- A Bay of Islands mansion linked to the Mr Asia gang is for sale for $10m.
- The property, once owned by drug smuggler Terry Clark, underwent a decade-long renovation.
- The luxury overhaul includes new floors, European windows, and a state-of-the-art security system.
A Bay of Islands mansion built by a notorious drug smuggler is for sale for $10 million.
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The seven-bedroom clifftop estate is linked to New Zealand’s notorious Mr Asia gang, whose deadly escapades are the subject of a New Zealand Herald podcast, A Forgotten History.
The six-part series traces the rise and fall of the gang, which ran a global drug empire in the 1970s.
Clark died in prison and never got to see the completed house. Photo / Supplied
The mansion occupies the Okiato Point headland and has a price tag of $10m. Photo / Supplied
Those familiar with the case will know of the gang’s links to 49 Okiato Road, in Russell.
The property, which sits on a 1.46-hectare site overlooking Okiato Bay, was once owned by Terry Clark, who was involved in the smuggling ring which brought millions of dollars worth of heroin into New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.
Clark, who was nicknamed Mr Big, died in prison in 1983 after he was convicted of ordering the hit on his boss, Marty Johnstone, who headed the Mr Asia syndicate.
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Clark started building the multi-million-dollar home on Okiato Point using money from the gang’s operations. He never got to see the completed project and by the time the two-storey house was sold in 1997 it was in a derelict state.
The new owners spent 10 years fully renovating the house and landscaping the grounds, before listing it for sale in 2015.
At the time, their listing agent repeated the local legend that a hatch under a wardrobe led to an escape tunnel. Even the helicopter pad was billed as an “alternative escape plan”.
Records show the house finally sold in early 2020 for $7m. It has returned to market with expectations it will eclipse its 2022 RV of just over $6m.
The property boasts a grand staircase. Photo / Supplied
The current owners renovated the mansion to luxury standards. Photo / Supplied
The reason for the price jump is the luxury overhaul the new owners gave the mansion after buying it.
The renovation resulted in new floors, European windows, new bathrooms (there are eight altogether, five of them ensuites, plus a family bathroom and two powder rooms) and new kitchens. The heart of the classically-styled house is a grand double-height entry lobby with a sweeping circular stairwell.
A full-time manager and a state-of-the-art security system ensure privacy.
The Australia-based vendors told OneRoof last year they were selling the mansion because it had become surplus to their requirements.
- 49 Okiato Road, in Okiato Bay, Russell, is for sale for $10m
