Catherine Smith
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Editor Weekend Life New Zealand Herald; swallower of good books, good food and good coffee. Fan of the Nga Haerenga national Cycle Trail.
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Articles by Catherine Smith
Waiheke’s most expensive bach: $15,000-a-night estate attracting the helicopter elite
Money is in the air and on its way to Waiheke. This summer, rich-listers will be flying in by helicopter for lavish holidays at the island’s hidden clifftop estates and beachfront retreats. For some Waiheke homeowners, a few weeks of Christmas and New Year bookings can generate enough income to fund a luxury overseas escape of their own. The island’s booming high-end accommodation market has become a lucrative sideline for owners of some of New Zealand’s most valuable homes.
Tea with Her Maj? Why the Queen paid a surprise visit to this Greenlane home ... and why I did too
When it hit the market last week, a smartly renovated five-bedroom house in Auckland’s Greenlane was billed as “Fit for a Queen”. The agents were not exaggerating. The 1930s Arts and Crafts-style home at 14 Maungakiekie Avenue did, in fact, receive a fleeting visit from Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation tour of New Zealand in 1953.
Beachfront home fetches $11m after failing to get over $7m two years ago
Deep-pocketed overseas buyers and cashed-up locals trading within the market are driving demand for some of Auckland’s most expensive homes, according to North Shore luxury agents.
They left Hawaii for a rundown ‘castle in the bush’ - now it could sell for $4m
Belinda and Noah Marshall were living in Hawaii and scrolling for New Zealand real estate when they spotted Cole House, a five-bedroom "castle in the bush" designed by the late architect Sir Ian Athfield “We did it often; we call it ‘house porn’,” Belinda told OneRoof. “I said to Noah, ‘This is the house that would make me go back [to New Zealand].’” Noah’s work meant the couple could be based anywhere in the world, but after eight years in the US, the family were thinking about their next move.
Agent pitches $12m-$15m beachfront estate as ‘affordable’ alternative to $56m Andersons Cove
Catherine Smith ColumnistNZME. 23 Oct, 2026 6:00pm9 mins to read An Auckland real estate agent is pitching the beachfront estate near Northland’s Mangawhai Heads as the bargain alternative for buyers who missed out on New Zealand’s most expensive property nearby. New Zealand Sothebys International Realty agent Ross Hawkins marketing the four-bedroom home at 24 Tangaroa Road, Mangawhai, with price expectations of around $12m-$15m.
Out by Christmas: Remuera Bridge club forced from its home of more than 60 years
The Remuera Bridge Club is set to lose its home of more than 60 years after a “bombshell” sale and eviction notice. Neil Stuckey, the co-chair of the joint Remuera Bridge and Bowling Club, told OneRoof that the new owner of the clubrooms on Remuera Road had informed members they have to be out by Christmas.
Best Web Design Agencies in Dubai (2026)
Dubai has no shortage of web design agencies, and most of them promise the same things: responsive design, fast loading and better conversions. The differences show up in who does the work, what the site is built on and what happens after launch. We compared established Dubai agencies on their published track record and services and picked seven for businesses planning a new website in 2026.
Jay-Jay Feeney's $1.2m apartment sells fast, but radio star takes a hit
Radio star Jay-Jay Feeney has sold her Auckland apartment to one of her neighbours. The broadcaster told OneRoof that she had her offer within two weeks of listing her two-bedroom property at the end of September for just under $1.2 million. She said the buyer was another apartment owner in the block at 59 France Street South, Eden Terrace. “She really wanted the carparks. They are valuable real estate,” she said. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
'Off the hook': Waterfront gem sparks US interest as buyers chase $7m-plus prize in celebrity suburb
A waterfront property in Auckland’s Point Chevalier is aiming for one of the suburb’s top prices when it sells. The four-bedroom house on a double waterfront section at 34 Harbour View Road is expected to sell for well above its $6.7m RV. The property is already pulling American interest, New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Aaron Holmes told OneRoof.
Justin Bieber at Tara Iti? The celebrity golf sighting we missed while hunting for houses
Advice for editors: do not send a property reporter to cover New Zealand’s international celebrity mecca. Yesterday, while the OneRoof team was at Te Arai Links visiting the course and clubrooms and scouting the discreet winding streets lined with new houses for real estate stories, we missed the scoop of the year: a purported sighting of Justin Bieber playing golf at the exclusive sister course, Tara Iti, only a couple of kilometres along the dunes.
