Paradise island for new zealand's rich list
A tiny island 30 minutes from the buzz of Auckland is becoming ever more sought after by the cream of New Zealand's rich list...
British visitors to New Zealand often say that the country reminds them of England 30 years ago - friendly neighbours, a sense of community and low crime rates.
What would you say then, to someone that said they had found an island that was like New Zealand, fifty years ago?!
Waiheke Island, which means ‘Cascading Waters' was settled by Maori people around 1000 years ago.
Just 18 kilometres from downtown Auckland by car ferry, in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, Waiheke Island boasts picture perfect homes nestled in native bush near hidden bays.
Significant industries on the island include wine-making, olive production, tourism and arts, crafts. Signs of Maori occupation on Waiheke Island still exist today and archeological sites are scattered over the island.
Former New Zealand television presenter John Hawkesby loves the island so much he says you would have to drag him ‘kicking and screaming' from his home there back to the city.
The island has a permanent population of about 8000 and the vast majority live in the western half or close to an east-west isthmus between Huruhi Bay and Oneroa Bay which, at its narrowest, is only 600 metres wide.
Mr Hawkesby's home is above Church Bay, near the ferry terminal at Matiatia. It has a swimming pool and uninterrupted views of the gulf and Auckland skyline.
He said, "Waiheke reminds me of New Zealand in the 1950s - no malls, no KFC and a real sense of community.
"People think you live on Mars because you're on an island, but I'm only 30 minutes away from the city.
"It's with a sense of foreboding and a heavy heart that I get on the ferry to come into Auckland city. It's nice here, I like it. People wave at you," he added.
New Zealand's richest man, Graeme Hart, also lives on Waiheke, in a £5.5 million modern beachfront mansion with guest wing and swimming pool.
Waiheke Estate Agent Sherryn El Bakary said, "The island's proximity to Auckland, superb vineyard restaurants, clean and sandy north-facing beaches and climate are among the factors that make it popular with the well-heeled, pushing property prices through the roof.
"A three-bedroom, three-bathroom waterfront property that sold for £150,000 in 1997 was given a registered valuation of £635,000 million a decade later.
"Prime spots at Matiatia have seen bigger increases. A section sold for about £118,000 in the late 1990s went for £1.18 million in November 2005, albeit with a home built on the land.
"Any island close to a city can quickly become exclusive real estate as people want to be able to get away from the rat-race. It
"It's a slower pace of lifestyle," she added.
Picture by PhillipC