THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE

A mid-century split-level property set in the bush still inspires awe in the couple who bought it six years ago

- Text Debbie Harrison Photography Babiche Martens

Six years on, Jazmyne van Gosliga and Ryan O'Kane still can't believe their luck. When they first viewed the mid-century gem tucked into the bush in Beach Haven, Auckland, they immediately thought it was way out of their reach.

At that first open home, they wandered through the split-level layout in awe, marvelling at the clever 1970s design, the light streaming in through triangular windows, the wood-clad rooms, the pool sparkling through the jasmine.

“We felt like we'd stepped into our dream house. It had that special kind of energy - warm, light and full of character - and it had a pool. Ryan and I loved it instantly, but we thought it was too good to be our first home,” says Jazmyne. They left smitten, but realistic.

Two days later, after losing another auction that morning, the agent called. The Beach Haven home was going to auction that night, so she asked if they'd like another look. Newly pregnant, battling morning sickness and, with Ryan tied up onset filming for Shortland Street, she viewed the house a second time, alone, still assuming it wasn't meant for them. From there, she went straight to the auction, parked herself in the corner with her phone and spent the next hour whispering in calls to her parents and hurried updates to Ryan between his scenes. When the former homeowners finally accepted their offer, she burst into tears.

“I honestly don’t know why anyone would sell this house,” she says. “It was meant to be ours.”

Built in the 1970s by an architect, the home sits on a lush 900sqm section, most of which is native bush reserve. “We have nicknamed it ‘Our tree house’, because that’s how it feels when you’re inside with that view,” she says.