'Pizza economics' billionaire Guy Haddleton sells beachfront estate for $40m
Billionaire Kiwi entrepreneur Guy Haddleton has sold his luxury Northland beachfront estate for $40 million, more than four times its rateable value and nearly five times what he paid for it six years ago. The sale of the 61ha property on Bream Tail Road, at Langs Beach, was brokered by Bayleys and comes just months after the agency secured the record-breaking $56m sale of neighbouring Andersons Cove.
Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre launches Digital Arabic Library on Amazon
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has launched the Digital Arabic Library on Amazon, a partnership targeting the digitisation of 100,000 Arabic books and already offering more than 38,000 titles to readers worldwide. The storefront, live on Amazon, includes over 33,000 Kindle eBooks and 5,000 Audible audiobooks, with more than 1,000 titles available at no cost, according to the Amazon newsroom. The two partners said the programme will run over three years.
Ponsonby's richest streets revealed: Buyers paying mansion money for suburban villas
How much are Kiwis willing to pay for a villa? In some cases, as much as eight times New Zealand's average house price - although location is everything. In Auckland's Ponsonby, just three streets are a magnet for the suburb's wealth. Known collectively as The Avenues, Ardmore Road, Wanganui Avenue and Albany Road are shining examples of suburbia as we'd like to imagine it.
NZ's house price record smashed: Andersons Cove sells for $56m
New Zealand's house price record has officially been broken. Andersons Cove, a sprawling coastal estate north of Auckland, was bought for $56 million - beating the previous record-holder by over $10m. The 48ha property on Bream Tail Road, at Langs Beach, Northland, was snapped up by an expat in May this year, but the sale price was only released this week.
'That's the one I really wanted': Buyer stuck overseas snaps up historic boatshed for nearly $1m
One of Auckland’s historic Ngapipi Road boatsheds has fetched close to $1 million after just over two weeks on the market. A keen buyer jumped the gun ahead of this week's planned auction, paying $985,000 for the working shed, New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty listing agent Paul Sissons told OneRoof. “It’s a really good price; the owner was very, very happy,” he said. Built in the 1940s, No.8 is one of 17 sheds in the much-photographed strip on the edge of Whakatakataka Bay.
Rich-listers want $60m-plus for their mansion after failed deal with Saudi buyer
Rich-lister Kiwis Simon and Paula Herbert have relisted their waterfront mansion six months after pulling it from the open market and a failed deal with an overseas buyer. The couple have once again tasked Wall Real Estate agents Graham and Ollie Wall with selling 15 Cremorne, in Auckland's Herne Bay, and have upped their price expectations by more than $10 million. Ollie Wall told Business Desk that the price of the 1075sqm, six-bedroom house was north of $60m - more than double its RV.
Point Chev home bought 37 years ago for $300k snapped up after getting $5.5m price tag
- A Point Chevalier beachfront home listed near $5.5 million has sold for an undisclosed price. - The property last sold for $300,000 in 1988, then a high price for the suburb. - Taika Waititi and Rita Ora’s $10.5 million purchase has boosted Point Chevalier’s profile. A beachfront home bought for just $300,000 nearly four decades ago has sold after hitting the market with a price tag approaching $5.5 million. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Freemans Bay house pitched as $11m investment property
A mysterious concrete house in the heart of Auckland's Freemans Bay commercial precinct is being pitched to international buyers as an $11 million investment opportunity. New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty agent Scarlett Wood told OneRoof she is marketing the Lawrence Sumich-designed property at 35 Spring St, Freemans Bay, to foreign investors and has already attracted interest from buyers in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Thriving Kids launches today. Here’s what will and won’t change
Helen Dickinson, UNSW and Catherine Smith, The University of Melbourne Wed 30 September 2026 at 5:59 pm UTC 5 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On October 1, the first stage of Thriving Kids begins to roll out. This new program, announced just over a year ago, is part of the federal government's sweeping changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Winton founder Chris Meehan splashes $4.95m on Ponsonby villa after $14m Herne Bay sale
Fresh from selling his luxury Herne Bay home for $14 million, under-fire property developer Chris Meehan has bought one suburb over for a fraction of the price. Records show that Speargrass Holdings, the company controlled by Meehan, his wife Michaela and lawyer Jeremy Johnson, purchased a renovated villa on Ponsonby's Ardmore Road in June.
