Feature by Donna Russell, Northern Advocate Newspaper, 4-May-2007

Set among trees, the house is only about 17 years old but built to a much older design.

A boardwalk around the coastal point at Hugh and Ros Cole-Baker's Pataua South property has added a whole new dimension to appreciating their land.

Ros says the walkway allows a new view of the garden and coastal cliff that was never accessible before.

Guests at Tidesong Bed and Breakfast can meander around the garden and then head down to the boardwalk that incorporates an existing jetty.

The circuit leads to a large flat area at the bottom of the garden that has a lake, a mini-golf course with lots of fun obstacles and hazards, and a chess set that has plant pots as its pieces.

The path then cuts through a bush area and leads back to the house.

Ros and Hugh bought the 3.2ha wedge-shaped property 11 years ago, following a dream of living on the coast. They had come from a sheep and beef property at Titoki.

The 17-year-old house has been built to look as if it is from a much older time, with gabled windows, in its setting among mature totara trees.

"We love the trees but the leaves from the totara are just endless. We're always sweeping them away," says Ros.

Kauri trees also surround the house, with seed cones exploding their seeds in through the windows, she says.

Small crops of proteas and daffodils are produced on the property, which are starting to become more prolific as the plants mature.

"I started with 1000 mixed daffodil bulbs from Kerikeri and now there are 5000," Ros says.

"It would be just a sea of colour if the bloom were allowed to open, but flower shops want the buds."

The protea varieties she grows are Pink Ice and white nerifolia.

Ros says she organises her day around the tides, and times her lawnmowing to coincide with the best time for a cooling swim when she has finished.

With trees covering a large proportion of the property, birdlife is always present, with tui, kukupa (wood pigeons), riroriro (grey warblers), rosellas and kingfishers.

Down in the bush near the property's outdoor bath is a nest of moreporks (ruru).

"They sleep in the daytime, although they'll open one eye when we approach. It was wonderful to see the little fluffy ones on a branch."

The bath takes 50 minutes to heat with three gas burners underneath. Rubber mats protect skin from the hot bath bottom.

Ros and Hugh belong to the Taiharuru Catchment Kiwi Group that is working to protect and enhance the area to protect kiwi and other wildlife.

"There are still a few problems with dogs, but people are beginning to understand what damage their pets can do without meaning to."

Ros says they have been working with a wildlife expert on identifying ways of enhancing the coastal area between bush and sea, to encourage all wildlife including fish to come back.

"There are many wetlands where fish used to come and breed, laying their eggs in the rushes. After a six-week incubation. king tides would wash into the rushes and the fish would hatch out. We've been finding out that in some parts only 1 percent are hatching. There is a really low survival rate. That's been a shock to find that out," Ros says.

"We've also come to realise that when the right conditions are there the fish will come back very quickly."

With the boardwalk around the base of the property, they have had their native plant book out to identify all of the bush and coastal plants that they can see on the cliffs.

"We've identified most, including a mairehau which apparently is quite rare. We've put small signs on the plants to help our many visitors."

Ros says she has always loved the environment, and hopes to have school and other groups to visit. Donations to the gardens are given to the Tear Fund. which is an overseas aid group.

"We are members of the Northland Sustainable Tourism Charter, which really made us take a look at what we were doing. Spreading knowledge through schools and other groups is one thing we can do."