‘We kept looking for paradise, this is as close as we got’: Fairytale cottage looking for new owners

There are many reasons why Frank and Diane Boonen have loved living in their Coromandel idyll, Laurelbank Cottage.

“We’ve travelled extensively and had several homes but we kept looking for paradise, and this is as close as we got to it,” says Frank.

At night they can hear kiwi calling out to each other. There’s a stream which flows through the bottom of the property and it’s a mere one-minute stroll down a little path to a swimming hole.

“We actually draw our water for the house from that for drinking water, laundry and for showering. It’s crystal clean, there’s no stock up there,” he says.

Then there’s the proximity to the sea. “We’re probably three minutes to the launch for our boat, to go and get snapper, which is so abundant here. People say it’s like a shop – you put your line in and then you get a snapper.”

Though the photos show a home surrounded by greenery, which may make it seem as if the house is remote, it’s less than 10 minutes north of Coromandel Town, with its shops, cafés and galleries, and around 15 minutes’ drive to the ferry for Auckland from Coromandel Town.

Laurelbank Cottage was built by a joiner craftsman about 60 years ago. He used beautiful hardwood including rimu and kauri to build the home, and put a lot of love into it, says Frank.

“He put character features in throughout so you get the real soul of the house from that.”

The home is surrounded by nikau palms, ancient pūriri, kānuka, pōhutukawa and rimu trees on its .59 hectare site.

Laurelbank Cottage, stylishly laid out by Diane, has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a beautifully presented kitchen and living space with a parquet floor. There is a studio space which offers another bedroom, kitchenette and shower, ideal for guests or friends and family. The two properties total around 91m².

“It would be ideal as a holiday home or for a couple with one child to live there, or just really anybody that’s ready to appreciate paradise,” says Frank, who has put an asking price of $850,000 on the semi off-grid property, although there is electricity to the house.

“That’s with the water from the property, and then there’s a coal range in the house that’s attached to the wetback so that provides us with heat as well as cooking ability,” he says.

In the three years they’ve owned Laurelbank Cottage, the couple have landscaped the property and painted and repaired the house. They have installed two skylights and for the veranda roof, they’ve put a clear plastic cover which lets in maximum light and minimum heat.

If the next owner wants to expand the living space, there’s plenty of room to add separate accommodation at the property, says Frank.

“There’s another path that goes to an orchard on the property that’s got probably 200m² of land that you could build another dwelling on.”

The orchard has grapefruit, peach, pear and plum trees and there is a good vege garden.

Frank and Diane travel every year to Italy where they have another home, and when they come back, the Coromandel property just needs three days of attention, mowing lawns, cutting back some overgrowth, and then it’s back to normal, says Frank.

“It’s very easy to maintain because it’s just beautiful native bush and sub-tropical plants.”

Unsurprisingly, the birdlife is extraordinary at this home. “We’ve got pretty much every kind of native bird you can think of – we’ve got quails, wood pigeons and tūī,” he says.

The couple have possum traps around the property to protect kiwi nests.

The only reason the Boonens are leaving their haven is to be closer to family in Waihi Beach who need their support, says Frank.

Laurelbank Cottage is being sold by the owners. The 2023 CV on the property is $690,000.