Cliff tops

Sisters Claudette Morgan and Cindy Galea have a dream to revive the mana of Castlecliff. PHOTO/STUARTMUNRO030913WCSMSEASIDE1

Two Australian women have big dreams for Castlecliff and believe the suburb is superb, despite being warned off buying houses in the area.

Sisters Claudette Morgan and Cindy Galea are passionate about their new seaside homes and want to restore the mana of Castlecliff.

"We've put $1 million into Castlecliff properties, and now we've got nothing left," they laugh.

They bought houses on Manuka St, Matai St, Ashton Tce and Karaka St, and got in and did a lot of the renovation work themselves, before putting the properties on the market.

The two women came to Wanganui from the Gold Coast in Australia after another friend, Helen Singles, had come to study glass at the Wanganui Glass School, and shared her story about the River City.

Mrs Morgan said she was an unfulfilled artist and arrived in 2003 to study fine arts at Whanganui Ucol.

"Halfway through I knew I did not want to do this," she smiles, already an accomplished watercolourist and a Reiki Master teacher.

Dr Galea who has a PhD in metaphysical science from the University of Metaphysics in Sedona California, arrived in Wanganui during a full blast of an "Antarctic winter", and told her sister; "I am not even going to unpack my bag, I'm going home."

The cold got to the sisters, and when Mrs Morgan returned to the Gold Coast three months later, her seaside home had sold for three times the amount she originally sold for.

She knew she could no longer afford to buy another property of the same standard.

So it was back to Wanganui and the sisters looked at buying on Karaka St, despite being warned off from buying in the suburb.

"All the agents we went to said, don't buy in Castlecliff."

They went to every open home across Wanganui, but wanted to be by the sea and preferably with a view.

"We were appalled at the state of some of those houses. We could not have just moved in without totally renovating."

They bought a cottage in Ashton Tce - a little treasure, they said - which they painted blue, much to the consternation of the neighbours.

One of the first properties they bought on Karaka St the sisters renamed "mustabinkarakas", because of the state it was in.

They eventually sold that and have just bought another property on the street next to Mrs Morgan's home.

With renovations all complete, mostly, the sisters have a dream about Castlecliff and how it could, or should, be.

They like the idea of a Tasman Fair, cafes and boutiques along Seafront Rd, and have joined Progress Castlecliff to become involved to realise their dream now they have time. "We are excited to be involved."