Bucklands Beach

By ROBYN WELSH

Redevelopment along both seaboards of this peninsula suburb has put Bucklands Beach among Auckland's wealthiest suburbs.

Buyers from "inland", which is still only a few streets away from the water, seek out and wait for the right property to become available closer to the seaside.

Comparatively few original cottages remain on the water's edge, such is the value of land here as indicated by the recent sale at auction of a 70-year-old cottage on a two-unit 800 sq m site for $667,000.

This side of the peninsula has views to the city and the magical nighttime yacht racing. Depending on site elevation, quality and proximity to the water, homes vary from $250,000 for a basic three-bedroom older home to $600,000 for a modern executive model.

Units and townhouses are sought by retirees keen on an easy life near the water, while city-bound professionals are settling here and avoiding traffic woes by taking the ferry from Half Moon Bay. Houses along Eastern Beach, on the opposite coast, enjoy long vistas to Browns Island and the Coromandel.

However, the biggest draw card is the area's school zoning - it's now included in the Macleans College zone - making it popular with families moving from surrounding suburbs and professionals on transfer from other parts of the country.