One of the four owners of this paradise hideaway at 191B Pacific Ocean on Slipper Island, Tairua says that one of the group saw this unique site for sale as he was passing by on a boat and once back on dry land, he called three friends and after a brief meeting they decided to take the plunge.
“We were lucky because between us we had relevant skills,” he recalls.
“One of us had a construction company and he put together the prefab home we’d decided upon, while another chap was a landscape gardener who did a great job.”
This particular owner says he took his part in the process as a site coordinator.
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“All the materials had to be barged out so there was quite a lot of work in making sure everything happened when it was supposed to.”
He says that a large part of the property’s appeal lies in its remote location.
“We’re completely off-grid and I think that was a good learning experience for our children, when they were teenagers, having no flushing toilets and relying on solar for power.”
The house itself is simple and easy-care, with loads of windows, extensive decking and a neat, functional kitchen and bathroom. It has two bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s perched on an elevated ridge with fantastic views of the surrounding water and back towards Tairua and Pauanui.
It’s long and narrow, with two beach frontages and the landscaper carefully created numerous campsites around the property, which can get very full in summer with escapees from the mainland.
Needless to say, the property is perfectly private with no neighbours anywhere nearby.
The site is actually one of 11 which were subdivided by the family, who originally owned the whole island, sometime in the 1990s.
Pip White of Harcourts Tairua, who is marketing the property with husband Tony, says that the property has essentially been a fishing lodge.
“There are snapper, kingfish and marlin, with plenty of paua and crayfish too.”
The owner we spoke to says that his children loved to fish and snorkel in the safe waters of the bay.
The property is made for quiet conversation with a firepit to gather around at night and no technology to shatter the silence, which is broken only by waves lapping on the shore.
The garage is an ideal place for storing fishing gear and the tractor and there’s also a workshop.
“Things have always worked out well and we’ve each had our turn here on a rotation basis, especially around New Year, as you would imagine.
“I think what I would miss most is the sense of being absolutely and utterly relaxed and on a beautiful day it feels as if you can see forever.”
191B Pacific Ocean on Slipper Island goes to auction on June 12.
