The Flash Bach

It's our last day in the very far north as we're heading down to the bay of islands today. 

I thought I'd end our stay here with another post on the real estate. When I arrived, it was hard to not notice the vast number of empty lots. But the community does have a lot going for it, and though most of the homes below are probably vacation homes, there is a friendly year round population too. 

Starting with the basics, below is your stereotypical NZ bach. Tiny, but enough space to store a boat and fairly popular as a vacation rental.

Decent ones Like the one below, start at about $300k NZD ($240k CAD).

But there is lots of flash around here too. This one is not for sale, but indicative of the nicer houses here.

This one is across the peninsula from us, listed at $860 NZD ($688 CAD).

The terraced looking houses are popular. Here's on just around the corner from us listed at 1.2 mil NZD (IMHO, overpriced).

Another interesting thing is that the local bylaws (covenants) do not seem to have many restrictions on look and feel, or even usage. So you can basically build whatever you like. How about a modern white box?

Or a Spanish villa. (The house below has security cameras, an automated gate and an intercom too.)

Or you can even converted a single car garage into an IKEA style home:

As you've seen over my last few blogs, there isn't that much to do here. Most people who own these homes love this area because they fish. So almost all of the homes have ample parking for boats and their various accessories.

Some houses seem to take boat storage to the extreme. This is actually a home (or at least it is until they develop the rest of the property):

When you're not fishing, there a few other pursuits up here for those looking to burn some money. The Karikari Estates winery is beautiful and has a lovely restaurant.

They are also located across the street from Carrington Resort and golf course. The two establishments are owned by the same company, so you can even drive your golf cart over to the winery after your game.

Also, if you're looking for a place to park your sail boat, there are plenty of options. It's not an area I'd want to stay in long term, but I can certainly see the appeal.