222 River Road

Lower Portland NSW 2756

The Property
*4.285 ha. (10 acres) Absolute waterfront on the Hawkesbury River.
Sydney side of river.
*106 metres of flood free riverfront. Elevated position with extensive
river views. Two, all weather entrances from River Road.
*Three bedrooms, two bathroom home over two floors. 8 years old.
*Garaging for two cars.
*Designed by Sydney architect Steven Kennessy.
*Bushland setting with complete privacy from the road.
*Kitchen garden. Large pond complete with frogs.
*15,000 litre rainwater tank (approx)
*Sydney sandstone landscape.
*Walk in Pantry. Large workshop cum games room. 3 phase power.
*Walk in lockable tool room.
*Buried power and telephone lines.
*Two telephone lines, one with ADSL Internet connection and fax.
*Wired television reception to the home entertainment room.
*Baulkham Hills Shire. Rates - $908. Rubbish collection once a week
from front gate. Recycled waste, every second week.
*Irrigation licence. Pumping rights - 3 megalitres.
Description
Designed by Sydney architect Steven Kennessy, the home consists of three bedrooms and two bathrooms with a combined open plan kitchen, dining and sitting room. The house is over two floors, connected by a hardwood staircase. There is a central atrium and the staircase and upper level are defined by stainless steel balustrading with jarrah hand railing. Large studio space could become a games room.
The house is constructed of Hebel brick providing excellent insulation. There is a 10 mm layer of concrete render on the outside (cost $20,000) with the proper expansion joints and finishing. This layer adds to the insulation of the house, making it very cool in the summer. The house is designed with natural ventilation in mind. The superstructure is all steel with a colourbond roof. From this superstructure steel straps run down and are riveted onto the walls, making the whole thing a solid, cyclone proof construction. The solid Hebel bricks, and steel construction, provide protection against termites. Inside, the house is finished to the highest standard and the ceiling cavity is filled with insulation batts. Both the interior and exterior colours were chosen by a professional designer.
The house is perched on high cliffs looking down onto the Hawkesbury River making it entirely flood free. A 3.6 metre wide terrace runs the length of the house facing the river. Along the cliffs there are some major caves. The rock formations give a beautiful undulating pattern to the land and the plant material is typical of the Hawkesbury sandstone region. In winter the land is covered with the gold of the blooming wattle then in spring it is the white snowstorm of the tea trees in flower. Grass trees and native orchids make up some of the other vegetation.
A pond, lined with thick rubber, has been put in to catch some of the run-off. This has been intentionally populated with native frogs to provide a beautiful chorus at night. The pond is surrounded by all types of plants including papyrus and native hibiscus. The water lily provides the focal point, flowering all through the summer.
There is a second entrance to the lower part of the land where it would be possible to construct a slipway to launch a boat. Other than that there are boat-launching facilities not far away in the valley (Dargle). The property comes with an irrigation license. The house is hidden from the road with an all weather driveway.
This property is a haven of tranquility and privacy, close to the city, and the Macquarie towns of Windsor and Richmond. There are bountiful harvests of local produce to tap into and it is just a short drive from all the wonders of the Blue Mountains.