New Zealand’s broadcasting legend John Hawkesby is selling his Waiheke Island home.
The near-2ha vineyard estate, known as The Crossing, has been Hawkesby’s home for more than 25 years but is now on the market for sale by way of tender, closing April 10.
In a neat family twist, Hawkesby and wife Joyce have hired their grandson, Ray White agent Jackson Hawkesby-Lyne, to sell the five-bedroom property.
“It’s more than just a house and land to us, it’s family history,” Hawkesby-Lyne told OneRoof.
Start your property search
“Ganma and Poppa poured their heart and soul into it. Even before the first stake went into the ground they had tents up for family to stay and be part of the whole experience.
“I was running around that land in nappies as a little boy and now I’m selling it – which is bittersweet.”
Hawkesby-Lyne, who is marketing the property with his father Richard Lyne, a director of Ray White Kohimarama, has described the estate as a “masterpiece” that’s been “25 years in the making”.
Read more:
- Tantalus for sale: The $40m Kiwi winery that won over US fashion bible
- The Waiheke mega-mansions that no one is allowed to talk about
- Architectural stunner that charges visitors $14,700 a night
He may have inherited his grandfather’s gift of the gab. Lyne told OneRoof: “Jackson has always had a knack for talking to people. He’s likeable with a creative flair, matched only by his high energy – makes him ideally suited to the fast-paced world of real estate.”
The house the pair are selling is a standout on an island teaming with flash properties. The homestead comes with a swimming pool, olive grove and views of the gulf and Auckland city.
Hawkesby bought the plot of land overlooking Church Bay after leaving his TVNZ presenting job. He then turned his love of wine into a writing career and established a boutique vineyard of Syrah vines on the property.
The estate has also been the family’s retreat.
“It’s somewhere that’s been a waypoint for our extended family. The buildings, the gardens, the vines, the pohutukawa, the kauri tree planted when I was born at the top of the site, the bright red London telephone box, fireside gatherings in the bunker,” said Hawkesby-Lyne.
The house overlooks Church Bay and enjoys stunning views. Photo / Supplied
Hawkesby has made a name for himself in the wine industry and his house boasts a vineyard and decent cellar. Photo / Supplied
The five-bedroom 497sqm house was built from Timaru stone in a style that marries “French provincial charm with the rugged allure of the Australian outback”.
The open-plan kitchen, living and dining room has flagstone floor and native timber beams recycled from a 1920s cinema and railway ironbark sleepers, aged plaster walls with a huge French-style fireplace and vintage-look chandeliers. The kitchen and adjoining scullery has a mix of washed wood, old timbers and concrete benches, a butler’s sink and farmhouse-sized cooker.
There is a private library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a master suite overlooking the grounds and view.
Wrapped in shady verandahs, the house opens to a swimming pool with a cabana, outdoor fireplace and pizza oven in what the family call a courtyard “bunker”.
John Hawkesby, one of New Zealand's best-loved broadcasters, on Waiheke Island in 2014. Photo / Michael Craig
Ray White agent Jackson Hawkesby-Lyne at his grandfather's property in a still from the listing video. Photo / Supplied
There is also a two-bedroom apartment with its own living room and bathroom above the garage with – naturally – a splendid wine cellar underneath, while a one-bedroom cottage is tucked under the pohutukawa trees up the hill away from the house.
Hawkesby-Lyne said potential buyers could take advantage of his grandfather’s vineyard and produce their own wine.
“I think it’s one of the best properties on the island, built by one of the best builders on the island. It’s more than a property – it’s a lifestyle, once you’re there you don’t want to leave,” he said.
“It’s always been a place of huge hospitality, and somewhere people have always felt welcome. So it’s really bittersweet to have to say goodbye to it.
One of the property's lighter touches is a red telephone box. Photo / Supplied
The house sits on 1.99ha and has a rugged Australian texture mixed with French charm. Photo / Supplied
Hawkesby did not want wish to comment on the sale, but his grandson said: “It’s a day we never thought we’d see – having to let it go. We just want someone to love and enjoy it as we all have.”
The listing joins a handful of other high-profile properties currently on the market on Waiheke Island, including the Nat Cheshire-designed Tantalus estate at 70-72 Onetangi Road and the land bought by the late Sir Rob Fenwick and Jennie Fenwick at 402 Orapiu Road on the Te Matuku Peninsula.
- The Crossing, Waiheke Island, is for sale by tender closing April 10