Roaming Ponsonby crowds chase North Shore 'bargain', but local couple beats them to it
A three-bedroom villa on Auckland's North Shore sold under the hammer last week for just over $2 million after crowded open homes. Ray White Ponsonby agent Will Gluestein told OneRoof that the classic bay villa on Queen Street, in Northcote Point, was snapped up by a local couple for just over $2 million, but they faced strong competition from buyers from over the Harbour Bridge. "We had 87 groups through the open homes. The two other registered bidders were from the city side," Gluestein said.
'Mentally they've moved': Wealthy Chow brothers relist their Orakei mega-mansion
Rich-lister property developers John and Michael Chow are selling their multimillion-dollar mansion in Auckland’s Orakei. The brothers, who are business partners of former Prime Minister Sir John Key and his son Max Key, had been looking for a buyer for their five-bedroom home at 5 Fenton Circus for more than a year before relisting it this week. The resort-like property, which offers clear views of the harbour and Rangitoto, has an RV of $12.75m and last changed hands in 2012 for $6.65m.
'Anyone else would have cried': Remuera's Jurassic Park eyesore now a luxury retreat
- A rebuilt Remuera home goes to auction October 8 after emerging from years of neglect. - Phil Penney and Dina Helyen created four bedrooms and wellness facilities across three levels. - Structural work included $70,000 steel beams, while agents expect the property to fetch $3 million-plus. The worst house in one of Auckland's best streets is back on the market after a breathtaking rebuild. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
One of the North Shore’s biggest-ever deals: Waterfront mansion gets top price
- A Hamptons-style waterfront mansion in Takapuna has sold after hitting the market for $30 million. - The undisclosed sale ranks among the North Shore’s highest residential deals, with local buyers. - The six-bedroom rebuild was expected to challenge the North Shore record of $28.888m, set in 2017. A Hamptons-style mansion that hit the market late last year with a $30 million price tag has found a new owner. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
The Bachelor NZ’s famous pool party house for sale as spa queen swaps Auckland for Bali
- A Palm Springs-style Remuera home is for sale as its owner relocates to Bali. - The home featured in The Bachelor New Zealand’s first season and the Greens’ romance. - Its $5.95m RV and luxury refurbishment are attracting buyers, but the asking price remains undisclosed. It’s the resort-like home that brought Art and Matilda Green together, and it’s up for grabs. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Herne Bay villa linked to Chris Meehan sells for $14m in off-market deal
An Auckland house linked to multi-millionaire property developer Chris Meehan has been sold for $14 million, property records show. The Herne Bay property owned by Speargrass Holdings, the company controlled by Meehan, his wife Michaela and lawyer Jeremy Johnson, formally changed hands last week to a company called Greymouth Holdings. The deal took place off-market. OneRoof understands that Wall Real Estate agency handled the sale.
Grand Designs star’s concrete marvel hits Auckland market
- An iconic two-bedroom concrete home in Herne Bay is for sale. - It was designed by Ross Bannan, whose concrete craftsmanship featured on Grand Designs New Zealand. - Fearon Hay transformed heritage-protected stables into a studio, while later owners added a self-contained apartment. A striking home built by New Zealand concretologist and Grand Designs star Ross Bannan is up for grabs in Auckland’s wealthiest suburb. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Million-dollar dealbreakers: Buyers walking away from luxury homes over tiny garages, bad driveways
- Luxury-home buyers are abandoning properties when garages cannot fit their prized vehicles. - Wealthy Auckland buyers often expect triple garages, even when choosing central suburbs. - Buyers’ agents search off-market homes, negotiate prices, and advise clients when to walk away. Some buyers are walking away from multi-million-dollar homes because the garage isn't big enough to hold their prized vehicles. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Jay-Jay Feeney selling her chic city apartment for $1.195m
Radio star Jay-Jay Feeney is selling her stylish Auckland home for just under $1.2 million. The broadcaster listed the two-bedroom apartment at 415/59 France Street South, Eden Terrace, this week after telling her Instagram followers that she had already made an offer on a new place. Pointing to boxes piled around the living room and bedrooms ahead of the home-stagers arriving, she told her fans: "I'm packing up to move house; I'm feeling a bit ragged.
