Couldrey House & Garden is a Victorian-Edwardian family home in Wenderholm Regional Park, about 40 minutes' drive north of Auckland's CBD and under a kilometre from Waiwera. The two-storey house has nine rooms on display, furnished in a mix of styles from the eras of its past owners. Volunteer hosts welcome visitors and can give commentary on request, and audio reminiscences from the families' descendants play through the house. The cottage-style garden lies between Wenderholm Beach and the Puhoi river, each a few minutes' walk away through pohutukawa glades.
The house is open 1pm to 4pm on weekdays and public holidays from 26 December to Easter Monday, and on some school holidays. The website asks visitors to check its Facebook page for changes. Group and school visits can be arranged by email, most days of the year. Children under 16 go free when accompanied by an adult, and cash, Eftpos and cards are taken. Access is limited, as there are steps at each entrance and the house has two storeys. The Couldrey family restored the house from near dereliction between 1957 and 1960, and Queen Elizabeth II visited their beach bungalow in 1953. Our pick north of Auckland for a historic house and garden with a beach walk close by.