Heading along the sweeping driveway towards the iconic white double-storey villa high on the clifftop, you gain a sense of entering a grand country estate. With its huge sunny, north-facing lawn, the 1764sqm (more or less) property is impressive and utterly secluded which makes it so peaceful that it feels a million miles from the bustle of the city.
Then, as you step inside, it doubly rewards you with the most panoramic 270-degree view across the harbour to Auckland City, the eastern bays and beyond.
This outstanding property met owners Matt and Victoria Silwood’s brief perfectly. For Victoria, the grand proportions of the large five-bedroom home, its elevated position and the sea view reminded her of her childhood home. Furthermore, once she lived in the property, she was thrilled that it delivered so much more than her expectations, providing an amazing lifestyle she could not have imagined.
“For starters," says Victoria, “everybody walks into the upstairs lounge with its massive curved, faceted IMAX window and is blown away by the fabulous view and ever-changing landscape. For guests, it’s non-stop entertainment. We’ve had legendary New Year’s Eve parties enjoying the Sky Tower fireworks from the terrace.
It’s not just watching the big ships and cruise liners coming and going; we have seen some wonderful sights such as an actual naval submarine, and a Russian oligarch’s submarine-shaped superyacht moored directly in front of the house. Sea planes regularly take off and land, Westhaven weekly yacht races turn on the nearby buoy, and navy ships often do their exercises out front. They’re so close to the water, we see just about everything that happens on the harbour," Victoria says.
“You’re in the middle of everything but set apart, above it all."
Of course, when the America’s Cup teams arrive, the house has a direct line-of-sight to the base camps. “The new owners will be right in the middle of all the action, not just the racing but all the 'before and after' bustle as well. They will be part of the biggest party in town!”
Also, to their delight, just 100 metres away Matt and Victoria discovered a little hidden path that goes down to Secret Cove jetty and beach where you can swim. “It’s idyllic for children, just like in the Famous Five stories. There are lots more of these little hidden beaches scattered nearby around Stanley Point,” Victoria says.
The charming shops and cafés of historic Devonport village are an easy walk away or two minutes by car, and there are a host of recreational amenities nearby – the Stanley Point Bowling and Petanque Club and the tennis club. But Victoria particularly loves the freedom of hopping on the ferry from either Stanley Bay or Devonport, and heading to the city.
“We often meet up with friends for dinner or a drink. Having the city so close extended our lifestyle enjoyment significantly. Whether it's board meetings or university, the ferry delivers us to the city in just ten minutes.”
She adds that buses to local schools, including nearby Takapuna Grammar, stop 50m from the property and all the major private schools connect via buses near the ferry building, making it a breeze for families with school-age children to get around.
But everything about this property is easy, especially since the massive restoration and modernisation exercise undertaken by Victoria and Matt to add luxury and warmth to their home. No expense was spared on upgrading this historic home.
While they took pains to restore many of the lovely original features in its multiple living spaces, including the extravagant Victorian fire surrounds and character timberwork, a stylish refit included refinishing window and door hardware, installing cosy gas central heating, new plumbing and roofing, and much more.
The grounds were professionally landscaped by Second Nature and automatic watering systems keep everything looking spruce all year round.
Expansive timber decking with an outdoor fireplace makes for impressive entertaining whatever the season. A wraparound glass balustrade keeps the view centre-stage, with a wide boardwalk that extends the length of the cliff face. It is the perfect vantage point to watch all the harbour action and the bedazzling city lights at night.
The couple also went to considerable expense to fully stabilise the cliff below. At nearly half an acre, their potentially sub-dividable estate is one of the very few cliff-front properties that has been underpinned for peace of mind.
Now that everything has been upgraded to an exceptional standard, there is nothing left for the new owners to do but enjoy all the lifestyle benefits of this prestigious maritime suburb which is suitably regarded as one of the four most exclusive suburbs in Auckland, known as the Golden Quartet – along with the other three premium areas of Remuera, Herne Bay and St Mary’s Bay.
