When a Tauranga family hankered for a place to unwind on days off, they went beachcombing at Waihi
Meet & greet
Kimberley Kearney (mum), Alexa, seven, Sienna, four, and Isla, two.
the property
A near-new, three-level holiday home nestled on a hill.
Having children can upend anyone’s world, but for the Kearneys of Tauranga, that upending was literal – they swapped the northern hemisphere for the southern.
New Zealand-born Kimberley had been living in the UK for 10 years – and had married an Irishman – when she felt the call of Aotearoa getting louder, with childhood memories of golden sands, long, sunny days and the glittering ocean painting a picture of what she imagined for her own young family.
“Growing up, I spent most of the school holidays in the Coromandel at my grandparents’ beach house and I always held such wonderful memories of being out fishing on the boat, hours spent in the ocean and beachcombing for collecting treasures,” Kimberley says. “I wanted this for my children.”
They moved to Tauranga in 2018, and as they juggled family with work and busy lives, Kimberley and her husband hankered for a beachside escape that they and their three young children could enjoy on weekends and holidays – a place to unwind, catch their breath and enjoy the slower pace of coastal life.
Having spent a few holidays at Waihi Beach during visits home from the UK, it wasn’t hard to fall in love with the seaside town. “It’s such an easy drive from Tauranga, and doesn’t have those windy roads to the Coromandel that I used to endure as a child!”
The home
The couple searched high and low for the right holiday pad, before coming across an elevated weatherboard home with a view of the ocean that was just a year old and a 10-minute walk from the beach.
Although it was in obvious need of landscaping, the layout worked perfectly, with ample sun and plenty of outdoor living space from which to enjoy the outlook. “We were not fans of the fake grass, but I loved the fact the street was lined with olive trees, as it reminds me of the Mediterranean – and we got married under an olive tree, so these trees hold special meaning for me,” Kimberley says. Fittingly, when the family aren’t using their holiday home, they list it on Airbnb under the name Olive Trees and the Sea.
The family wanted a house that wouldn’t require much work, and this one met the brief. “We loved the kwila decking, which has silvered to a gorgeous colour, the bifold doors out to the top deck, the raked ceilings and the fireplace,” Kimberley says.
The home is perched in an elevated position, giving a sense of distance from the busyness during the warmer months, when the Waihi Beach population swells, and the views are breathtaking. From the main bedroom you can see the ocean, while the deck and the ground-floor patio offer a stunning green vista of reserve and farmland.
From the start, the couple knew that the interior layout would work well, with a parents’ retreat on the top floor, living and dining in the middle and the kids’ and guest bedrooms downstairs. As well as an ideal layout for privacy, it provided plenty of room for grandparents and other visitors.
“Although the house wasn’t exactly the way we would have built it and fitted it out ourselves, it didn’t make sense to make any drastic changes, since it was so new,” Kimberley says. “So we decided to focus on the landscaping outside and styling and curating the inside to make it our own unique space.”
Coastal landscaping
Outdoors, the patio area was the first project to tackle. The couple pulled up the turf and laid three concreted pads outside each downstairs bedroom, surrounding them with white lime chip for a fresh coastal look. Large white pots with lush green plants add layers to this space.
Next was the garden, where the existing combo of roses and tropical plants wasn’t to the family’s tastes. They simplified it with a coastal planting scheme consisting of Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’ grass in bright lime green, mixed with blue-green tussock grasses and sprinkled with gorgeous bronze Carex buchananii. Easy-care succulents such as agave are a nod to the garden at Kimberley’s grandparents’ beach house.
“We adore our mini orchard filled with feijoa trees, lemon trees, orange trees, plum trees, apple trees and passionfruit,” she says. “Having fruit to hand is amazing, and the kids love to pick their own. In this area, we tidied it up with some lime chip to tie into the rest of the garden.”
The styling
The relaxed, beachy abode showcases a curated collection of items sourced from the beach or various homeware, vintage and antique stores. “The way I have styled this house is very reminiscent of the house my grandparents had when I was a child,” Kimberley says. “I don’t tend to follow trends. I like to find the beauty in everyday things around us and for things to have a meaning or evoke a memory. And I don’t like clutter.”
She has enjoyed giving each bedroom its own voice and theme, with one telling the story of worldly travels and another hinting at a bygone beach oasis, while the kids’ room is inspired by rough seas and crew cabins in a sailing ship. Upstairs, the main bedroom pays homage to a timeworn fishing vessel.
A range of artwork is displayed throughout the home.
The favourite piece is ‘Sea Worthy’, a portrait of an old sea captain by local artist Shane Walker, whose many murals are displayed around the local village. “The goal was that when you arrive here you can escape life and are taken away to another place and time, and for us that’s definitely how it feels,” Kimberley says.
Keeping clean lines and reducing the visibility of clutter was key to maintaining a sense of rest. To keep kids’ messes contained, the couple transformed wasted space in the home to create mini play areas, such as a storage area under the main stairs. This frees up the main living space and deck for the grown-ups to enjoy while keeping toys out of sight.
Alfresco retreats
Connecting with the outdoors is essential for the family, who are eager to escape the busyness of life and enjoy the tranquillity of nature. The downstairs bedrooms have large sliding doors that open to the patio and backyard, while the kitchen and dining area opens onto the expansive deck.
In the dining area, a dramatic, rustic three-metre table crafted from reclaimed oak easily fits everyone around it at Christmastime. When they’re not enjoying the many outdoor attractions in the area, this is where the family will mostly be found, hanging out, eating, playing chess or doing a jigsaw puzzle.
In the late afternoons and evenings, the couple enjoy lounging outside with drinks and pre-dinner nibbles, soaking up the sunshine or gazing at the stars, while the kids swing in the hammock and roast marshmallows in the fire pit.
With its relaxed, beachy vibe and community feel, Waihi has proved to be the perfect family getaway – the older girls are nippers down at the local surf club and love the ocean – but with the sea comes the sand.
“A huge necessity has been our outdoor shower, especially for keeping sand out of the house,” Kimberley says. “Although there are two more showers inside, it means that when we have extended family to stay no one is waiting for a shower. But my favourite outdoor space is our claw-foot bath with views over the reserve below us. It’s the ultimate escape.”
The family have spent an idyllic year putting their personal style and touch on the holiday home, while reserving plenty of time to enjoy what this coastal retreat was intended for: endless hours relaxing together, days at the beach, walks and bike rides, or just taking a break from the heat and enjoying downtime inside.
“There is nothing better after a hectic week than to escape here, catch my breath and enjoy looking out and listening to the tūī singing,” Kimberley says. “We have a real slice of peace and tranquillity up here.”
Words by: Holly Jean Brooker. Photography by: Alice Veysey
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