A luxury lodge on Waiheke Island is back on the market for sale just two years after it sold for $6.4 million.
The six-bedroom Te Whau Lodge at 36 Vintage Lane, Te Whau, is being marketed to international buyers by New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Lisa Hopewell.
It was given a makeover by the vendor, who owns several high-end properties around the island, including Lantern House, which she picked up last year for $8.45m.
The lodge on Vintage Lane was built in 1998 and sits on nearly 6 hectares overlooking Putiki Bay on the island’s south side.
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The property has yet to be listed in New Zealand, with Hopewell telling OneRoof the agency was testing the waters first with overseas buyers.
“It’s a soft launch, so it’s not on New Zealand websites,” she said.
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She declined to comment on price expectations, or say why the vendor was selling up, telling OneRoof instead: “The suites are gorgeous. We are focusing on the views.”
Built in 1998, the internationally renowned lodge is currently closed, but is linked to Villas Waiheke, which offers boutique accommodation on the island. The property associated with the lodge was purchased in October 2020 for $4.7m by the same owner of Te Whau Lodge.
The listing for Te Whau Lodge said it offered “private guest suites and the ability to accommodate onsite management”.
“A recent upgrade in both infrastructure and décor brings us directly to the present with a fresh curated perspective and lightness of touch,” the listing said.
“Whether the reveal of view starts to appear upon pulling into the driveway or sweeping arrival direct to the helipad, expectation is already exceeded. This is how our most memorable and extraordinary stays begin.
“Host events and stays with ease, whether it’s an intimate wedding, a corporate, health, yoga, artistic or epicurean retreat, the scope is broad and compelling.”
The lodge's interior in 2021. It has since been upgraded, but is currently closed to the public. Photo / Supplied
The lodge sits on almost 6ha overlooking Putiki Bay. Photo / Supplied
When it was in operation, Te Whau was voted both Tripadvisor’s Best of Best Luxury Hotels and Best of Best Small Hotels. It is about 15 minutes’ drive from Te Whau vineyard and 15 minutes from the ferry.
Hopewell told OneRoof the upgrades to the property over the last two years included both décor and infrastructure, but she could not divulge more details, saying that these would be disclosed only to interested buyers.
The main living room features a cathedral ceiling complete with a stylish stone fireplace, plaster-finish and painted walls replacing the old wood look in some of the reception rooms. As well as a dining room, there is a second living and breakfast room in the kitchen wing.
The kitchen is specifically designed for catering, the advertising said, and comes with a walk-in pantry as well as generous storage. The lodge is being sold with a comprehensive list of chattels, including furniture, linen and kitchenware.
The main lodge has four accommodation suites which have brand-new tiled ensuite bathrooms, fittings and décor, as well as new air conditioning, replacing the former dated fit-out. There are also two further bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry and utility rooms and an office for management and staff.
The agent noted the helipad has a certificate of movement for landings and there were consents for a new pool and spa area, although that application was withdrawn by a previous owner.
Mark Harris, NZ Sotheby’s International Realty managing director, told OneRoof it wasn’t uncommon for vendors to market their properties to overseas buyers first.
“Some vendors take a discreet approach, saying, ‘We don’t want the whole local neighbourhood’. That’s why they come to us,” he said, noting that the company had handled several big under-the-radar sales in the past, including Eagles Nest, in Northland, and Matakauri Lodge, in Queenstown.
NZ Sotheby's International Realty agent Lisa Hopewell is also marketing for sale an award-winning home at 209 Delamore Drive on Waiheke. Photo / Supplied
Also up for grabs on the island is the award-winning Poderi Crisci Italian restaurant and La Locanda deli/wine bar. Photo / Supplied
He said property owners had approached the agency on the back of National’s pledge to overturn the foreign buyers ban. “They are asking us, ‘How do we reach the North American or Asian markets?’. We’re preparing campaigns now so that once the rules change, we can push the button to go.”
Hopewell is also selling a luxury home at 209 Delamore Drive, in Oneroa. The striking three-bedroom property was designed by Strachan Group Architects and won a Home of the Year award when it was built.
The pavilion-style house sits on a 1.53ha site in the gated Matiatia Estate and includes a Japanese onsen-style indoor pool, an outdoor pool and pavilion, a sculpture garden and a path to Cable Bay.
It has a CV of $5.8m and is for sale by way of price by negotiation.
These properties join another Waiheke icon that has been on the market since the beginning of the year, the Poderi Crisci restaurant, vineyard, olive grove and home at 205-205a Awaawaroa Road, 20 minutes from Oneroa village and 10 minutes from Onetangi.
Ray White Waiheke business owner Matthew Smith, who is marketing Poderi Crisci, said that such properties were rare on the island. “We’ve got a couple seriously looking at this for a wedding venue, it would be perfect for that, there aren’t that many wedding places,” he said.
“We’re selling 2.5ha of vineyards, a four-bedroom farmhouse, the winery and the award-winning Poderi Crisci Italian restaurant and La Locanda deli/wine bar. There’s a helicopter pad, you could look at putting cottages for guests to stay. It’s all still running this summer and we’re looking at $11m-plus GST, plus stock,” Smith said.
In the South Island, NZ Sotheby’s International Realty is marketing for sale Falcon Brae Villa, a stunning four-bedroom lodge in Stanley Brook, Tasman, that overlooks the Motueka River, Kahurangi National Park and Mount Arthur, and is close to the Nelson Lakes and Abel Tasman national parks.
On the market for sale in Tasman is the five-star, off-grid Falcon Brae Villa. Photo / Supplied
Agents Ged and Nadia Hay are marketing the property for price by negotiation, but could not say where that price might land. The 72.6ha property has a CV of $6.48m – $5.87m of that is in the value of the 670sqm lodge and improvements.
“At that level, people expect to pay more than CV. We try to get them to see the property for themselves,” Nadia Hay told OneRoof.
“We’ve had interest from all over the world, from Mauritius to Australia to the US.
“People are talking in general about proposed changes to the foreign buyers, but know they need to go through the Overseas Investment Office process. We put them in touch with the right people.”
Hay said that the property, known as Falcon Brae Villa, could either be a family home or a commercial lodge. It has been positioned by its American owners, Stacey and Don Fergusson, as an exclusive use luxury villa with rates for up to nine guests ranging from $11,990 to $19,990.
Services include a helicopter drop-off, onsite chef, maid and nanny service if required, as well as concierge, in-house massage and yoga, and all the outdoor pursuits the area offers.
The five-star, off-the-grid lodge, which opened in 2019, earned its architect Simon Hall, of Jerram Tocker Barron (JBT), an NZ Institute of Architects regional award in 2021. The swoops and curves of the roof reference the wings of falcons, the architects said, while they used a mix of local and imported timbers, including oiled cedar cladding, kwila decking, red cedar and oak joinery, custom teak bathroom fittings and beech columns.
As well as three luxury suites, complete with their own fireplaces, air-conditioning and private decks, there is a cosy ensuite bunkroom.
The central lounge area includes a sunken bar, three dining spaces, a chefs’ kitchen and butlers pantry, as well as a media room, games room/gym. Outside, on the landscaped grounds, are a cabana, spa and pool, fire pit, and archery and golf chipping ranges. Also on the property is a restored 1905 homestead and gardens, and the property has its own helicopter pad (Nelson airport is a 15-minute flight or an hour-long drive away).
“This luxurious and secluded retreat has a commanding presence on a tranquil hilltop in Stanley Brook,” the agents said.
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