Some of Waiheke's most beautiful houses are opening their doors to raise funds for the island's art gallery.
The Wonderful Waiheke House Tour is in its seventh year and this year's properties have been chosen for their impressive vistas.
The event is run by the Waiheke Community Art Gallery and includes seven stunning properties, lunch at The Batch winery and a tour of the gallery, which is running two major exhibitions during the tour.
Waiheke Community Art Gallery director Linda Chalmers said this year all the properties boasted sea views and were spread from Oneroa to Onetangi.
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The impressive properties are located in Oneroa, Te Whau, Palm Beach and Onetangi to give people a tour of the island as well as the houses.
"Everyone really enjoys this unique day of art and architecture on Waiheke Island back-dropped by stunning coastal views. Each fabulous home has a distinct location, personality and vibe," Chalmers said.
"People on the Fullers bus house tour will visit The Batch vineyard for lunch for the first time this year where they can enjoy its spectacular bush and 360-degree views of the island."
Included in the line-up of impressive homes is a cottage with a "bachy feel".
The cottage has been in the family for 50 years and is owned by French Country founder Sonia West and her husband Peter. The cottage was revamped five years ago and is filled with art and quirky antiques, which she has collected through her homeware business.
This charming Oneroa Cottage is one of seven homes opening its doors to ticket holders as part of the Wonderful Waiheke House Tour next month. Photo / Jane Ussher and NZ House and Garden
Another home is only one of three on Palm Beach that goes directly through from the road to the beach. It has undergone three renovations from its modest start as a fibro bach built in the 1940s to make it what it is now. The property includes a caboose that was originally a sleeping carriage built for the Main Truck Line 113 years ago and is now used as a sleepout.
Also on the trail is a property in Te Whau with an impressive statue at the entrance of the house carved from Oamaru stone, a clifftop property overlooking Onetangi with impressive views, a pool and dramatic high-pitched roofs, a house with three separate two-storey towers, a modern holiday home made from concrete, aluminium and glass on Korora Rd, and an unassuming home on Seaview Rd showcasing the owners' passion for art.
This Te Whau Rd home in Rocky Bay boasts expansive views over Putiki Bay. Photo / Peter Rees
This L-shaped Pah Rd home, designed by Andre Hodgskin and Paul Macintosh, sits on the clifftop overlooking Onetangi. Photo / Supplied
This Korora Rd house was designed by architect Karl Majurey to meet the owners' brief of having a modern holiday home with an industrial look. Photo / Peter Rees
This unassuming Seaview Rd home will surprise visitors as the inside reflects its owners' passion for art. Photo / Peter Rees
• The tour is on February 20. A ticket for the bus tour, which includes lunch at The Batch, costs $160 or there is a self-drive option for $95 per person. Tickets can be purchased via the art gallery website www.waihekeartgallery.org.nz.
