They’ve got the country estate, a new home in the works at an exclusive golf course and now billionaire Nick Mowbray and partner Jaimee Lupton are planning a new Auckland city nest.
The Kiwi toy entrepreneur and his pregnant fiancée, who announced last week they were expecting amiracle baby, will create a new family base in New Zealand’s wealthiest suburb on a prominent peninsula of land with sea on either side.
The couple will settle down on a sprawling $24 million-plus Herne Bay waterfront place on more than a third of a hectare, surrounded by mature pohutukawa, alongside a beach, all within just a few minutes of the city’s CBD.
Aerial shot of Herne Bay, Auckland. Photo / OneRoof
Neighbours will include other multi-millionaire marina owners Simon and Paula Herbert, big-time property investor Ben Cook, Rod Duke of Briscoes and New Zealand’s top architect, Andrew Patterson.
Mowbray’s name now appears on the title of the 3166sq m residential property.
The new place has a well-established two-level home down a long private driveway.
Lupton and Mowbray spend time at their country estate at Coatesville.
The existing house on the site is 478sq m but with a footprint of just over 296sq m, flanked by a waterfront-facing in-ground pool set to the north for all-day sun.
All up, annual rates are $44,000 and the house and land are valued for rating purposes at $23m: $18.75m for the site, $4.25m for the house.
Circular with vaulted mirrors - faux French style interior at the Coatesville home once called the Kim Dotcom mansion when it was advertised for sale in 2016. Photo / supplied
The Herne Bay property is one of two peninsula points in the suburb, meaning it has sea to its west and east.
The other peninsula “point” in Herne Bay is owned by multimillionaire Ben Cook who is slightly further towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Whether the couple shift into the existing house or demolish and build is unknown although some parties close to them suggested that might happen.
The Mowbray/Lupton couple are also nearly finished renovating their $39.3m Coatesville home.
Dated decor at their prominent Coatesville home has been stripped out ready for a Christmas unveiling.
A new outdoor pool, a new on-site wastewater treatment plant, a new gym and powder room upgrades are just some of the multimillion-dollar renovations consented at the $39.3m home.
That distinctive house was previously labelled the Chrisco Mansion, after its developer Richard Bradley’s British Christmas business but it then became the Dotcom mansion when Kim Dotcom rented it with wife Mona and their children, and was the centre of an armed raid in which the internet entrepreneur was arrested in 2012.
How the Coatesville house looked in 2019: major renovations are now nearing completion.
Last month, Spy reported the couple had joined the ever-growing list of the super-rich who are building in the golf course haven at Te Arai, north of Auckland.
It is understood they were due to break ground on their Te Arai land last month with Auckland-based architect John Irving and his team said to be helming the project. They’ll join other movers and shakers who have built magnificent homes at neighbouring Tara Iti and Te Arai, part of three world-class golf courses near Mangawhai.
Mowbray often choppers up to Te Arai Links South Course to play golf. Last week he and Lupton showed their site to their Instagram followers and Mowbray played a game of golf with former All Black Israel Dagg.
Over at Westmere, Mowbray’s sister Anna and her ex-All Black partner Ali Williams are also building a new waterfront home. They have tried to get helicopter consent there but are yet to succeed.
On Monday, the Herald reported how Nick Mowbray and Jaimee Lupton are expecting a miracle child, more than a year on from losing their baby daughter “Gingernut” at 24 weeks and a miscarriage after that.
In an Instagram post, Lupton shared a video from Kokomo Island showing her glowing baby bump and a short ultrasound clip.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
