This mega mansion in Russell with helipad and yacht access is up for sale for $8.9m. Photo / Supplied
This mega mansion in Russell with helipad and yacht access is up for sale for $8.9m. Photo / Supplied
If you are in the habit of commuting home by superyacht or helicopter, then this $8.9 million Bay of Islands mansion could be the perfect buy for you.
The seven-bedroom home decked out in marble and imported timber is a five-minute walk from Russell and sits on a peninsula overlooking gorgeous Matauwhi Bay.
Just across the water is Paihia.
The million dollar views stretch out over Matauwhi Bay and the Bay of Islands. Photo / Supplied
"We look straight out from our lounge across Matauwhi Bay where all the yachts are moored below us to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and golf course," owner Bruce Munro said.
Run as a part-time luxury getaway, the home that is now up for sale has previously been booked out by mostly European and US guests, including celebrities, yachting syndicates and business tycoons.
Guests can sail right up to the home's private beach or moor nearby in Matauwhi Bay if their superyachts are too big. If helicopters are more their style, they can land on the front lawn, just a few steps from the house.
Confidentiality clauses prevent Munro from naming past guests, but he said he was currently fielding interest from America's Cup syndicates considering using the home as a training base before heading to the big race in Auckland in 2021.
The views look toward Russell and Paihia. Photo / Supplied
MasterChef 2012 winner Chelsea Winter - who competed in the television cooking show alongside Munro's son, Ben Munro - also married her former husband at the home.
Munro said he bought the luxury home in 2008 after selling his Dubai construction business that built elevator shafts for 320 high-rises in the Gulf state.
It was the build quality and privacy of Russell mansion that attracted him to it.
The home is decked out in marble and imported timber. Photo / Supplied
The previous American owner had started building the house in 1992, only finishing 16 years later in 2008 after laboriously handpicking the expensive fittings.
Able to accommodate 12 guests, all seven bedrooms in the house come with a spa and sea views.
Another spa and plunge pool is located on a decking surrounded by glass, while inside the home is a chef's kitchen, wine cellar and - perhaps unsurprisingly for Munro - an elevator.
The luxury mansion features its own private beach. Photo / Supplied
As well as an eight-car garage, there is also room to park 50 cars on the grounds during big events. If the power fails a diesel generator is at the ready to kick-in and keep the lights on.
The property's private beach also offered the chance to kayak, sail or use stand-up paddle boards, while Munro often personally took guests fishing or arranged dolphin watching or walking trips.
Helicopter flights to the Hole in the Rock tourist attraction or Cape Reinga were also popular with guests.
Each of the seven bedrooms comes with its own spa. Photo / Supplied
But possibly the most special time for Munro and his family was moments relaxing on the home's lawn as the sun sets.
Munro said that - especially with autumn approaching and the leaves on the property's liquid amber and Japanese maple trees changing colour - sunsets lit up the whole skyline and sea views.
The home is on a private 3.8ha peninsula. Photo / Supplied
But with Munro and his wife keen to spend more time living with their grandkids overseas, it was now time to sell up.
The luxury mansion would be best suited as a private residence for "a high-end individual" with the option of running it as a part-time business, just like Munro has done.
"We don't use the home as a full-on business trying to make as much money as we can – we use it for what it is: a beautiful place to be," he said.
