We are sadly selling our beautiful place in Awaawaroa Bay, Waiheke Island.

We have one hectare (10,000m2) of private residential and growing land as part of a much larger collectively owned valley.

TWO COMPLIANT BUILDINGS: We have two private, sunny buildings with views to the forest (not another house in sight!). These are both built in adherence with the NZ Building Code H1 regulations and our Resource Consent.

Each building is 30m2 plus large covered decks. These are retreat-like spaces with high gabled ceilings and plywood walls.

The northern hut was envisaged as extra accommodation for friends and family, and is built with this attention to detail. The second hut is compliant as a workshop space. We intended to use these while we built our main house on the site.

The buildings are within an elevated clearing, on a sheltered gently sloping elevated land, surrounded by beautiful forested valleys. There are many fruit trees and rich soil for vegetable gardens.

OFF-GRID: Our new Victron Solar system generates enough power to run an electric car and for other modern conveniences. Two new water tanks, totaling 35,000 litres, also provide more than enough water.

RESOURCE CONSENT: We have Resource Consent for 200m2 of residential buildings and 50m2 of ancillary buildings. The Resource Consent has ~5 years left to run and enables you to build a large family home on the site, alongside the existing buildings.

GROWING ALLOTMENT: The site includes orchards, productive gardens, farmland, large stands of covenanted native bush, waterways and coastal riparian access for fishing. We have numerous olive trees that we harvest and press – producing some of the best olive oil around!

The ~6,000m2 allotments that come with the share are in the flat and undulating land within the lower valley alongside the freshwater stream. This provides opportunity for growing at scale. There is ample space in the wider area for new agricultural opportunities, forestry, and other initiatives.

SELLING PRICE: $580,000 nzd – includes land and buildings (reduced from original price of $780,000).

Unfortunately, as it is collective land, it is very difficult to raise a mortgage, so buyers will need to have at least $400,000 deposit.

As a further note, we have built the buildings at a cost of approximately $350,000, and the last two sections at Awaawaroa sold for approximately $400,000, so we are currently selling at a very low price.

There are 15 residential shares at Awaawaroa Bay Limited. We each live privately in our own private hectare of land, and manage the remaining common land collectively through monthly meetings and working bees.

We share in the collective ownership of ~160 hectares of forest, farmland and waterways, colloquially known as “the eco village”. While we collectively own the land, people also live privately and have plenty of their own space (one hectare of land each) for their own private retreat.

We are a diverse group of people who work on the island, in the city, and remotely/digitally in a range of professions including soil science, architecture, building, IT, solar, engineering, urban design, horticulture, ecology, landscape architecture, teaching, management, viticulture, performing arts, management, midwifery, law, hospitality, gardening and music. Some people no longer work and just enjoy life growing food and enjoying life at Awaawaroa!

We are a well functioning collective and work to a few documents, including our Shareholders Agreement and Residents Agreement (that we are currently updating).

Awaawaroa is a dog-free and cat-free sanctuary, providing important habitat for forest, tidal and freshwater wetland birds – many that are endangered or at risk.

The freshwater wetlands are habitat for North Island fern bird, banded rail, spotless crake and Australasian bittern. These waterways are also a sanctuary for our indigenous tuna and giant kokupu.

The tidal bay is an important breeding site for New Zealand dotterel, caspian tern, piedshag and variable oystercatcher.  

85 hectares of covenanted forests are home to ruru, kereru, tui, piwakawaka, kaka and other native forest birds.

The wider site comprises a large sheltered valley that stretches from the tidal coastline of Awaawaroa Bay, north to Pukeatua Reserve (Trig Hill) high above Onetangi, and east to Awaawaroa Wetland Reserve.

Ecological restoration is well underway, numerous orchards are planted, collective processes are tried and tested, and a beautiful collectively owned hall has been built.

There are currently two shares for sale at Awaawaroa (our place as described in this website, and another share which is a home on the other side of the valley, which is a separate sale). This is a unique opportunity to be part of this time of change. Bring your friends!

To find out more please contact me on the form below or come along to a monthly working bee, meeting, or morning tea to get a feel for the place and the people.

Once you have sent in a brief expression of interest (a simple letter telling us a bit about you and why you might be interested in Awaawaroa), then we allocate three months for you to get to know everyone before deciding on whether you’d like to join us.