When endurance athlete Emily Miazga moved to the West Coast to prepare for one of New Zealand’s toughest races, she never imagined the rugged region would become her permanent home.
The Canadian-born athlete first arrived in New Zealand in 2004 to compete in the Coast to Coast, the gruelling 243km multisport race that crosses the South Island by foot, bike and kayak.
She went on to win the event in 2006, 2008 and 2009, before putting down roots in Aotearoa. Along the way, she launched Em’s Power Cookies, later sold to Cookie Time, served three years as a Buller district councillor, and earned the nickname “Power Girl”.
In 2007, Miazga bought a 13ha block on the Nikau coastal ridge. Training and business commitments delayed her building plans, but by the mid-2010s she had realised her vision of a home she describes as a “glorified Doc hut”.
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Getting there was no easy feat. There was access to the site, “but it was not a good track. I couldn’t even mountain bike up it”.
The hillside was smothered in gorse and weeds, prompting a restoration project in which Miazga planted thousands of native trees and plants with the help of friend Lisa McDowell, of Cave House Native Nursery in Ngakawau.
Emily Miazga in the thick of the Coast to Coast in 2006, which she won that year as well as in 2008 and 2009. Photo / Getty Images
Miazga built her own cookie brand, Em’s Power Cookies, before selling it to Cookie Time. Photo / NZME
44 Ruru Lane boasts views of the Tasman. Photo / Supplied
Over time, however, the 13ha property became too much to manage. The land was gradually subdivided into four sections, and Miazga’s focus shifted elsewhere.
“In the beginning it was the dream home,” she told OneRoof. “But then sometimes life changes and then the dream shifts. I’m now on to another chapter of my life.
“I feel comfortable and good about selling the house [because] I am keeping that back block and it’s really important to me to be connected to the land.”
As a result, Miazga has put the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on 4.8ha at 44 Ruru Lane, Mokihinui, on the market with a price expectation of more than $1.48 million.
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The asking price places it firmly at the top end of the West Coast market. OneRoof figures show the region's average property value is just over $500,000.
The West Coast's record house sale remains $1.71m, paid in 2022 for a property on 38.3ha at Ahaura, where the substantial landholding was a major contributor to the premium price.
Property Brokers agent Jo Makutu, who is marketing the home, said buyers of high-end West Coast properties were often from outside the region, typically Auckland or Canterbury, and occasionally Australia.
“I get a few inquiries from Australia because Australians can buy New Zealand real estate. Some of them Airbnb [their properties], but the majority would be to buy for themselves, either to reside in permanently or as a holiday home. The numbers don’t stack up [on a rental],” Makutu told OneRoof.
Miazga originally owned 13ha on the Nikau coastal ridge, but has subdivided it, with the home she is now selling sitting on 4.8ha. Photo / Supplied
Miazga described the house as a “glorified Doc hut". Photo / Supplied
She said affluent buyers were often drawn to properties that combined sweeping ocean views with privacy, like the Ruru Lane holding.
“They’re just wanting to escape to a quieter area and have the seclusion for less money than they would have to pay if they bought something like that in Auckland or Canterbury. We sold a beautiful one to a doctor from up north.”
Makutu said building a luxury home on the West Coast came with unique challenges.
“We have some fantastic builders, electricians and plumbers on the West Coast. Materials are more expensive to source from Westport, and I know a lot of people sourcing materials from away, like Canterbury, where they’re cheaper.”
4/11294 State Highway, in Haast, is an off-grid coastal retreat that’s looking for a $2m buyer. Photo / Supplied
7 Ana Street, in Moana, which overlooks Lake Brunner, is listed at the upper end of the West Coast market. Photo / Supplied
Navigating planning rules can also be a hurdle. Makutu said securing approval under the Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), particularly for coastal properties, could be a lengthy process.
“If it’s a property near the sea, it can be quite tricky to get through council with the TTPP flood zone. You do have to jump through hoops to get consents and get signed off.”
As a result, many of the West Coast’s premium homes were either fully off-grid or incorporated off-grid features such as solar power and rainwater collection, she said.
Harcourts agent Terry Griffin, who is marketing a high-end off-grid retreat in Haast, said properties at this end of the market tended to be one-offs.
The three-bedroom home at 4/11294 State Highway sits on 5268sqm of beachfront land and was, in his words, “over-engineered” to withstand cyclones, earthquakes and other natural hazards. Some of the building materials were even imported from the United States.
Up for grabs for $1.395m is a four-bedroom brick home at 29 Coates Street, in Greymouth. Photo / Supplied
Woodland Glen Lodge, in Hokitika, Westland, is for sale by negotiation and has an RV of $1.26m. Photo / Supplied
Originally built in 1912, Oak Lodge, in Coal Creek, Greymouth, is for sale for $1.375m. Photo / Supplied
Griffin expects the 238sqm property to fetch about $2m.
Other standout listings include a lakefront home at 7 Ana Street, Moana, on Lake Brunner. Listing agent Deedee Daly, of Greg Daly Real Estate, said the property had been extensively renovated from top to bottom.
Meanwhile, the region’s most expensive conventional urban home on a standard residential section is 29 Coates Street, Greymouth, which Harcourts agent Kevin O’Donnell is marketing with a $1.395m price tag.
At the very top end of the market are two lodge-style properties that could also serve as private residences: Woodland Glen Lodge at 96 Hau Hau Road, Hokitika, and Oak Lodge at 286 State Highway 6, Coal Creek, near Greymouth.
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