- A two-bedroom bach on Great Barrier Island sold for over $2 million to travelling Kiwis.
- Interest in the island's properties is rising, with Australian buyers showing interest in several listings.
- The island attracts outdoorsy people, but its remote location can deter potential buyers.
The recent sale of a two-bedroom bach on Great Barrier Island could be a sign of good times to come in the holiday spot.
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Agents with listings on the island told OneRoof that the housing market had started to show signs of life after a long winter, with overseas enquiries picking up. They said there were good listings for buyers to view, and prices were well below the likes of Omaha.
Barfoot & Thompson listing agent Nadja Court told OneRoof she had sold a beach home on Sandhills Road for just over $2 million to travelling Kiwis who had first viewed it in January.
Court, who has a bach on the island, said the architecturally designed property was in an amazing position on Medlands Beach, and she had pitched it to buyers as a rare opportunity on the island’s “untamed coast".
“There are homes and then there are sanctuaries,” she wrote in her listing, saying the beachfront property belonged to the latter.
a two-bedroom bach on Sandhills Road, at Medlands Beach, recently sold for just over $2m. Photo / Supplied
The beaches on Great Barrier Island are a big drawcard for visitors and buyers. Photo / Aucklandnz
“Set amidst raw, untouched beauty, with sweeping views over golden dunes and the wild curve of the beach, this home is more than a place to live. It’s a way of life.”
She told OneRoof his week: “The interior may be a little bit dated, but the house is beautiful and solid. It's designed like the hull of a boat. It's super cool.”
Court said enquiries on the island had picked up in recent weeks, with Australian buyers expressing an interest in some of her other listings, including a five-bedroom retreat for sale for $1.3m at 1 Rosalie Bay and two neighbouring waterfront properties on Shoal Bay Road for sale for $1.695m.
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Quite a few Australians own property on the island and fly over to spend time there, she said.
“Great Barrier seems to attract people from Wanaka, Queenstown, and Australia. A lot of people who live in those rural areas and are outdoorsy tend to love the Barrier. If you like hiking, fishing, and cycling, it's fantastic .”
Also on the market on the island is a striking black bach designed by award-winning architects Fearon Hay.
Dubbed Storm Cottage, the two-bedroom holiday home at 75 Greenside Road, near Medlands Beach, had attracted a lot of interest since hitting the market, said listing agent Ollie Wall, and had a price indication of around $4m.
Storm Cottage was designed by Fearon Hay. Photo / Supplied
Tim Hay, of Fearon Hay architects, was one of the owners and had designed it as a retreat for his family. It had solar and water systems and a beautiful view, said Wall.
“A really simple but beautiful house. Two bedrooms and the living room. There's further room to build more but that's all they wanted. A bit of a retreat and a beautiful spot.”
He added that the bach had a beach view, a rarity in that spot. "Most of the houses sit behind the dunes, so you don't actually see the water at all.”
Wall said Great Barrier was “everyone’s dream”, but the logistics of getting there - it's 4.5 hours from Auckland by boat and around 30 minutes by helicopter - tend to put buyers off.
“Visitors think they are definitely going to get a house there, and then they leave and go, ‘Oh, it's a bit too tough, maybe we'll go to Omaha.' But for the price of a house on the beach at Omaha, you could have this house and a helicopter.”
Storm Cottage, he said, had resource consent for heli landings.
- Click here to find more properties for sale on Great Barrier Island
