October 26, 2016

It was an early concert for the brothers, Tim, Andrew and Jon who were actually living in the suburb at the time with their parents.

Former neighbours even remember them practising with the garage door open. The Farriss Brothers also included Michael Hutchence and Kirk Pengilly and would later rebrand to become INXS.

But Belrose, as well as other watering holes on the northern beaches, is where INXS cut its teeth.

The function centre is now a private home and for sale.

But even as a residence it has entertained stars with the fifth season of the television series Underbelly being shot in the house in 2012.

Owner Carolyn Lambert said actor Jonathan LaPaglia’s character stood on the balcony with his arms outstretched revelling in his success.

“We had to keep our children downstairs as some of the scenes were very MA,” Mrs Lambert said.

The sprawling estate that is now 27 Morgan Rd, Belrose was originally the Kameraigal Restaurant built in the 1960s and sold in the 1990s.

As a country retreat it had dormitory accommodation and classic bush meals such as “Wallaby Tail Soup”.

The property was remodelled into a house in 2003 and has been in the Lambert family hands for 11 years.

The six-bedroom, six-bathroom estate is on 1.62ha of land with views of both Narrabeen Lagoon and the ocean.

The Lamberts added all the resort-like extras such as the wet-edge swimming pool, a tennis court and a 400-litre aquarium.

“It’s an amazing party house,” Mrs Lambert said.

“We even had a big lunch on the lawn for the Underbelly crew with trestle tables everywhere.”

Expressions of interest close in December for the property which has a guide of $8.75 million and is being marketed by both Sydney Country Living and Belle Property Mona Vale.

Born from a storm which left the entire region desolate, it's hard to imagine the transformation experienced by this idyllic property, comprising nearly six acres of usable land. Winding down the driveway, the landscape is reminiscent of the Southern Highlands - a Bowral estate, perhaps. However this serene pocket is just 30 minutes from Sydney's CBD and only 15 minutes to the beach. Welcome to Blencathra.
Robinia and wisteria covered walkways meander through expanses of lawn, creating private lunch spots, an area to play petanque and plenty of pockets to practice chipping golf balls. Spring is in the air as the magnificent garden is in full bloom and three svelte dogs - two whippets and an Italian greyhound pup - bound around joyously.

Andy and Pam bought the barren land in Duffys Forest in 1991, after a severe storm cut a swathe through the bush from Hornsby to Barrenjoey. They originally sought acreage to enable Pam to keep horses, while being within commutable distance to the city and North Sydney for work. Beyond that, the garden was always their main focus.

"We didn't like the idea of building the house and then not having enough money to do the garden so we specifically designed the garden first," says Andy.

Their friend, Anne Burns, who had just finished a horticultural course, originally sketched out the main design and oversaw the planting and irrigation of the garden including a beautiful crab apple tree. This was later refined by Michael Cooke, a professional landscape designer.

"Michael is a genius when it comes to plants. He also uses a lot of unusual plants like the laurel hedge out the front, which is really gorgeous but usually is only used in the Southern Highlands. A few people said it wouldn't grow but it has done incredibly well,” Pam says.

Michael also helped to ensure the garden was low maintenance, relative to its grand scale and size. "We pay a garden maintenance company about a man day a week to maintain the garden, and we cut the lawns ourselves," Andy says.

The property comprises the main house, wrapped in verandahs, flowing to the spacious garden. There's also a garage, granny flat and a large swimming pool and spa. The surrounding gardens have created an exquisite sanctuary for Andy and Pam, as well as birds and native wildlife.

While Andy spent a lot of his youth climbing the mountain Blencathra in the Lake District of England, the word is also Celtic for Saddleback, befitting Pam's passion for horses. The equestrian features of the property includes a timber stable block, a shed for the horse truck, nine horse paddocks with shelters in each, a large sand dressage arena and a jumping paddock. Pam competes in eventing, showjumping and dressage, and rides her horses on the property six days a week. If nothing else, this demonstrates the freedom Andy and Pam feel within their own property, which has far exceeded their primary expectations as a place for horses.

"We are a decent nine iron away from the nearest neighbours, so there's a great feeling of space and privacy. We get sun all day and wonderful air, as we effectively live in the national park. All that and only 30km from our front gate to the middle of the Harbour Bridge," Andy says.

Now both retired from full time work, Andy and Pam relish their time enjoying the finer things in life. As well as walking the dogs through the stunning gardens twice a day, Andy plays golf around the corner at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club and down the road at Elanora Country Club.

"There's something about being on the land that keeps you young and it's a privilege to care for such a gorgeous property," Pam says.