‘My little hideaway’: Historic boatshed hits open market for the first time in 80 years
- A historic Ngapipi Road boatshed is listed publicly for the first time since the 1940s. - The shed remains operational and was once owned by industrialist Sir Tom Clark. - It goes to auction October 8; neighbouring sheds have sold for $1.85m and $2.05m. One of Auckland’s historic Ngapipi Road boatsheds has been listed for sale on the open market for the first time since it was built in the 1940s. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Left for dead: Art Deco home reborn after dramatic $400k makeover
A run-down Auckland house that was once slated for demolition is on the market after a stylish transformation that cost around $400,000. Jess Driver and Thomas Ward bought the 1930s Art Deco home at 300 Point Chevalier Road in 2021 for just over $2.5 million, with plans to replace it with seven new homes.
Hidden buyers, quiet deals: The 22 homes that have sold for more than $10m this year
- Ultra-luxury sales have accelerated, led by Andersons Cove’s reported $40m-plus deal. - OneRoof identified 22 sales above $10m, while Auckland dominated publicly advertised prestige listings. - Many high-end transactions remain private, reflecting wealthy buyers’ desire for discretion and rigorous due diligence.
Here's What Our Editors Always Pack for a Chic Cotswolds Escape
You might think the idyllic English countryside of your dreams exists only in the pages of your favorite Jane Austen novel. However, only two hours outside of London lies a storybook region that even the greatest of writers can’t properly put into words: the Cotswolds.
‘Winner’s guilt': West Auckland mum’s $30k surprise takes pressure off hefty mortgage
- A West Auckland mother won $30,000, covering her mortgage for 12 months through The Hits-OneRoof radio competition. - The couple have two young children and a substantial mortgage on their Te Atatū home. - More than 250,000 calls showed how rising mortgage and living costs are straining households. A West Auckland mum will be able to spend more time with her new baby now that she does not have to worry about her mortgage for the next 12 months.
Matakana village masterminds create walkable neighbourhood
It is hard to talk about Matakana, on Auckland’s northern fringes, without pointing to the country town’s transformation by developers Richard and Christine Didsbury over the past 25 years. The couple created the Matakana village complex on the site of the old timber yard, first with the farmers’ market, and then surrounding it with shops, restaurants and a striking arthouse cinema.
Remuera developer pays $8.35m to protect unbuilt apartment block’s views
- Developer Richard Kroon paid $8.35m for a Remuera mansion protecting future apartment views. - His planned apartments occupy the former Airlie Court site, with Auckland Council consent still pending. - The purchase prevents neighbouring terrace housing or apartments from blocking northern harbour views. Auckland developer Richard Kroon has paid more than $8 million for a mansion – not to live in, but to protect the views of his latest luxury apartment development.
Ex-All Black Julian Savea sells luxury lifestyle block, buys new one up the road
- Former All Black Julian Savea and wife Tima sold their Coatesville estate, buying another nearby. - They reduced their mortgage while staying near friends, and Tima plans extensive renovations. - Julian Savea has become Mahurangi’s head coach, pursuing his ambition to mentor young rugby players. Former All Black Julian Savea and his influencer wife Tima have sold their luxury lifestyle estate – and bought a new home along the road. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
‘For ordinary people like us, $30k changed everything’: Windfall wipes out couple’s debts
- Kayla won $30,000 and used it to marry Jim, reduce debts, and pay down their mortgage. - The prize transformed their approach to money, inspiring savings and renovations at their Waikato home. - She advises this year’s On The House winner to focus on long-term goals. When Waikato saleswoman Kayla won $30,000 last year in The Hits OneRoof Live Free competition, she knew straight away what she would do with the money – pay down her mortgage and fund her wedding to her fiancé Jim.
48 buyers through the door: Striking house fetches over $5m, blasts past irrelevant RV
- A renovated St Heliers home sold for $5.25m within days, attracting 48 interested parties. - Luxury homes are selling quickly as wealthy buyers seek renovations and quality listings remain scarce. - Forty of 116 Auckland sales above $5m sold within two months this year. A luxuriously renovated four-bedroom home in Auckland’s eastern bays sold late last month for more than $5 million – within days of it hitting the market. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
‘Sold by dinner time’: Buyers snap up classic home in less than 10 hours
- Buyers paid over $2m for a four-bedroom Kohimarama home within 10 hours. - Cash buyers made an offer before marketing began, and vendors accepted it by dinner. - Agents say decisive buyers are also securing suitable Auckland homes before scheduled sales. Buyers paid over $2 million for a substantial character home in Auckland’s Kohimarama last week, less than 10 hours after first inspecting it. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Barfoot & Thompson boss planning his exit after 45 years - ‘new blood needs to come in’
- Peter Thompson plans to step down as head of Barfoot & Thompson within five years. - His family agency handles four in 10 Auckland residential sales, spanning more than 80 branches. - Thompson says technology is changing real estate, but face-to-face service remains essential. The head of Auckland’s largest real estate agency says he’s planning his exit after more than two decades in the role. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Herne Bay apartment sells for over $10m - and it's not even the penthouse
- Auckland buyers paid $10.275m for a non-penthouse Herne Bay apartment, highlighting premium boutique demand. - Agents say downsizers want exclusive, low-maintenance apartments near Herne Bay’s cafes and restaurants. - Limited supply pushes high-end apartment prices towards mansion levels, with an Ōrākei apartment fetching $11.6m. Auckland buyers have paid over $10 million for an apartment in Herne Bay - a sum that would easily bag a mansion elsewhere in the city.
