SCHOOL ZONES:
Te Huruhi School, Waiheke High School.
CONTACT:
Jeff Hazell, Ray White, 021 806 82.1
AUCTION:
Saturday Nov 19, 2pm on site.
Oliver Michell must be some salesman. About 10 years ago he won a company sales incentive of a trip for him and his wife, Kate, from Britain to New Zealand. His parents had already retired to the sunny beaches of Kaiteriteri, near Nelson, and their son promptly announced he was on his way back to live in New Zealand. On the trip he'd read a property magazine that mentioned an island within commuter distance.
"I googled Auckland and 35 minutes, and found Waiheke," Oliver says. "We used to live four hours from the beach, and when we got here we just wanted to live by a beach."
So visas were sorted, emigration arranged and the family finally made it here in 2008. The couple and their 3-year-old daughter Freya got off the plane late on Saturday night, ready to start their new lives.
"The next morning, we arrived on Waiheke and knew it was for us -- beautiful beaches, great community and an awesome place for our daughter to spend her time walking barefoot on the beach, making new friends, and having the life many can only dream of," Oliver recalls.
"We'd found paradise all right -- and all within close reach of Auckland should we ever need it. Back then, Waiheke was still considered a backwater, there were limited cafes and restaurants, Oneroa closed by 8pm and [many] closed for most of the winter too!"
After a summer at home, the couple loved the daily ferry commute to their work, and were finally ready to buy in 2011.
One look at this elevated 1980s house on Queens Drive, minutes from Oneroa Beach, and they knew they'd found their home.
From the northern elevated deck there are 180-degree views across the ocean to the Hauraki Gulf islands. They drove their British friends crazy with Facebook posts of the sea meeting the sky, the sunsets and empty spaces.
The couple were attracted to the large, sociable central living area with its modern kitchen equipped with Smeg cooker and hood and Bosch appliances.
The house stays warm, as the tiles hold the heat from the day, but there is also a heat pump for dull winter days.
The entire place had been freshly decorated, with summery white tiles and a cool wood-look wallpaper in the living area, smart white joinery in the kitchen and good bathrooms.
The L-shaped layout means there is always a sheltered deck at the front or back, and plenty of room for kids to play on the large flat garden.
Image 1 of 6: 20 Queens Drive, Oneroa, Waiheke, Auckland. Photograph by Ted Baghurst
There was a vege garden, the old fruit trees from earlier bach incarnations, and plenty of room for a trampoline, sandpit and for a pool if the next owners wanted.
Since the family moved back to the mainland three years ago, they have set the property up as a holiday home.
With the island now having a global reputation and being swamped with tourists, the house has been in huge demand.
Last year it grossed $90,000 and already there are bookings of over $50,000 for next summer.
They are selling now to do some other projects on the mainland. Oliver admits their land-bound city house is going to be hard to bear without the prospect of weekends on Waiheke.
The back wing of the house was ideal for visiting parents and friends from overseas, as it has a sunny double bedroom, bathroom and its own lounge and decks -- a great set-up for families who are sharing a beach holiday.
The front wing, off the living room, has two more double bedrooms, one with an en suite, and a twin room, plus another shower room. Two bedrooms get more of those stunning ocean views, the others overlook the secluded garden.
Downstairs Oliver and Kate finished out the basement to create a cool rumpus room, great for teenagers, a man cave or media room for rainy days.
Oliver notes that the double garage is big enough for all the toys, including his Fyran 500 Rebel boat, and there's more storage under the house.
The house needed only some upgrading at the front: Kate and Oliver put in a new driveway and added smart vertical cedar siding to the basement area to balance the house and create a welcoming entrance from the street.
"We love our slice of Waiheke -- every time we come home, the elevated view never fails to amaze. The short walk to Oneroa village and the beach also comes in handy, especially on a Friday evening where we usually grab a nice bottle -- or two, a wood-fired pizza, and catch up with friends at the beach while watching the sun go down," says Oliver.
"We quickly found that our friends with baches in Omaha and the Coromandel started to visit us more often -- half an hour on the ferry with a beer in hand was way more enjoyable than a couple of hours stuck in traffic without a beer! Funny, we thought they just liked our company."