Tucked well away from any main roads, ‘Highgrove’ lies within the heart of Terrey Hills, less than 35 minutes from Sydney’s CBD yet a world apart. Home for over 30 years, the northern part of Warringah Shire, Terrey Hills is fast becoming a suburb that many residents in the North Shore are now hearing about. The perfect combination of proximity to the city, top-notch private and public schools plus perhaps the lowest residential density per acre in Sydney has made it a very attractive alternative to those longing for a more tranquil, rural environment within easy reach of the city and beaches.

Originally from a waterfront home in Mosman and a graduate of Scots College, Jock’s determination to spend every waking moment around horses saw him gravitate to the area in his teens. In 1987 fortune smiled upon him in the form of Penny Caspar, a dressage competitor whom he met at a party at the very same property where they now live. 27 years later, Jock and Penny, their kids Steph and Riley and Penny’s parents, Dennis and Andrea have created a premier stable that trains, boards and breeds; in the process, they have enabled their kids to become fully immersed in a rural lifestyle, with each one developing into championship riders in the ultra-competitive show jumping circuit.

Now 18 and studying for her HSC, Steph is taking a short break from the daily rhythms and routines that have shaped her life since she was small. She is typically up with the first light, exercising the horses before breaking off for a full day at Northern Beaches Christian School and then back at it again until dark. The deep sense of responsibility she feels towards ‘Team MacKillop’ as the family enterprise is known, is remarkable and has given her a focus and discipline that’s quite unique for her age. Steph is expecting to study Animal & Veterinary Bio Science at Sydney University next season, reckoning that as a researcher, she will be able to continue her jumping career anywhere in the world.

Riley, at 16, shoulders the same responsibilities as his sister and has had tremendous national and international success, winning the coveted World Championship FEI in Bogota Colombia in 2012-2013. Making that win all the sweeter was the fact that he was on a borrowed horse – one, that by the rules, he was only able to ride for half an hour prior to the competition. Jock’s view of his children’s achievements is pretty straightforward, “the kids had to work for everything – nothing was given to them; the fact is that either can take a mediocre horse and make it a champion – that’s the real test of expert horsemanship. ”

Weekends are spent at various competitions up and down the east coast from Melbourne to Queensland; an integral part of ‘Team MacKillop’ are the half dozen people who take over the daily responsibilities when the family is on the road, along with Penny’s parents, who own the property and built the original home there. One of the biggest draw cards for the family is the opportunity for three generations to work and live together, a rarity in this day and age. Terrey Hills and Oxford Falls still offer that possibility, harking back to a time when life was just a bit less frenetic and the summers seemed endless and full of fun.

Everything leads back to my Italian roots, whether I’m creating formal European gardens or hosting big family feasts. Italians really know how to live. Younger people usually prefer to buy things from the deli but we find it’s more special if we do it ourselves. We make our produce without preservatives, using old fashioned machines and big open bon fires that really bring out the smoky flavours in our food.

Today we generate about 6-700 litres of wine and 200 kilos of salami per year. Our wine is a lovely drop. Restaurateurs often approach me for it but I prefer to keep it for friends. Besides, by the time we’ve shared it around there’s not much left.

My plans for the future are simple. Maybe I’ll put in some more grape vines but frankly, I’ll just be happy gathering people together to enjoy our tasty food. Ingleside is a beautiful part of the world. We’re very lucky to live here.

Local resident Michael Andrews built a brand new home on acreage in Duffys Forest four years ago, to take advantage of casual dreamy lifestyle and proximity to beaches and work. “I work in the city 5 days a week and my wife in Crows Nest. The trip for me only takes about 30 minutes and even less for Louise. On the weekends the family can be in the water at Newport or Mona Vale Beach within 15 minutes of jumping in the car”.

There’s six schools to choose from in Terrey Hills and a gorgeous village shopping centre with all the necessities including boutique coffee shops and restaurants, and Michael adds “If you go to the The Hills Flower Market, you can not only gather your gardening supplies, there’s also everything from a gym and yoga studio to a ritzy coffee shop that will rival the best in the city, and a sit down mower shop“. A sit down mower shop you say, did you buy one?” “Yes, and a tractor as well.”

Estates with superb equine facilities and resort-like gardens with tennis courts and pools are in abundance, and the surrounding Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park provides secluded designated riding trails and some of Sydney’s most picturesque walking tracks where you can lose or find yourself.

When asked what really makes the area tick, Michael concludes “It’s a casual yet affluent community, and every weekend there’s something to do. If we’re not at the beach, I’ll always end up at the village or a café at some stage, ride my mountain bike around the bush trails with my mates, or hit the local restaurants at night, which I might add are excellent and offer great diversity. But for me, it’s the perfect place to completely relax and unwind on the weekends, where we can live in complete silence with no city hum, a place where kangaroos graze in the garden and people still ride horses on the streets”. And if you’ve ever dreamed of owning a sit down mower or tractor, here’s your chance.