- Te Araroa on Gisborne’s East Cape is New Zealand’s cheapest beach town, with an average property value of $302,000.
- Papatowai in the Catlins offers rugged beauty and tranquility, with basic amenities and scenic walks.
- Kohukohu, where beach homes can be picked up for as little as $484,000, is rich in history and community facilities.
Whangamata, Mount Maunganui or Mangawhai might be holiday home nirvana for Kiwis wanting pristine white sands, but if you’re priced out of those markets you can still find beach baches under $500,000. But be prepared to go remote and get creative.
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OneRoof’s data partner Valocity has come up with a list of New Zealand’s cheapest beach towns – as well as its most expensive.
The Valocity research identified 322 suburbs with 50 or more residential properties within 800m of the coast. While some of the suburbs on the list didn’t fit the traditional definition of a Kiwi “beach town”, and were actually more semi-urban settlements, they did offer residents a decent stretch of sand and water.
The analysis found 44 suburbs where buyers could pick up a home for less than $500,000, and another 156 with an average property value of between $500,000 and $1 million. Most of New Zealand’s cheapest beach suburbs were in West Coast, but the cheapest was Te Araroa, in Gisborne, with an average property value of $302,000, followed by Wakanui, in Canterbury ($303,000), and Patea, in Taranaki ($307,000).
The most expensive suburb with a beach was Whitford, in east Auckland. The suburb, which has an average property value of $3.341m, is better known for its lifestyle blocks and rural estates, but 121 of its homes are within 800m of sand. More traditional beach spots, Waiheke Island and Omaha, are the next most expensive – and are viewed as the preserve of the rich and famous.
Te Araroa is on Gisborne’s East Cape, boasts plenty of sandy bays and is one of the first places in New Zealand to see the sun.
Bayleys Gisborne agent Greg Robertson, who has lived in the area most of his life, told OneRoof: “Te Araroa is ideal for people wanting to get away from it all. The fishing here is extraordinary. We have the Ranfurly Banks just offshore which is great game fishing area.”
The rugged beachscape of Papatowai, in the South Island. The suburb has an average property value of $424,000. Photo / Getty Images
Amenities are minimal, however, with just a few takeaway shops, a Four Square, and a high school. Robertson said people often preferred nearby Hicks Bay, 10 minutes west, which also makes the list at number 15 with an average sale price of $424,000. Tolaga and Tokomaru Bays are also in the area and come in at 11 and 14.
At the other end of New Zealand and for those craving rugged natural beauty and a digital detox, Papatowai, in the Catlins is a standout. Papatowai literally means where the forest meets the sea. It offers dramatic landscapes, secluded beaches and some of New Zealand’s most scenic walks on its doorstep and just 1.5 hours from Invercargill.
“You’re in the heart of the Catlins,” said Sarah Homer, Destination Clutha development manager. “It’s a cool place to get off the beaten track, unplug, and unwind.”
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Papatowai is close to iconic attractions such as Cathedral Caves, Purakaunui Falls, and Nugget Point Lighthouse. Though remote – it’s about 50 minutes from Balclutha and three hours from Central Otago – it is serviced by a small café and country store, providing basic conveniences.
“If you’re looking for a holiday retreat in a tranquil, unspoiled environment it would have to be up there on the list,” Homer said.
If history is your thing, heading back north, Kohukohu, nestled along the upper harbour of the Hokianga, has an average sale price of $484,000 and is one of New Zealand’s first European settlements. It also offers the added adventure of a car ferry that departs from Rāwene on the half-hour until 7.30 pm to take you “across the river” where you drive up the road to the historic settlement.
A traditional villa in the Far North coastal spot of Kohukohu. Photo / Getty Images
Kohukohu has a school, general store, café, art galleries, arts and crafts shop, hotel, voluntary fire and ambulance services, and a health clinic. There are also two churches and three marae. The Kohukohu footbridge near the centre of the town is the first stone bridge built in New Zealand, and is the oldest surviving bridge of any construction still in existence in the country.
If old school bach vibes are your thing, Mokau on the west coast of the North Island offers a mix of affordability and Kiwi charm. The average sale price was $494,000. At just under an hour’s drive from New Plymouth, it is a favourite for beachgoers from Taranaki and Waikato seeking a laid-back escape, said Property Brokers agent Doug Wakelin.
“Mokau has that traditional bach vibe. It’s reminiscent of 30 or 40 years ago. It’s still affordable, and it offers stunning coastal views, great fishing, and the chance to unwind,” Wakelin told OneRoof.
Be careful where you’re buying however, Mokau is a sand spit and over decades the ocean has reclaimed land including houses from the point of the spit, some of its remaining properties in a red zone.
Omaha, just north of Auckland, is one of New Zealand’s most expensive beach spots for real estate. Photo / Fiona Goodall
Wakelin said further back from the point along Te Mahoe Road a developer was awaiting title to release 48 new lifestyle sections.
“I have a bach in Mokau. It’s a fishing haven with two boat ramps and easy access to the water. I’d argue that it’s some of the best fishing to be had anywhere in New Zealand,” he said.
Back on the east coast of the North Island on the Wairarapa coastline near Masterton, Mataikona or Flat Point might be worth a look. Anneka Billing, from Property Brokers, is marketing properties in both areas and said bach owners love the area with lots of diving and fishing. Bustling Castle Point is only 20 minutes away and at two hours’ drive from Wellington, it was a good weekend location.
“There’s definitely some good deals to be had if buyers are willing to think outside the box when considering where they might want a bach,” Billing said.
“If you’re looking for vibrant urban amenities or big beach town vibes some of these places might not be for you, but if you want natural beauty and a chance to truly disconnect, they might be ideal.”
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