T H E L I T T L E N AT I O N A L P O S T PAG E
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THE PIER - NEW APARTMENT LIVING Forget weekend lawn-mowing and home maintenance, Chris Farrington and Nicole Coombe are living the good life in an exclusive plot of the Kingston Foreshore. They tell us how The Pier allows them to soak up nature from their front deck yet experience Canberra's cafe culture just a few steps behind their dream apartment. Words by Emma Macdonald ⋅ Photography by Brenton Colley, Lightbulb Studio
Nicole Coombe and Chris Farrington had something of an unfair advantage when it came to securing their first property together. As a Development Manager for Doma Group, Chris helped bring The Pier to life – a Redgen Mathieson-designed waterfront apartment complex at the Kingston Foreshore.
As Chris liaised with the builders, architects, engineers and real estate agents to ready the project for market, he and Nicole got a first-hand glimpse at the location, floor-plans and fit-out designs. So the week the development did hit the market, Chris and Nicole knew exactly what they wanted and snapped up a second floor, one-bedroom apartment overlooking Jerrabomberra Wetlands. The couple recently moved in and are still pinching themselves every morning when they wake up to a sunrise over the water. “Honestly, some mornings it is like waking up in the country, only we are just metres away from some of the best cafes and restaurants in Canberra,” says Chris. He and Nicole, like many others, were keen to secure a valuable slice of the Kingston Foreshore and to soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of one of the most vibrant entertainment precincts in Canberra. Conversely, Nicole’s mother has recently downsized from the family home to move into her own unit, which, by happy circumstance, is close to her daughter. The couple joke that not only do they love spending time with Nicole’s mum, but that
they now have access to a “second pantry” just a stone’s throw away. “I think every unit offers every buyer something special, it just depends on what you’re looking for. For Nicole and I it was all about the view and lifestyle. We love the proximity of Kingston and everything the area has to offer,” says Chris. Being close to water is important for the keen surfer, who is originally from Palm Beach on the Gold Coast and who had to downsize his collection of surfboards when it came time to move in. “I used to spend every day at the beach so for me the lake is the closest thing we have to a beach. Sometimes when you go to bed on a windy night you can hear the small waves breaking on the lake wall, it reminds me of the beach. It is so calming.” As a young and frenetically busy couple – Nicole teaches Year 3 at Radford College Chris and Nicole loved the idea of spending their time enjoying life rather than attending to maintenance on a house and yard, as is often the case with home-owners. But apartment living does require a little more discipline when it comes to acquiring possessions.
According to Nicole “the move motivated us to declutter our lives. Chris struggled more than he should have. He has too many surfboards and way too many tee-shirts.” The upside to a compact living space is that there is far less legwork required to keeping it looking great. “It’s a very quick clean, we can pretty much vacuum the entire apartment on one power point,” says Nicole with a laugh. A large 25-metre square balcony lends airiness and space to the living areas and the views straight onto the water provide a disconnect with the crowds and action taking place just behind them on the main restaurant strip of Eastlake Parade. This proximity to some of Canberra’s most exciting food can also be both positive and negative. “There are too many great restaurants and bars within walking distance and our waistlines are suffering,” says Nicole. But Chris counters there are no excuses for a lack of exercise. Not only does The Pier have its own gym for all residents to use, but the complex is located within a network of landscaped parks, walking paths and within easy distance of Lake Burley Griffin, Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Telopea Park.