Sea Change

An auckland couple discovered the upside of downsizing when they swapped their grand old villa for a compact apartment on the beach. there’s still plenty of room to enjoy the view and the company of friends.

Words: Sue Moody  Photographs: Kevin Emirali

Cheltenham Beach on Auckland's North Shore.

FRIENDS THOUGHT BRIGID TARR and Wayne Moffat had taken leave of their senses when they decided to downsize from a grand old villa in Devonport in favour of a “boatshed”. “They were convinced we’d lost our marbles,” says Brigid. “We went from four bedrooms to a one-stop-shop.”

Even her husband cautioned: “Can you live without your beautiful garden?” Exchanging a lovingly nurtured collection of David Austin roses for compact cacti and forsaking a smart new kitchen for something decidedly smaller, Brigid’s response was firm. “I’ll adjust,” she said, “though I’ve never lived inside a shoebox before.” But what a shoebox. Slap bang on Cheltenham Beach, one of Auckland’s quiet treasures, where the tide rolls in virtually on the couple’s doorstep. Seagulls, dog walkers and the occasional kite-surfer are companions across the sea wall.

Brides love the picturesque spot. When Wayne arrives home from a round of weekend golf he calls out “Any weddings?” “We often sit for a late lunch on the deck and enjoy being part of people’s celebrations,” says Brigid, running through a list of nuptials, picnics, fireworks. Even ashes-scattering which she finds poignant and meaningful, having not so long ago buried their little princess Beatrice, the beloved West Highland terrier who shared their life for over a decade.

Improbably private, but still part of a friendly little community, Brigid and Wayne’s apartment shares the sea front with two others in a 1920s block. Beatrice helped Brigid find it. One mid-winter Saturday the two were out walking when Brigid spotted a removal van in action. No one ever moves from there, she mistakenly thought. “We rushed home. Wayne was on his way to golf  – ‘I don’t want to know about it – it’ll put me off my game,’ was his response. ‘Promise me you won’t do anything!’”

Vain hope. Brigid discovered that the apartment was being rented for nine months during the America’s Cup. “We put in an offer and won a long settlement.” End of story.

Well, not quite. While they waited to become owners, Brigid, Wayne and Beatrice spent Sunday mornings on the beach, armed with a thermos of coffee and cup-cakes, gazing longingly at their future home. “When we get there…” they dreamed. “It’s not about desire,” says Brigid. “It’s about what you can believe.”

The luxury of their new lifestyle, they say, is the view. “We never take it for granted. When I get home from travelling I go out there and suck it in,” says Brigid. Although she grew up on a Waikato farm, Brigid calls herself a real city girl. Wayne is a CBD sharebroker and the couple lived in London before settling in Auckland in 1987. Brigid loves Sydney where she spends much of her time as business development manager (Australia) and key account manager (New Zealand) for Heritage Hotels. “How you are met and greeted, the sense of warmth – those intangible, subtle things – are far more intoxicating and persuasive than how comfortable your hotel bed is. For me, one eye sees and one eye feels. I like calmness, serenity, an enveloping feel.”

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