German family who’ve never set foot in NZ buy Auckland home for over $3m
- German buyers purchased a Glendowie home sight unseen for $3.4m through an agent. - The buyers hold residency visas and are relocating with three daughters, making school zones crucial. - Five overseas purchases were approved last month, bringing golden-visa purchases above $5m to 25. A German couple who have never set foot in New Zealand bought their dream home in Auckland’s Glendowie in June for more than $3 million. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Four weeks into real estate, a $30m Lotto winner walked through his door ...
He was once the face of “Big Money Energy”, but these days Barfoot & Thompson luxury agent Paul Neshausen is a little more circumspect. Neshausen’s flash billboards dominated Auckland’s Tamaki Drive in the 2010s. The marketing and the mantra, learned from US uber agent Ryan Serhant and reality TV star, won him a lot of attention and business. “Big money energy got me to a certain stage.
Xero country boss selling her mid-century ‘masterpiece’ home for close to $5m
- Xero New Zealand country manager Bridget Snelling is selling her restored Remuera mid-century home for $4.83m. - Snelling and her husband preserved architect David Allison’s 1969 design while adding modern family amenities. - The five-bedroom, 319sqm property has attracted strong mid-century interest and exceeds its $4.05m RV. The New Zealand country manager for software giant Xero is selling the mid-century house she brought back to life over a decade ago.
Ex-Auckland mayor sells Queenstown home to overseas buyer as Marvel director pulls his $15m listing
- Former Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard and Diana sold their Queenstown home to an overseas buyer. - The architecturally distinctive home had been listed for more than $8 million. - Another high-profile property was withdrawn, while Queenstown-Lakes recorded 24 sales above $5 million in 2026. Ex-Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard and his wife Diana have sold their multimillion-dollar "masterpiece" in Queenstown to an overseas buyer. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
$1b agent's close encounter with Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter ... and his run-in with Sir Bob Jones
It would be no exaggeration to say that Bayleys agent David Rainbow invented the luxury real estate market in New Zealand. The agent, who switched from finance to a career in real estate in 1984, said he quickly realised that nobody else back then was focusing on the premium end of the market. His client list is a rollcall of the who’s who of New Zealand – and international – rich listers and celebrities. He is still inking multi-million-dollar deals.
Auckland couple reliving their honeymoon buy iconic beach home in the Bay of Islands
- An Auckland couple bought Clear Waters, a landmark Art Deco home on Russell’s Long Beach. - The property attracted strong interest, with its price undisclosed and an RV of $3.76m. - The home, built by May Harvey, hosted five generations before proceeds were earmarked for philanthropy. A landmark beach home in Russell, in the Far North, has been snapped up by an Auckland couple. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
‘We managed to extract another $200K’: Trophy home sells for over $5m at crowded auction
- A Parnell trophy home sold for $5.55 million, exceeding its RV by more than $1m. - Four buyers competed after 95 inspections, with bidding rising from $4.3m before negotiations paused. - The five-bedroom character home offered Parnell history, a pool, generous grounds and nearby dining. A grand Auckland home, on the market for only the second time in its 90-year history, fetched $5.55 million under the hammer last week - over $1m above its RV. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
Tech entrepreneur sells his Remuera mansion for $43m, downsizes to $11m apartment
- Auckland’s Arney Road estate has sold for $43 million, setting the city’s residential sale record. - The deal exceeded its $34 million RV, surpassing Auckland’s previous $38.5m record. - The vendor bought the estate for $6.75m in 2000 after earning his fortune in Silicon Valley. A Kiwi entrepreneur who made his money in Silicon Valley has sold his sprawling estate on Auckland's Arney Road for $43 million - $9m above RV. Start your property search Find your dream home today.
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