Auckland's north the next resort

Two resort-style projects worth more than $300 million are starting north of Auckland.

Developers want to open up Snells Beach and Waiwera to large-scale apartment developments, partly aimed at Aucklanders wanting a seaside getaway.

They have almost 400 units planned on two sites.

Tim Manning's Kawau Holdings has pre-sold sections in his proposed $180 million Whisper Cove residential complex overlooking Snells Beach, 50km to the city's north.

Auckland developer Manning has several developments involved in the leaky building saga - Sacramento at Botany Downs, Ponsonby Gardens, West End in Grey Lynn and The Grange at Albany.

Last November, he got Environment Court approval to build 160 homes and units on a sloping 16ha site above Snells Beach.

Robert Railley, head of a design team at Swan Railley & Associates which is working on Whisper Cove, said the buildings would be built to last.

Jillie Clarke, of marketing agents Terraco International, said some sales had already been made for an average of $1.5 million-plus.

She said expatriates had expressed an interest in buying at Whisper Cove, where units range from 195sq m to 290sq m. Manning also plans to build 36 villas in the first stage, all with ocean views.

At Waiwera, Fletcher Construction has won the tender to develop the $125 million Waiwera Apartments, which will have 215 units of 50sq m to 240sq m.

Suzanne Booth, general manager of Waiwera Infinity Thermal Spa Resort, said initial deposits had been put down on nearly half the units.

Last June, entrepreneur John St Clair Brown announced plans for a large expansion of the Waiwera hot pools complex, bringing the apartments and an 80-room hotel to the spa resort which he bought in 1990, soon after selling Mt Hutt Skifield company.