Wild & Woolly in Waikanae — Riverbank 1965

— A glimpse into the grounds of Riverbank Modernist Retreat, Waikanae

Tara, how did you come to own Riverbank?

We fell in love with the place during a routine Trade Me search when we were living overseas. I was working in Cairo and Nick was in New York at the time. The greenery and water at Riverbank felt like the perfect tonic for the dusty, yellow, desert environment of Cairo and the concrete jungle of New York. But we couldn’t afford it and tried to let the dream die. Then a year later it popped back up on the market. We were both in New York and the idea of moving back home to a green paradise backing onto a beautiful river was hypnotising.

What would you describe the overall vibe and feeling that Riverbank evokes?

One of the things we love most about the place is the vibe of utter relaxation. It is a wonderful place to come home to after a busy day in Wellington, and an even more incredible place to come home to after being overseas in hectic big cities. I have spent some time working in Baghdad the past few years and being able to return to this paradise was always in my mind when I was overseas. We also rent Riverbank out through Airbnb so that others can enjoy it as much as we do.

The greenery and water at Riverbank felt like the perfect tonic for the dusty, yellow, desert environment of Cairo and the concrete jungle of New York.

What do you love about Riverbank’s surrounds?

We love the variety of spaces to explore in the garden from the herb and vegetable garden, to the orchard area, to the wild and woolly back forest garden (that we are hoping to one day turn into a food forest), to the Japanese garden and pond. The house can be full and yet there is always somewhere to go to appreciate nature and find peace.

What was the garden like when you took over Riverbank?

We are garden novices who were fortunate to inherit a beautiful garden from the previous owners. We have tried (with help!) to keep it maintained and have learned lots over the past 4 years. We haven’t made huge changes because the garden is so mature. We did switch an older tree at the front door for a San Pedro cactus that we love. In other places we have tried to rationalise the garden and the number of beautiful (but overwhelming!) trees.

What work has been done on the house and property since 1965? And how much have you done since you’ve been there?

We haven’t done much other than to paint the interior (a pale green in the living areas and white in the bedrooms). We can see labours of love from previous owners around the place, ranging from a pebble mosaic in the ground and the stylish pool house to the wooden ceilings in the bedrooms and the William Morris green wallpapered bedroom — which friends love for its accidental Wes Anderson vibe.

How much of the house is influenced by indoor/outdoor flow and inspiration from its surroundings?

As a mid-century modern house, the building embraces the principles of that style and “bringing the outside in” is fundamental to that. There are 16 doors to the outside! A stone patio wraps around the length of the house and most of the doors open out onto patio areas, which provides endless options for enjoying sunshine.

As a mid-century modern house, the building embraces the principles of that style and “bringing the outside in” is fundamental to that.

Do you have any help in the garden and landscaping front?

We have always needed help with the garden given our full-time jobs in the city. We now have the wonderful Dave who does a fantastic job keeping the garden tamed. We have our hands full for now but one day we’d love to hire landscape architect Hamish Moorhead to inject some of his genius into the garden.

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Riverbank’s overall property is 1.5 acres of diverse zones and interesting bits, including:

• Lots of patios for lounging (which has been important over the last year, when the couple and their family members could dial into Zoom calls in the sun in different parts of the house without hearing one another)

• A deep and generously sized in-ground pool with a diving board

• A Japanese zen garden and pond

• A gate leading to Waikanae River, with beautiful walking and running tracks to the beach

• A generous vegetable and fruit garden (with blackcurrants, persimmons, limes, lemons, grapefruit, plums, pluots, peaches, quince, raspberries, feijoas, avocados, figs, grapes, apples and pears)

• An array of herbs and botanicals (lemon verbena, lemon balm, sage, thyme, chives, crabapples, pineapple sage, elderflower, kawakawa)

• Lots of mature trees, including natives and an array of Japanese maples

• A children’s playhouse and sandpit

• A tennis court

• And so much sun and very little wind