Waiheke: Natural wonder

Five chunks of bushclad waterfront land on Waiheke are being sensitively developed for sale.

Circles indicate uncovenanted areas for building.

Awakiriapa Bay, Waiheke Island. Gillian McKenzie loves watching the expressions on people's faces when she gives them a guided tour around the land she and partner Sandy Ellis are developing on Waiheke Island.

There are stunning views from each of the five lots for sale at Awakiriapa Bay on the eastern coast. As Gillian admires the outlook across native bush to the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf, she says, "People's jaws do tend to drop. I'm used to it, but I still think it's breathtaking."

Gillian and Sandy both have strong ties to Waiheke. Gillian has been spending holidays there since she was a toddler, while Sandy's family has an association with the island that goes back several generations. His grandfather bought a large chunk of land on the eastern side of the island in 1942.

The couple spend around 85 per cent of their time living close to the water's edge in Wells Bay (the rest of the time they're in Auckland). They've owned 26.6ha of bush-covered land at Awakiriapa Bay together since 2003 and decided a couple of years ago to develop it as an exclusive estate.

"It really is a beautiful paradise and we wanted to give people the chance to enjoy living here as much as we do," says Gillian.

They've divided the land into five lots, ranging in size from 4ha to 7.05ha. Four are along the waterfront; the fifth is on a ridge overlooking the others. This lot will also have access to the water, via a communal recreation area by the coast.

"We were keen to make sure that whoever buys that lot will still be able to get to the coast - there's nothing worse than being able to see water but not touch it," says Gillian.

The communal area will include a boat shed for each lot plus a proposed ramp, wharf and jetty. There are also plans for a tennis court and croquet lawn.

Gillian and Sandy's company, Cowes Holdings, is putting in accessways to the five lots with services, including phone and power. One of the first things they did after deciding to develop the land was consult an ecologist, Dr Nigel Clunie, about how to carry out work in the area in the most environmentally thoughtful way.

Following his advice, they have done things like move the trees cleared to make way for the private road to a nursery, where they are being nurtured until they can be transplanted back to the site once work is finished.

"It's really important to us to be very environmentally careful," says Gillian. "We're not cowboys who just charge in and pull things out. The wonderful native bush is one of the key things that makes this area so special."

Awakiriapa is covered in a variety of native plants, from kowhai and ferns to groves of nikau palms. It's also home to many birds, including wood pigeons, tui, fantails and rosellas.

One of lot five's two uncovenanted areas already has a dwelling on it - a three-bedroom Lockwood house that has been extensively refurbished. It now has an Italian designer kitchen and comes fully furnished.

Gillian and Sandy have lots of ideas about what they'd do if they were buying one of the lots. But, of course, that is up to the purchasers. "We just want to help people create their own piece of heaven."

Vital Statistics

BEDROMS: 3*

BATHROOMS: 1

GARAGE: 2+

* ICONS REFER TO HOUSE ON LOT 5

SIZE: Lot 1, 7.0486ha; Lot 2, 5.787ha; Lot 3, 5.535ha; Lot 4, 4ha; Lot 5, 4.2402ha.

PRICE INDICATION: Expressions of interest between $2.8m and $6m.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Anna Thompson, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 0274 505 357; Clive Lonergan, Bayleys, 0274 993 278; Chris Palmer, Premium, 0274 734 721. www.awakiriapa.co.nz.

FEATURES: Five lots of land, four with coastal frontage and the fifth with access to the coast; a communal recreation area; a refurbished dwelling on Lot 5; views across the Hauraki Gulf include Little Barrier, Man-o-War Bay, Pakatoa Island and Rotoroa Island.