TV personality Duncan Garner is selling his charming family bach, one of a pair right on Omapere beach at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour.
The baches, at 330A and 340B State Highway 12 are in a cluster of eight or nine tightly held baches that share a huge front lawn spreading down to the golden sand beaches. Across the mouth of the harbour are the famous sand dunes, above the town is a magnificent look out with views that span from the Tasman Sea all the way down the harbour.
“This is the first time we’ve had a property here for sale since the summer,” says Bayleys agent David Baguley, who is selling each property by auction on December 11. “The last one sold within a week, at asking price.”
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The unit title baches share front lawns and security with a cluster of others, right on the sands of Omapere. Photo / supplied
Baguley says the area is increasingly popular with Aucklanders (other media personalities also have houses in the area) as baches can sell for $300,000 to $500 or $600,000, a fraction of the prices of holiday places on the eastern side of Northland. The area is only three and a half hours from Auckland, and two from Whangarei.
Garner owns the bachfront property with two close mates.
“We’d seen the property and admired it for years. We neverthought it would come on the market so, when it did, we pounced. It really haseverything. It’s northfacing with amazing views across to the sandunes and the harbourmouth to the West. A flat 20 second walk from the deck and your swimming.”
Garner says he’s caught some pretty good fish since he’sowned the property.
“It’s two minutes from the boatramp and then you're straightinto some of the best fishing in the country and, yes, I’ve got some decentfish over the years. My mate would argue it’s hard not to!”
Omapere is famous for its sandy beaches and for surfing the sand dunes across the harbour. Photo / supplied
The joined properties, which Garner bought in 2015, have August 2019 council valuations of $310,00 and $295,000. They are on unit titles, and owners run a body corporate (annual fees, $500) to maintain the spreading grounds.
“There’s plenty of flat ground for the kids to play onstraight off the deck. We have had some epic games of cricket and touch on thefront lawn with the local families at Christmas. It’s that kind of place, ifyou’re kicking a ball around kids just turn up.”
It sits right next door to the famous Copthorne Hotel, handy when you don’t want to cook. Village amenities include a dairy, café, laundrette and petrol station. Just up the road is the slightly bigger smoke of Opononi, with its famous hotel. The town still lives off the story of Opo, the tame dolphin who charmed New Zealand back in the 1950s, letting children ride on his back.
The pair of baches, one at the front, one at the rear, are being sold separately at auction on December 11. Photo / supplied
The town’s permanent population runs to only a few hundred souls, but thousands of tourists come through the area in the summer as it is on the route to the Waipoua forest, home of Tane Mahuta. Up the road is one of Northland’s prettiest old towns, Rawene, which still runs a ferry across the harbour to Kohukohu.
“There’s very good fishing, and good boat ramps,” says Baguley. “The owners hang on to baches in this pocket, and for good reason too – it’s truly stunning at this seaside bach.”
Garner says the time has come to let someone else enjoy theplace. “The three of us have some different priorities in the medium term andso we’ve decided to sell. I have every intention of coming back to Omaperethough, when life gets a little less hectic.”
Garner’s beachside bach, freshly painted in suitably nautical colours, has three bedrooms with a modern kitchen and living room that opens to decks, with nothing but lawn between house and sea. The second bach, which is currently tenanted, has a side deck with more of the sea views. There’s parking for three cars and a boat, too.
Baguley says that the Hokianga area attracts a creative community, drawn by the stunning, but affordable setting. Settlement on the properties is at the end of January, giving lucky buyers plenty more summer to enjoy their Hokianga bach life.
Check out the listing below:
