- John and Jo Gow are selling their 12ha Waiheke Island land, home to hundreds of kauri trees.
- The Gows plan to use the sale proceeds to fund their arts charities.
- The property, valued at $1.725m, is described as raw and untouched by agent Matthew Smith.
Two of New Zealand’s leading philanthropists, John and Jo Gow, are selling a multimillion-dollar chunk of land on Waiheke Island.
Start your property search
The Gows’ 12-hectare plot of land at 143 Cowes Bay Road is home to hundreds of kauri trees, one of which is more than 500 years old, and is next door to a waterfront lifestyle plot they sold last year for $18 million.
The Gows bought both properties more than 30 years ago. At 142 Cowes Bay Road they built a cluster of high-end cottages and established the globally renowned Connells Bay Sculpture Park. However, they left 143 Cowes Bay Road alone, believing themselves to be mere kaitiaki (guardians), rather than owners.
The land is home to a rare stand of kauri, including one estimated to be more than 500 years old. Photo / Supplied
The couple, who are in their mid- and late-70s, have moved to the mainland to be closer to their family and are selling their last piece of Waiheke to “tidy up” affairs.
The property is still a source of wonder for the couple. “Why these kauri trees were left mystifies me. [Loggers] stripped the island many years ago and dragged the trees down the coast and out. Why did they leave these ones?” John told OneRoof.
He said their philanthropy wouldn’t end with the sale of 143 Cowes Bay Road, and that they planned to channel the money from the sale to their arts charities.
Discover more:
- Radio star on the highs and lows of her six-year renovation challenge
- Kiwi real estate agent rubbing shoulders with Dubai's super-rich
- Builder's off-grid escape: 'Enough of the banks, enough of the insurance'
“Our focus for a long time has been collecting art and funding and assisting artists or art organisations. I think we would find it easier to pass this property on to somebody else and use the funds to foster our arts philanthropy,” John said.
He hoped the next owners would show the same respect and care as they have. “You’re not having to pay coastal prices, and it’s a substantial piece of land with a beautiful kauri forest on it,” he said.
The property has an RV of $1.725m, and Ray White listing agent Matthew Smith said the couple were realistic about price, and wanted to sell.
“It’s a completely different sort of buyer from the other side of the island. It’s not part of a gated estate. It’s raw and untouched - you have no neighbours around you.”
Jo and John Gow are using the funds from the sale of 143 Cowes Bay Road to fund their arts philanthropy. Photo / Bradley Ambrose
The Gows sold their waterfront estate at 142 Cowes Bay Road last year for more than $18m. Photo / Supplied
Smith said the land was special and that in his 30 years on the island, he had never seen such an unspoilt tranche of forest. “You don’t find anything with this many kauri trees, massive trees, it’s just unheard of. It’s never been built up and it can’t ever be built up,” he said.
“It’s got a really lovely view over the water, and it is set back from the road to give you privacy and elevation.”
For a small island, Waiheke has attracted a good number of philanthropists over the years. Just after Covid struck, Mainfreight founder Bruce Plested spent $72m for a 300ha farm with over 5km of private coastline, to protect it from development. He has also spent years overseeing the restoration of native bush on his property at Pie Melon Bay.
Last year, the widow of celebrated environmentalist Sir Rob Fenwick sold a 167ha chunk of the couple’s Te Mataku Peninsula property to a private family who wanted to pick up their mantle as guardians of the land. Most of the property is in restored bush, and kiwi have just been reintroduced.
The biggest landholder on the island is the Spencer family, who own huge tracts of land around their winery restaurant at Man O’War Bay, as well as Stony Batter and Huruhe Station. Local iwi under the Ngati Paoa trust board own a nearly 1000 block of land formerly known as Waiheke Station, while rich-lister Graham Hart has a 43ha holding.
Smith said in his marketing for 143 Cowes Bay Road that the accessibility of the property was what made it so special.
“You might find other sites, but guess what - you can’t have them. You can have this. It’s never been built up and it can’t ever be built up,” he said.
- 143 Cowes Bay Road, Waiheke Island, is for sale, tender closing May 15
