THE sunroof was open to spring sunshine, the wind tugged gently at my hair, and I was feeling very Audrey Hepburn as we pulled up at this chic beachside apartment.

If you can, step elegantly from a tiny smart car as I did, into the waiting lift to be whisked aloft.

Cary Grant in my fantasy was real estate agent Frank Sander, who loves to show off his Kermit-the-frog green micro-car to impressionable young women, or, in this case unyoung journalists.

The view as you step into this two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment fitted my fantasy lifestyle, sweeping across a swathe of natural bush to the ocean, where small boats play and a container ship sails majestically south.

“I call this the three islands view,” Frank says. “You can see Rottnest, Carnac and Garden Islands.”

You can also see down to Henderson and up to Fremantle port and the Maritime Museum, all back-lit by the sparkling Indian Ocean.

Floor-to-ceiling triple-slider doors in the open-plan kitchen/living/dining area peel right back to open the area up to sea breezes.

Elegant entertaining is ensured with a huge balcony for candlelight dinners, or slide back the doors and there’s room to throw a swinging party.

Of course it could simply host an enjoyable breakfast for two, or be somewhere to sip something long and cold as you watch the sun set.

This kitchen is sure to inspire something more challenging than humble scrambled eggs, with plenty of stone benchtops, including an island bench from which you can watch the islands outside.

Soft-closing drawers and cupboards abound and a twin pull-out pantry and twin spice drawers next to the stove, ensure cooking is made easy.

The bedrooms flank the living area and also open to the balcony, which means you get those great views even in bed. In the movies you’d no doubt be laying there, smoking a post-coital cigarette. These days we suggest you take it outside—the cigarette, not the coitus!

I could easily hang my entire wardrobe in the main bedroom’s huge built-in robes with space to spare. And the shower in the stylish ensuite is large enough for two to tango.

For those who retain an irrational but ever-present fear about sharks in the sea, there’s a pool on the ground floor. Or, you can wander across the road to take a dip in the turquoise ocean and take your chances.

There’s no shortage of cafes and restaurants within walking distance, which means the car, no matter how impressive it is, will spend a lot of time in a secure, undercover double bay.

by JENNY D’ANGER

5/9 O’Connor Close, North Coogee
$950,000
Frank Sander 0411 123 477
Smartchoice Realty 9430 9438