen expanse drenched in sunlight and harbour and city views.
This opens out to both a covered courtyard and a sizeable patio alongside compact manicured gardens incorporating a patch of lawn. They share in the superb views right around to Mt Victoria, North Head and Rangitoto.
Bobi says: “It’s ever-changing out there. And with the harbour and the cranes it’s like Disneyland at night with all the lights.”
The northern master suite in its own wing opens outdoors and incorporates a compact separate study. Its extra-long wall of wardrobing sits opposite a polished ensuite with freestanding bath, separate shower and powder room.
There are sun filter blinds to moderate the rays, air conditioning plus a fire in the lounge.
The Poggenpol kitchen boasts a scullery. Beyond this a good-sized second lounge-media room also opens outdoors.
Two further bedrooms at the opposite end from the master suite both have accompanying bathrooms; one ensuited and the other bathroom available to visitors. There’s also a separate laundry room and generous storage.
Bobi sums up: “People have commented on this apartment’s size, views and incredibly sunniness.”
The Petchs’ Wanaka home is due to be completed this year and they’ve decided they’ll sell here and keep a fully renovated one-bedroom apartment in Mission Bay’s heritage Garden Court as their “Auckland bolt-hole”.
Find out more about 2d/154 St Stephens Ave, Parnell, Auckland.
