Media power couple turned Northland grocers Dallas and Donna Gurney have sold their multi-million-dollar home, OneRoof can reveal.
The pair bought the converted Presbyterian church on Clarks Lane, in Hobsonville, Auckland, for just over $2 million in 2020 but decided to sell up and head north after a tumultuous year.
The stunning two-bedroom home, which had already undergone extensive renovation work when they picked it up, sold in September after more than two months on the market.
It had been listed with an asking price of $2.095m, but OneRoof understands it sold for just under that.
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The Gurneys, who have held senior positions in NZ’s biggest media companies over the last decade, are now running a general store and café in Whananāki, a beachside town 45 minutes north of Whangarei.
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Both have described themselves as “Grocers at Large”, a cheeky spin on the “Editor at Large” title that senior journalists are often given when they step away from day-to-day grind.
Dallas hit the headlines earlier this year when he stood down as chief of Today FM just days before the talkback radio station he launched in March 2022 was sensationally taken off air and axed by its owners, MediaWorks.
Gurney, who was previously general manager of Newstalk ZB, had intended to shake up the news and radio sector with Today FM and had hired broadcasting big guns Tova O’Brien, Duncan Garner and Rachel Smalley as hosts.
Grocers at large: Dallas and Donna Gurney have settled into their new life running the Whananāki General Store. Photo / Linkedin
But with the painful episode now behind him, Gurney and wife Donna, who recently quit as senior director of ad sales at Warner Bros Discovery, are enjoying their new life.
Last month, Donna posted on social media, after her farewell at Warner Bros Discovery: “Well, that is a wrap, it’s time to change my job title to Small Business Owner or Shop Keeper or Proprietor or something, I’ll work it out.
“I cannot wait to start our new adventure in Whananāki. There are so many incredible people in the media and advertising industry. Thank you to those who have opened their hearts and stepped over the corporate line into genuine friendship, will be seeing you sometime in Whananāki.”
The pair bought the Whananāki General Store for $1m in June. The move is an emotional one for Dallas, whose 94-year-old grandfather still lives there.
The former church on Clarks Lane was bought by the Gurneys in 2020 for just over $2m. Photo / Supplied
When their converted church hit the market in July, Donna told OneRoof that the home had been a welcome retreat for both her and Dallas. She admitted she stumbled onto the property by chance.
“We weren’t actually looking, I was just browsing. I went and looked at it on my own and just about cried when I walked into it,” she said.
“It took my breath away. Then I wrangled my husband at the auction.”
Bayleys agent Kirsten Bishop told OneRoof the Gurneys were pleased with the sale. “A family has bought it and they will enjoy living there,” she said, adding that buyer interest the property had been strong.
“Because of the special nature of the church, there were people from South Auckland, from the North, there were people who really wanted it.”
She added that the Gurneys had settled into their Whananāki store. “They’re already operating it and loving it. We’re just thrilled.”
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