Tony nominates the site and the design of the home as his favourite features. “Just the sense of air and space. The size has been a bit of a luxury for us: just two people living in this whacking great house.”

For Rosemary, the garden has been an abiding favourite. “We have some magnificent trees: European trees, Messmate eucalypts and some Canadian maples so the garden looks very nice in autumn,” she says. A spring-fed dam has enabled her to maintain her beloved garden even through periods of little rainfall.

The property is located between Mornington Peninsula National Park and the peninsula’s rugged, beautiful southern coastline. The township of Flinders and the
Cape Schanck lighthouse are a short drive away, as are the wineries and restaurants that make the area so popular.

Rosemary says the home is neither showy nor flash, and that’s part of its charm. “It’s just grown around us and we’re very fond of it,” she says. But the couple are now in their late 70s and it’s time to move on. They are yet to decide whether to stay in the area or head to distant shores.

Flinders is 85km south of Melbourne CBD. The median house price in Mornington Shire was $605,000 in March 2016, according to Australian Property Monitors; the median in greater Melbourne was $625,000.

Address: Meakins Road, Flinders, Victoria, $5m | Agent: Prue McLaughlin, Kay & Burton. 0417 389 006

Ray Hadley isn’t shy about his humble beginnings. But the former auctioneer and Sydney cabbie, having racked up nearly 35 years in broadcasting, also knows how to enjoy the fruits of his success on his 2ha estate at Dural, in Sydney’s north-western Hills district.

The radio talkback host and rugby league commentator chose Dean Herald of award-winning Rolling Stone Landscapes to design the grounds of the property “because he’s the best”. Working with the architecture of the main house (there is also a restored Federation farmhouse on the property), Herald incorporated a swimming pool with spa, backed by an entertaining pavilion, into the rear garden.

“The land rose steeply away from the house,” says Herald. “That harshness has been disguised through the multiple layers that step down in a gentle progression.” Precision brickwork used in the garden walls echoes that of the house, while crisp hedging of Japanese box and murraya enhances the formal structure. To add texture and foliage colour, variegated mondo grass (Ophiopogon ‘Stripey White’) borders the travertine paving.

Does the formal and orderly style of the garden, I ask Hadley, match his own personality? “Nah,” he chuckles, “that’s Dean’s vision. He’s the expert so I went with him and I’m very happy with the result.”

What does get Hadley animated is the long, tree-lined driveway leading to the house. “Without doubt, it’s my favourite part. Every afternoon when I drive home, and even when I walk the garbage down on a Thursday night, I just love going along it. Coming from a Housing Commission background, it gives me a great feeling that I’ve got that 180m-long driveway and it’s so beautifully presented.” The trees are evergreen ash (Fraxinus griffithii), picked up at a wholesale nursery closing-down auction. Hadley and Herald bought the entire lot.

Hadley, 61, freely admits he’s not a gardener, but he does mow his own lawns. “It’s my therapy,” he says. “I get on the ride-on mower every Thursday afternoon after work and can knock it over in about an hour. Then I potter about, do a bit of weeding and check what needs doing to tell the guys next time they come to do the hedges.”

Queensland: Murphy Street, Port Douglas, $6.5m. With its timber decks, wet-edge pool and pitch-roofed pavilions, Kalimna, nestled on 4046sq m of tropical landscaped gardens, could pass for a stylish resort. The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home sits high on Flagstaff Hill above Four Mile Beach, with those decks showcasing beautiful Coral Sea views. Tony McGrath Real Estate, 0437 981 195.

Western Australia: Vixen Close, Eagle Bay, $2.995m. A far cry from the stereotypical beach house, this five-bedroom home on Cape Naturaliste is all about clean lines and chic interiors. It has polished concrete floors, exposed ceiling beams and folding glass walls to let the outside in. Entertaining spaces include a big veranda perfect for watching the sun rise over the water. JHY Realty, 0407 440 438.

Tasmania: Cedar Court, Sandy Bay, $2m+. Its ornamental roof and gables lend this Queen Anne Revival home in Hobart a grandeur that’s mirrored by the Cedar of Lebanon tree in the front garden. Built in 1911, the six-bedroom house on 3336sqm also has decorative ceilings and open fireplaces faithful to the period. Bluedge Property, 0418 329 796.

NSW: Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, $14m. You can taste the salt on the wind from the terraces at Lighthouse 511, a penthouse apartment with glorious views over Australia’s most famous beach. The three-bedroom, 457sqm pad brims with lights and spans two levels, with interiors by Koichi Takada, including arched windows to frame the ocean views. McGrath, 0412 959 959.

Victoria: Righetti Lane, Daylesford, $980,000. This 1884 Catholic church was closed in 1993 and fell into disrepair until resurrected by a local builder. Thanks to a two-storey timber-clad extension it’s now a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. The former nave houses the lounge and dining rooms, complete with vaulted ceilings and gothic windows. Hocking Stuart, 0439 321 566.

Send your property details and low-resolution images to homehunt@theaustralian.com.au

Is there an all-rounder book that teaches the fine art of growing plants? I’m trying to help my daughter, who has a nasty habit of killing plants. - Caroline Ross, Adelaide, SA
Sometimes the love of gardening doesn’t develop until later in life, when we have more time and less pressure. Yates Garden Guide – now in its 44th edition and with more than 7 million copies sold – is one of the best known all-rounder books. Tim Marshall’s The New Organic Gardener is also excellent.

Why do so many pruning saws cut on the pull stroke and not on the push stroke, as carpenters’ saws do? - Trevor Sauer, Mapleton, Qld
We are usually reaching up and forward when pruning tree branches, and space can be restricted. A pull stroke in these situations is stronger and requires less energy. It’s also said to give greater control over the cut and make us less likely to overbalance when on a ladder.

Which plants might discourage aphids around my roses? Or which ones encourage ladybirds, which I’m told eat aphids? - Mary Steinbacher, Bunbury, WA
Jackie French’s Guide to Companion Planting advises that few of the plants purported to repel aphids actually do so, although nasturtiums are sometimes effective. Ladybird adults and larvae devour aphids. They’re attracted by the aphids themselves and usually turn up if you don’t use pesticides, but it may not be soon enough for you. Use a hose to blast aphids off or fingers to wipe them off. Other predators include lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and small birds. Encourage beneficial insects with Queen Anne’s lace, achillea, dill and parsley flowers, alyssum, or plant Bed & Breakfast seed mix (ecoorganicgarden.com.au) for a mix of plants that attract beneficial insects.

Send questions to: helenyoungtwig@gmail.com or Helen Young, PO Box 3098, Willoughby North, NSW 2068; helenyoung.com.au. The best question for May wins a pair of Southern Cross Blue Boots, worth $198, from Steel Blue, a supporter of beyondblue.