How the other half live in Geelong

from w

We drive occasionally around the Bellarine Peninsular exploring roads we've never travelled before but we hadn't found this one. Campbell Point House as private property on Lake Connewarre isn't for the likes of us!  Once upon a time it was the place where Aboriginal tribes gathered.

Wow - how the other half can live - though now this fine 'French' chateau - is not a family home but a reception centre. Recently those cooks on TV used the location for a shoot. I noticed one sentence in the article.  "It's gated and very private'.  Hmmm.  Not that I'm jealous of such a house but it does seem excessive in this day and age.  Tell this to the renters in Corio and Whittington eh!

REVEALED: The luxury Leopold house that Masterchef was filmed in

·         MARGARET LINLEY  GEELONG ADVERTISER   JUNE 19, 2014 12:00AM

MASTERCHEF is a “well-oiled machine” according to Aaron Parkhill, who opened the doors of his multi-million dollar property in Leopold for Thursday’s episode of the program.

And as viewers of MasterChef will notice, Campbell Point House is no ordinary home.“You would be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful location anywhere in the world,” Mr Parkhill said.He estimates he has spent more than $10 million on Campbell Point House, a 150sqm French-styled chateau he designed himself and had built on 16 hectares “It’s at least that, but I really have no idea,” he said. “If I had more (money) I’d spend it.”Mr Parkhill is the nephew of Frank Lowy, of Westfield fame, a man who was last year nominated Australia’s second richest man (BRW Rich 200).He said he was happy to oblige when one of the MasterChef producers came asking for use of the property to film in March.

.“It was one of the most spectacular days here,’’ Mr Parkhill said.“They were here at 6am and set up the time lapse cameras. I can’t wait to see the show. It’s really going to highlight how beautiful this region is.”

Campbell Point House belies its youth; only six years old, it looks established and settled, as though it has been there on the edge of Lake Connewarre for much longer.

Mr Parkhill, his wife Meg Blackhall and three children were living in Sydney when he found the land on Lake Connewarre for his indulgence.“I knew I wanted to the children to go to school in Geelong and it was a big enough city,” he said. “This area here feels like a secret.”

Built as the family home, but of such grand proportions that the entire family felt itself drawn together living in the master suite, it took only three years before the family pulled the plug and left to live in a waterfront apartment in Geelong.“It didn’t work out with young children,” he said. “We needed somewhere we could all be on the same level. My wife thought it was a nightmare.”

The property has a host of features including a fully-self-contained pool house with a red cedar sauna, championship grass tennis court, private jetty, helipad.The house itself has five exceptionally large bedrooms, a huge cigar room, billiards room, enormous dining room, conservatory and a multitude of features not immediately apparent (the house crest etched into marble fireplaces, for instance)

.It’s gated and very private.

To see more of Campbell Point House, check out campbellpointhouse.com.au