Luxury home comes with two marina berths right outside the door

There’s a little bit of the French Riviera north of Auckland, right out towards the tip of Whangaparāoa Peninsula – it could almost be Antibes. Even the street names are French.

This little slice of paradise known as Gulf Harbour is not only a residential development – it’s also a marina with more than 1000 berths. And two of them are right outside this waterfront home on Rue D’Amarres in the exclusive, gated Cap D’Amarres Estate.

The property sits on a private waterway, and has come onto the market for a cool $4.6 million, which includes the two berths – an 18m berth large enough for a launch, and a 13m one suitable for a day boat or jet skis.

Listing agent Anita Dobson of Harcourts Cooper & Co Silverdale says it is rare for one of the waterfront homes with two berths to come onto the market. “I believe there are only three or four such properties in the estate.

But it’s not just a rare opportunity in Auckland. Owners, Murray and Denise, who have lived here for 12 years, took their time to find this spot: “We searched worldwide for a lifestyle like this, and Gulf Harbour is where we ended up,” Murray says.

‘Stingrays, big snapper, kingfish and kahawai’

“We have the best fishing and diving, the most pristine water and calmest bays of anywhere in the world. And the marina is very clear and clean. We have our own fish at the front door, which we feed – there are stingrays, big snapper, kingfish and kahawai.

“We had looked at other places, including Pauanui, but they don’t have the infrastructure we wanted that the big city has, like hospitals, and sports events. And we have a ferry into Auckland.”

But the couple are more likely to take their own boat into the city. “About once a month, we take the boat to the Viaduct Harbour and park it up. We take our electric scooters and scoot around the city.”

Despite the French street names, they liken the Gulf Harbour village to Portofino in Italy, which they say it was modelled on. “Although we are on the fringe of a big city, this place has a little village feel. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Now, however, they say it’s time to sell, and there are a couple of key reasons, including Murray’s health, which deteriorated markedly after he contracted Covid: “I find it difficult to look after the big boat, and our son’s just had a baby and got a business.

“If we take the boat to Great Barrier with the family and friends, we are all reliant on the weather to get back in time. We felt if we swapped the boat for a beach house, then everyone else could use it at any time. And they wouldn’t be reliant on me. And we will probably buy something for ourselves in Orewa.”

The couple are not the first owners of the three-bedroom 291m² house. It was built in the 2000s and has been kept in pristine condition. Most rooms are designed to maximise the water and marina views. There are two living areas, with the main open-plan living space opening out to the main terrace on one side, and a private courtyard on the other side.

The second living area is positioned near the front entry.

The designer kitchen features sleek dark-stained timber veneer cabinets, a large island and granite benchtops. It not only benefits from the marina view, but also opens to the courtyard at the side.

Bedrooms are on the upper level, with two, including the main suite, opening out to a long balcony that also captures the view.

Outdoor living is catered for, with a large terrace at ground level, and the courtyard with outdoor fireplace, spa pool and Louvretec shade system with rain-sensing technology.

Gulf Harbour Marina, voted Marina of the Year in 2020 and Boatyard of the Year last year, provides secure dry-stack facilities as well as berths, haul-out services and an onsite service centre.

The property, at 36 Rue D’Amarres, Gulf Harbour, is for sale through Harcourts Cooper & Co Silverdale.