A golden opportunity

History: A rare chance to own something very special in Taupiri.

The luck of the Irish accompanies a rare opportunity to buy an historic piece of prime property

Forty years ago the current owner of a 108-hectare farm at Taupiri Bay that's now on the market, accompanied a friend to look at the  property. He fell in love with it himself and went home to tell his wife he had bought it.

Being Irish he had felt if he was to settle in New Zealand he needed a piece of land he could call his own. His wife, having been brought up in a coastal area in England, had wanted a place by the sea. Taupiri Bay was the perfect answer and so began the wonderful family memories that have continued on to their grandchildren.

In those days the Rawhiti Road (Old Russell Road) was narrow, windy and gravel, which made  driving interesting to say the least and timing your run so you didn't meet an oncoming bus on a one way part of the road was always a good idea. There were frequent power cuts; a shared telephone line and people used horses to get around.

These days a sealed, maintained road provides a beautiful half hour drive to Russell, and is only a one hour drive from Whangarei.

Despite modern conveniences, the natural beauty is still maintained and children still ride down to the beach on horseback. When the settlers first arrived there was no road  and supplies were brought in and out by sea onto the beach. There was a cash crop in the Manuka which was shipped to Auckland for firewood. The beach was even used once a month as a fish market.

The family has now decided to offer a small parcel of their land on the north side of the property, known as 'Little Taupiri Bay' to the market. Approximately 4.7 hectares, the land is covenanted and situated just over the road from the water's edge. The ridge of land facing north, has huge views to Rawhiti Peninsula and directly east over the Pacific Ocean and to the south, make a perfect advantage point to build a stunning home capturing the expansive views across the bay and ocean.

Your privacy is assured, and there are options galore when it comes to designing a bach, permanent home or retreat for weekends.

The majority of the property is still native bush that has been untouched for more than 80 years, this is possibly one of the last largest stands of original bush left in the Bay of Islands.

The land backs onto the Russell Forest, and includes the Ngaiotonga Saddle, which is a part of a historic foot trail from the Bay of Islands to the south.

The reason that the family has covenanted this area is, to preserve the bush and wildlife. The family, QEII Trust and The New Zealand Kiwi Foundation Charitable Trust are cooperating in eradicating the possums and stoats and other introduced pests. The covenant ensures Taupiri remains the same and will never be built out.

All the best family memories are centred on times spent at Taupiri Bay. We really have swum with dolphins in the bay. One of the highlights was introducing friends to fishing expeditions, bush walks, eating crayfish and toasting marshmallows on a campfire in the evening. Taupiri Bay allows children to be children, and adults to have a rest.

Contact: Susan Cochrane, Bayleys-Kauri Realty. Ph 09 438 2715, Mobile 027 212 3820.