Elevated view of the Bream Bay Motel at 67 Bream Bay Drive, Ruakaka, Northland.
Elevated view of the Bream Bay Motel at 67 Bream Bay Drive, Ruakaka, Northland.
The Bream Bay Motel in Ruakaka in Northland was established in 1965 and is now on the market for the first time in 50 years.
"This at property at 67 Bream Bay Drive is set on the water's edge with spectacular ocean views," says Allan Inglis, of First National, Whangarei, who is marketing the freehold property and going concern business by tenders closing at 4 pm on Thursday November 5 unless it sells earlier by negotiation.
"Guests at this motel can walk out of their room, across the grass and straight onto the white sands of Ruakaka Beach," Inglis says. "It's the perfect spot for summer holidays and long weekends just minutes from State Highway 1, only 20 minutes south of Whangarei and 1.5 hours' drive from Auckland."
The motel complex comprises 18 self-contained motel units - 11 of them with beach and coastline views. Five are studio units, eight are one bedroom units and five are two bedroom units with all having access to a shared BBQ area, guest laundry, children's playground and wireless hotspot.
The property comes with three bedroom manager's accommodation and a separate two bedroom house with four car garaging.
"The magic of this motel business is having a sandy beach just out of the front door and a café that operates across the road in summer," Inglis says. "A massage and beauty therapist is based a short walk away while Ruakaka Kayaks hires out kayaks to guests at the nearby river and also lead eco tours of the wildlife reserve.
"Ruakaka Beach is great for walking or jogging along with boogie boarding when the swell is up. Fishers can surf cast from the shore and cyclists can ride along the beach at low tide.
"A short drive away is the all-weather Waipu Golf Club, Marsden Cove Marina, the Waipu Museum, the Marsden Point Refinery Visitor Centre.
Guests can also explore the Waipu Caves, take a picnic and swim at Piroa Falls, or walk the coast at nearby Waipu Cove and Mangawhai."
"The occupancy rate of the motel is continuously rising with a good level of turnover," Inglis says.
In addition to being a profitable business, he says the property has excellent development potential.
Frontage of the Bream Bay Motel, Ruakaka.
The motel complex is situated on a 4000 sq m site bordering a reserve with a large grassed area.
"Looking at it through a developer's eyes there are many avenues to maximise the redevelopment potential with the most lucrative option being a unit titled subdivision for buyers looking for a weekend getaway or relocating to paradise," says Inglis.
"Planners and architects at Advancedesign Architecture have already completed an initial investigation and proposal for such a unit title subdivision. The motel could continue to operate while developments take place, providing a sustainable income.
"There are no other commercially zoned accommodation properties this close to the sandy shore with an uninterrupted outlook to the islands and natural features of Bream Bay," Inglis says.
Bream Bay has become a more popular destination with recent Hopper Marsden Cove Marina development along with the ongoing growth of Marsden City and Northland Port development.
"Ruakaka shopping centre offers all amenities with a massive expansion currently underway,' Inglis says. "The Ruakaka racetrack is one of New Zealand's leading race facilities and a major attraction throughout summer. The prestigious Waipu golf club has a reputation of having some of the best greens in New Zealand and presents the golfer with a naturally sand based course suitable for all seasons, unsurpassed views and a very hospitable cafe."
With the Auckland motorway extension from Puhoi to Warkworth to be completed by 2019 and further extension of Warkworth to Wellsford to be completed by 2022, Bream Bay and the Ruakaka Beach area is expected to see a population boom in future with its ability to provide beachfront living close to the State Highway.
Bream Bay was named by Captain James Cook to include the bay itself and some surrounding locations, stretching north to Whangerei and south to Mangawhai. The name is now loosely used as a collaboration of three towns Ruakaka, One Tree Point and Waipu. The physical bay itself spreads from the mouth of Whangarei Harbour at Bream Head and 22 kilometres south, to the southernmost point of Waipu Cove called Bream Tail. The area also encompasses three native reserve islands just off the coast of Bream Bay called the Hen and Chickens Islands and Sail Rock Island.
