Church seeks converts to an upmarket life

The Church retains the old building's high-vaulted ceilings with exposed trusses and lancet windows. Photo / Supplied

The Church is an accommodation and restaurant complex at Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula, offering a real point of difference along with the natural drawcards of nearby Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.

After operating successfully for a decade, The Church is now being marketed for sale as a freehold going concern with land, buildings and business by Sharyn Morcom and Greg Dickie of Bayleys Whitianga for an asking price of $2.1 million plus GST (if any).

Situated on a 6600sq m site comprising two lots, at 87-91 Hahei Beach Rd, The Church has attracted guests to the Coromandel year round, but particularly over the summer months.

Owners Richard Agnew and Karen Blair have built the business up to comprise 11 accommodation units, a three-bedroom manager's residence, a conference room and a restaurant.

Thirteen years ago, Agnew and Blair saw the 1916 Taumaranui Methodist Church advertised for sale by tender. The couple thought it would make a great backpackers' hostel and were the successful tenderers. However, relocation quotes turned out to be beyond their budget and they thought they would have to shelve their plans. The owner of the church then provided them with details of a house-mover who promised to do the job for a price that sounded too good to be true - and it was.

The remover made a start on the job before "doing a runner" with their deposit and the Hahei couple was left with a partially demolished building.

They salvaged all the timber, joinery and fittings and took the materials back to Hahei where they rebuilt the church using new exterior cladding and recycled timbers but retaining the high-vaulted ceilings with exposed trusses and lancet windows. This initial project now comprises The Church's restaurant.

Focusing on a more upmarket accommodation option for Hahei, Agnew and Blair built 11 rustic cottages modelled on original Kiwi miners' dwellings, along with a three-bedroom house - all featuring some of the old timber from the original church. They added a conference room and support buildings including a small library, guest lounge and laundry, and then set about developing impressive landscaped grounds.

The accommodation is configured as a block of four open-plan studio units all with en suites, tea and coffee-making facilities and French doors to verandas; three stand-alone cottages with the same layout but on a larger scale and more private than the units; and four fully self-contained cottages with separate bedroom and extra sleeping in the living area, with two having wood fires for winter.

The three-bedroom home, originally designed as the manager's residence, is currently being used as guest accommodation for family or larger groups, boosting the income stream.

"There is a manager in place for the business during the week, but she lives off-site and so the original home has become a really useful part of the business operation, adding another dimension to the accommodation options. The current owners manage the property at the weekends and live nearby," Morcom says.

"The accommodation has good occupancy levels because it is well-located and well-priced. It seems to appeal to a wide range of people and the guest book is full of comments praising the uniqueness of the property and the wonderful gardens."

The licensed restaurant offers upmarket dining for guests staying at The Church, and for the local clientele. It is a popular venue and is open seven days a week from the end of November until Easter, then for five days a week until early June. It traditionally closes from June to August.

The restaurant operates independently of the accommodation side of the business and is leased to SBB Limited with a three-year lease in place from August 2008. There are two further three-year rights of renewal and the annual rental is $19,305 inclusive of GST.

Morcom says the potential of the business has not been fully tapped, with the current owners identifying the wedding and conference markets as under-promoted at the moment.

While the accommodation is often pre-booked well in advance, particularly through summer and over long weekends, the conference or retreat market could be boosted during winter. Cathedral Cove's track entrance is just a few minutes' walk from Hahei and is a recognised wedding location.

Hahei is just two hours by road from Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton.