It’s hard to believe a luxurious beachfront enclave like this exists outside of Hawaii, let alone 90 minutes north of Auckland, and yet this property offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a palm-fringed, beachfront compound spread over 48ha, located between Mangawhai and Langs Beach.
With passion, patience and unwavering respect for the coastal landscape, the estate was brought to life over three decades by owners David and Pamela Nathan.
A true waterfront legacy property, the north-facing slice of coastal paradise has been developed into a resplendent sanctuary and celebrates an absolute beachfront position embracing spectacular Andersons Cove.
A collection of separate luxury accommodation offerings are distinctly unique yet have subtle cohesion woven between them, and are all situated amongst exquisitely landscaped gardens, manicured lawns, native bush and rolling pasture.
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The buildings are comprised of the grand, four-bedroom primary residence masterfully designed by acclaimed New Zealand architect Andrew Patterson; The Potting Shed, an elegant one-bedroom self-contained escape; Clifftops Lodge, a two-bedroom safari-style retreat, and The Boatshed, a three-bedroom dwelling on the water’s edge that also houses all the water toys.
The Nathans had been searching for the right place for 10 years before they came upon this property, says their daughter Sarah.
“They had very specific requirements – Dad wanted riparian rights and absolute beachfront, with privacy as one of his top priorities, as well as wanting to be close to Auckland.”
They found out about the property purely by chance and although it was just a humble Lockwood set amongst scrubby bush back then, it was love at first sight for David when the family went and had a look.
Clifftops Lodge is an off-grid, safari-themed abode, with two bedrooms, four-poster beds and two luxury ensuites. Photo / Supplied
The estate has a secret garden of roses, a glade of nikau palms, an orange grove, a dam that’s home to white swans and ducks, and paddocks that are home to four Nigerian dwarf goats and Highland Cattle. Photo / Supplied
“After telling us to be cool, don’t get excited and not let on we like it, he completely lost his composure and said to the real estate agent, ‘I need to make this happen, we have to have it’,” she recalls.
It was everything they’d ever looked for, including a stream running through the property, which had been on Pam’s wish list, plus as Sarah says, “it’s laughably private. It ticked every single box and being so close to Auckland was incredible”.
When it came to briefing Patterson for the design of their new home, the Nathans, who were also extraordinarily private people, let the landscape do the talking.
“They didn’t say much to him, just brought him up here and said, ‘we want something that is sympathetic to the landscape and the seascape, with Pacific roots – like Fiji and Hawaii’.
“He absolutely nailed the brief, Mum and Dad were blown away. But a condition of the commission was that Andrew never shared the design or entered it into any competitions, because they preferred to stay under the radar.”
The residence sits above the beachfront, arranged in a series of interconnected pavilions that capture light, sun and views of the white sand bay. At its centre, a high-stud living space with a fireplace draws people together.
“Dad loved the convivial aspect, so there had to be a kitchen that would cope with a large number of people, a big wine cellar and a walk-in wine chiller. When they arrived, the land was wild and unrefined with virgin bush and lots of nikau palms, so Andrew used the nikau palm as his design motif throughout the house.”
The grand, four-bedroom primary residence was designed by acclaimed New Zealand architect Andrew Patterson. Photo / Supplied
The Potting Shed is an elegant one-bedroom, self-contained luxury escape that is now rented out for $3250 a night to mainly overseas visitors. Photo / Supplied
The Potting Shed and Clifftops Lodge came about from David’s love of entertaining and desire to share the property.
“Dad loved a project. He wanted to encourage visitors to come here and stay at the accommodations that he built. He was gregarious and a traveller, and loved meeting people from other countries.”
Originally built for Pam to do her planting, David transformed The Potting Shed into luxury accommodation that is now rented out for $3250 per night to mainly overseas visitors. He then built Clifftops Lodge on the ridge – an off-grid luxury retreat crafted from timber, glass and canvas sourced from Indonesia.
“It’s safari-themed, with two bedrooms with four-poster beds and two luxury ensuites. The interiors were designed by Kate Horton Shanahan from Pine Studios, she did the main residence and both rental accommodations. She used a lot of Mum and Dad’s own knickknacks and treasures they’d collected over the years during their travels to bring the décor to life.”
If the buildings were David’s domain, the grounds were certainly Pam’s and she’s created a delightful country coastal wonderland that ignites the senses all year round.
“Mum was such a keen gardener and although Dad wanted the front of the house to just be palms and lawn, she got free rein in other parts and created lots of romantic gardens elsewhere in the property.
“There’s The Secret Garden, which is mainly roses, a glade of nikau palms where the Easter Bunny visits for the grandkids and an orange grove inspired by their stay at La Mamounia hotel in Morocco.”
“Even though Auckland is only an hour and a half drive, you get here and feel like you’re a world away,” says Sarah, the owners’ daughter. Photo / Supplied
The Boatshed is a three-bedroom dwelling on the water’s edge that also houses all the water toys. Photo / Supplied
Other highlights include an orchard, a dam that’s home to white swans and ducks, and paddocks that are home to four Nigerian dwarf goats and Highland Cattle that keep the grass trimmed.
“Even though Auckland is only an hour and a half drive, you get here and feel like you’re a world away.”
Now that David has sadly passed away and Pam is in care in Auckland, the family are passing on their beloved property to the next fortunate owner, who will be able to create their lifetime of memories by the sea.
Bayleys salesperson Duncan Ross says a property of this calibre in this position is very rare.
“You’ve got riparian rights and direct access to effectively your own private east coast beach, along with the 48 hectares that come with it. I haven’t come across anything like it myself, it’s phenomenal.
“We put it out to our database and have had really good response, with both local and offshore interest. It’s also 25 minutes from Te Arai and Tara Iti.”
101 Bream Tail Road in Andersons Cove is for sale by expressions of interest, deadline closing May 28.
- Sponsored by Bayleys
