Herald Island

By CHARLOTTE COSSAR

Used by a number of Maori tribes as a staging post for canoe voyages and war parties, Herald Island has developed to become a peaceful haven close to the city yet removed enough to feel worlds away.

Named after the HMS Herald by Governor William Hobson in February 1840 whilst he was travelling on her carrying out a maritime survey of the Waitemata Harbour, the island has been privately owned since the late 1840s and eventually subdivided - the first section, 119 Ferry Pde, was sold on June 19, 1928.

Before the causeway was built in 1958, ferries and boats were the island's lifeline, and it was a self-sufficient community with its own stores, boat club, school, picture theatre and church.

With its long water frontage, many of the properties are on the harbour's edge with their own jetties, boat ramps or wharves with boat access on all tides.

A local resident and real estate agent, John Diprose of First National, Albany, says you can't beat living by the water on an island. "Early in the morning on a good day I can look out the window, and if the tide is right, be off in my canoe in no time, or within about 15 minutes be fishing with my children and catching snapper almost within sight of our house. There are not many places in Auckland you can do that!"

WHO LIVES HERE?

The residents of Herald Island are a varied lot - from families and retirees to people who have sailed in from overseas and never left.

However, the one thing they have in common is a love of the environment and the natural elements the island has to offer - bush, sea and exceptional views.

"It is unique to live on an island so close to Auckland city in a rural village with lots of reserves, plenty of trees, including ancient pohutukawa, and surrounded by the sea," says John.

HOUSE PRICES

There are only about 260 houses on the island and most of the sections have been built on - and no infill housing is permitted - so there is a limited supply of stock.

You would expect to pay from $250,000 for a cottage and from $280,000 to $700,000 (depending on size, quality of the house and water views) for a three- to four-bedroom home.

For a waterfront property, the starting level for a cottage is about $300,000 to about $1.5 million for a large luxurious home on a generous section. However, the average waterfront home is priced between $450,000 and $650,000.

John says he really enjoys selling properties here because they are all so different. "Whether it is a traditional Kiwi bach or a large waterfront home, each property is unique, and in many cases we are selling someone's dream home.

"And it is easy to sell in such a great environment with the sea, coastal pohutukawa, native birds and a good community."