- Waiheke Island features unique properties, including a waterfront caravan in Pearl Bay.
- A two-bedroom cottage on a huge section in Oneroa could be an ideal Airbnb.
- A quirky concrete dome home in Onetangi is gaining interest for its Mediterranean-inspired design.
Waiheke Island has become known for an influx of wealthy Kiwis building seaside mansions and modernising little baches into big holiday homes, but there are still weird and wonderful properties to be found.
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One such gem on the Hauraki Gulf island, about 40 minutes by ferry from Auckland, is a waterfront caravan and section for sale in Pearl Bay, close to Orapiu, at the eastern end of the island.
Ray White listing agent Shelly Dewar said the same family had owned the section at 117 Hunterville Road since 1991. “It’s down in Pearl Bay, which is quite a spectacular part of the island that not a lot of people would know about.”
She said the owners weren’t getting to the island as much as they used to, so they were selling up. “The kids have grown up, and I guess it’s just one of those things. When you don’t use it, it might as well be passed on to someone else who will make good use of it.”
The property, which is on for $799,000, does not have road access, so having a boat would come in handy. “I guess really the jewel in this crown is the fact that you can just have a boat and drive right up to your section because there’s a boat ramp two sections down.”
The Pearl Bay property has no road access, so having a boat would come in handy. Photo / Supplied
A cute blue cottage at 235 Oceanview Road, in Oneroa, is being pitched as a colourful Airbnb. Photo / Supplied
An easement could be purchased, Dewar said, and, with consents, a house could be built on the section: “We were thinking you could quite possibly do a prefabricated home and barge it to the site.”
Back in the central part of the island, a little blue cottage tucked away up a bush-clad path over a footbridge is also on the market.
The two-bedroom 60sqm home at 235 Ocean View Road, in sought-after Oneroa, sits on 3488sqm of land and has an RV of $840,000.
Harcourts listing agent Karen McMahon said the house dated from the 1980s and featured hardy plan weatherboard composite, adding that the bright colours and its proximity to Oneroa village would make it a great Airbnb or romantic getaway.
“Most properties sell for a premium in the Oneroa area, and that’s part of the charm.”
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She warned against using the RV as a price guide, saying the council valuations didn’t reflect what properties on the island were worth. “It’s a very good address, beautiful colour and finish and nice French doors that open up.”
Over in Onetangi, Brad and Tobias Roebuck-Ward, of Waiheke Homes, have a quirky, solid concrete dome home for sale at 498 Sea View Road.
Brad said there were a few quirky properties still to be found on the island, but this was one of the coolest, and it was getting a lot of interest.
He thinks the Mediterranean-inspired home, which is configured as a series of interconnected living zones, was built around the mid-1980s. “I think the property was a bit of a party house because the acoustics in there are super cool.”
Various owners had used it at times as rental accommodation, he said. “It’s a nice, beautiful flat piece of land, and you’re only a few minutes down to the water at Onetangi Beach as well,” he said.
A quirky Mediterranean-inspired dome home at 498 Sea View Road, in Onetangi, is attracting a lot of interest from buyers wanting something out-of-the-box. Photo / Supplied
A three-bedroom, two-bathroom architectural creation with interesting slopes and angles at 61 Victoria Road South, in Onetangi, goes to auction next month. Photo / Supplied
“The owners, current ones and previous ones, have tried to make it quite quirky and the proper little holiday destination, which I think they have succeeded with.”
Francine Sweet and Chris Jones, from New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, are marketing a three-bedroom architecturally-designed property in neighbouring Victoria Road South.
Their listing described the property as “modernism on the north-western slopes”.
“When our sellers walked into this one-off architectural creation in 2016, they were not even slightly confused; they knew they would buy it,” said the listing.
“Was it the triumvirate of prime north-west valley position, the water view shaft across verdant bush and the restrained modernism of Taggart’s design that grabbed them?
“Privacy, nature and a ten-minute stroll to the beach are all undeniable benefits, but the heroic grand open-plan dining and living mezzanine will delight, as will the flow from all rooms onto a medley of private decks.”
The home has a gallery-like kitchen, new bathrooms, and a garage with internal access.
- Click here to find more properties for sale on Waiheke Island
