Mark Leishman, the (human) star of the 1990s TV hit Tux Wonder Dogs, has a treat for buyers: his country home is up for grabs.
Leishman, whose Saturday evening canine show was more popular than Oprah and Mr Bean, is selling the 1.1ha lifestyle spread he bought with wife and Tux producer Jo Raymond just after Covid broke out.
Their decision to sell is tinged with sadness as it follows the deaths of their beloved Labradors, Mickey and Buddy, last year.
“It’s the end of quite an era really. I’ve had dogs for 42 years. There was never a day where we didn’t have a dog in the house,” Leishman told OneRoof.
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The couple had welcomed Mickey and Buddy into their lives after losing Tux’s real star, Dexter, to the great kennel in the sky in 2000.
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Dexter’s death had a huge impact on Kiwi lives, with thousands attending a memorial service for the popular Labrador and his passing was covered by the TV news.
Leishman told OneRoof that Mickey and Buddy loved wandering around the lifestyle block and surrounding countryside in their final years. “They live in the park permanently now,” he said.
Leishman and Raymond said they had shifted to Matakana, on Auckland’s northern fringes, because they were looking for something new in their lives.
“We decided that we wanted to change and four years ago, we discovered this particular property which is very special,” Leishman said. “We weren’t regular Matakana visitors back when we first got here. It was the windy roads and wasn’t that flash.”
Mark and Jo with their dog Mickey just before he passed last year. Photo / Supplied
The family's favourite space is the huge party room, created from an enclosed deck to be a year-round space. Photo / Supplied
Buddy and Mickey at the Mark and Jo's Matakana spread. Photo / Supplied
The property is exactly midway between Warkworth and Matakana, and a short drive to the beaches of Omaha and Tāwharanui.
Raymond said the family knew the area because when their children were small (Paddy is now 30, Molly 26 and Rosie 21), the family spent a lot of time at Kawau Island, as Leishman was a bit of a boatie.
She said the property was opposite the Ascension Wine Estate and surrounded by a “beautiful forest”.
“It reminds me of Europe,” she told OneRoof. “And it is a bit different as most people come up here to look at the beaches.”
Nearly a third of the property is in bush, with tracks down to a stream and a 180-year-old kauri tree, which the couple call their “true north”.
“Living beside a forest grows on you and nothing else sort of matters,” Raymond said. “You do feel you are just a caretaker, and you want to share it.”
The kitchen was installed by the previous owners. Photo / Supplied
The huge lawn - a favourite feature for keen lawn mower Mark Leishman - hosted huge family gatherings and is surrounded by bush. Photo / Supplied
The fourth bedroom, which is in a separate building beside the house, helped entice grown kids home for extended stays. Photo / Supplied
Leishman and Raymond said the four-bedroom house had been a great family home. The most popular space during the family’s four years has been the “party room”, which Leishman and Raymond created from the covered deck area built by the previous owners. The couple added windows around the fireplace hearth and installed weather-proof pull-down sides, the perfect space for entertaining.
That space and the separate bedroom away from the main house were probably why the kids, who are now scattered around the world, kept returning for extended periods.
Leishman said: “They loved that about this property when we moved. They are musicians and love a good party. They did say, ‘Man, this would be the best place in the world for parties and fun’, and that was the understatement of the year because it really did turn out to be that.”
The house has hosted big crowds, including 130 guests for a nephew’s wedding and Rosie’s 21st birthday. People can camp on the lawn – Leishman’s pride and joy that he mows with a ride-on mower dubbed, of all things, Big Dog. “We’ve had cricket matches, golf on the lawn and croquet,” he said.
Raymond added: “It’s not an Omaha house, you know. It feels like a family home. It’s cosy, welcoming and easy to keep. It’ll be super-hard to leave for all those reasons.”
Bayleys agent Kellie Bissett, who is marketing the property by way of price by negotiation, agreed the house was special.
“It is a wonderful base for an active family. Cricket, golf, pool or tennis court or a great work-from-home base. I’d say to buyers ‘get in quick’.”
- 7 Rosemount Road, Matakana, is for sale by way of price by negotiation
