Home to Roost

A 2.4ha lifestyle property in Elsthorpe, Central Hawkes Bay, is hen paradise. There are six garden pens, large established vegetable gardens, lots of mature trees for shade in summer and long grass providing seed and shelter for chicken adventures. Young fruit trees will soon provide more food for the whole avian family.

Young native trees grow along the front boundary and sides of the driveway. The land is in four paddocks, with a pond in the largest. Three Indian Runner drakes are in permanent residence, hosting a pair of Paradise ducks plus many wild ducks and their off-spring.

The rear paddock is planted in young American Sycamores (related to the London Plane tree). These are widely spaced, hardy, protected from grazing and will eventually create a parkland effect.

A four-bedroom home was built in 1967 with wool insulation in the ceiling and underfloor and a new roof in 2018. The house has wooden floors, rimu skirtings and a chippie wood burner with a wetback. The shower is off the carport, bath is inside with a separate toilet. Rain water is held in two tanks, one for the garden and one for the house.

A hill protects the house from southerlies with a rural outlook in the other directions. Locals include frogs, kingfishers, swallows moreporks and herons. There are no neighbouring houses in view or ear shot and no covenants on what you can or cannot plant or paint.

350 St Lawrence Rd is 44km to Hastings and 23km to Waipawa. The only traffic jam likely is stock being moved.