Oh island in the sun

There’s something about escaping to an island on the weekend, in the summer holidays, or longer term, that appeals to us all, and Aucklanders are lucky enough to have a number of islands to choose from.

People who know Waiheke Island well have their favourite spots there - Oneroa and Onetangi are the best known beaches, while Palm Beach and Omiha are other favourites.

Each of these desirable locations have their own personality and character so it’s good to spend time in all of them to decide which one suits you best.

A stylish Shane George designed kitchen is all about entertaining and bringing people together, and if you can’t be bothered going to the beach, this home has a private pool to cool down in.

When you have a house on Waiheke Island, you can guarantee having plenty of visitors. For the hosts of this Palm Beach property, they have their own retreat, a bedroom suite including a luxurious ensuite, and a dedicated office. Guests and family meanwhile, will have the choice of two bedrooms downstairs and a rumpus room which has more foldaway beds.

And although 41E Tiri View Road is nestled up in the trees overlooking Palm Beach, the home has easy access via a shared concrete driveway - with parking for four cars, or three and a trailer boat.

This island home is softly on the market at the moment with price expectations from $4.5 million, says Matthew. A full marketing campaign is ready to launch in the New Year so canny buyers should get in while things are quiet, he says.

Some people who came to view the house recently, travelled by boat from Greenhithe to the bay, where he met them and they made the five minute stroll up to the house together.

The asking price on this special home is $1.675 million and the agent says this versatile home is appealing to a wide range of buyers from corporate couples seeking some peace and privacy, to families and active older buyers wanting a holiday home.

“It’s suited to somebody who wants to own something absolutely beautiful and doesn’t want to do any work, it’s completely turnkey,” says the agent. And the owners will sell it with the furniture, he adds.

A lot of excitement has been swirling around a luxury property estate on Waiheke in Oakura Bay over the past couple of weeks, with Hollywood allegedly interested, according to one news report.

The 4.9 hectare property which includes a 20th century kauri villa, and two private islands you can walk to at low tide, came to the market on November 21, and Paterson Luxury agent Caleb Paterson says the estate will sell by negotiation.

Buyers of this property may wish to explore the possibility of building on the elevated section of the land, says the agent.

“There is a raised area that offers an appealing outlook and could, subject to all necessary council consents and due diligence, provide a site for a future home,” says Caleb. This would allow the new owner to retain the villa as a guest house if they chose.

New owners may wish to go through the process to reinstate a private mooring, a boat jetty and a boat shed, he adds.

The estate also includes award- winning vines which makes sense when you learn the property was owned by the Rothschild family for decades and then passed on to other owners.

Due to the sensitive land classification relating to the riparian and waterfront aspects of the property, the opportunity is limited to eligible purchasers under current legislation, says the agent.

This includes New Zealand citizens and residents, many of whom may be based overseas, as well as Australian and Singaporean citizens who have automatic eligibility under the existing trade agreements.

“Most of the enquiry to date has come from high net worth families in Auckland, along with strong interest from expatriate New Zealanders living in Australia and the United States,” says Caleb.

Several parties are already familiar with the property, having stayed on the estate previously, he adds.

“My gut feeling is it’ll be one of the premier sales on the island over the last few years.”