Winter is officially started, so it's time to do some island dreaming. Sunshine, lapping waves, cocktails by the pool.
Sotheby's International agent Chester Rendell has just the place for you.
If the extra-ordinary Tamarind Beach Estate looks like it came from the pages of a magazine, that's because it has. The beautiful renovation of the Paradise Cove property by Iain Halliday of Burley Katon Halliday featured in Belle magazine two years ago. The architecture and decorative finishes of the main house, two guest houses, and dining nakamal (open sided bure) is as gorgeous as you'd expect from the owner of delicious Potts Points homewares store, Arida - think white, shutters, tropical wicker. Halliday and the owner's changes to the distinctive main house added porches, curved entry doors and stunning white and black decor, while the two guest cottages have been completely rebuilt. The garden was reestablished after the devastation of Cyclone Pam in 2015. Seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, 18,500 sq m of private waterfront only 12 minutes from Port Villa. Asking AU$5.3 million.
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Or if you are a little budget-stretched, LJ Hooker agent Ross Sutherland has a sweet little section above School House Bay in Kawau Island's Bon Accord Harbour. For $185,000 you can buy 1012sqm, which is ample room to build the island home of your dreams, although Sutherland advises going for a pole house towards the top of the site to maximise the views out over the harbour.
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Rakino is probably Auckland's most isolated gulf island, but that's what makes it special (and there is a decent 40 minute ferry service now from downtown). Ray White Birkenhead agent Stephen Wong, who's had a bach on the island for going on 23 years, has a sweet, well decorated bach at 51 Ocean View Crescent. The 87 sq m bach has another 45 sq m of deck, a little sleepout for the kids' bunks and 845 sq m of land filled with mature trees and shrubs. There's proper solar system, rain water tanks, a wood burner for cosy winters away. Oh, and did we mention the views? Pure Paradise.
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Head further out of the Waitemata to Great Barrier Island, where Carley Allinson and Neill Clarke of Bayleys Waiheke and Great Barrier have a starter house listed for $299,000. The agents sayit needs some work, but there's a wood burner, it's close to the waterfront for swimming, Tryphena, ferry and shopping.
