– The Taupō bach owned by the Richwhite family has sold after almost 18 months on the market.
– The three-bedroom cottage, accessible only by boat, helicopter, or foot, was listed by Alison Whittle.
– The property, which had a 2022 RV of $1.155m, was sold due to the family’s infrequent visits.
The Taupō bach owned by one of New Zealand’s wealthiest families has finally found a buyer after a year and a half on the market.
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The three-bedroom “fisherman’s cottage”, which sits on 1.21ha of land on the Western Bays of Lake Taupō, had been a holiday getaway for the Richwhite family for more than 100 years.
It first hit the market in February 2024 and had, according to Bayleys listing agent Alison Whittle, attracted interest from local and international buyers.
Inside the simple cottage, which was built in the 1920s. Photo / Supplied
The property was declared as sold on Bayleys’ website this week. OneRoof contacted Whittle for details about the sale, but she declined to comment.
She had pitched the property last year as “one of those very, very rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities”.
In her listing, Whittle said the property was “the paradise that time forgot” and was accessible only by boat, by helicopter, or on foot.
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The property, which has a 2022 RV of $1.155 million, was owned by former merchant banker David Richwhite and his siblings. Bayleys disclosed last year that the siblings had decided to sell “because extended family is simply not visiting the property enough”.
A spokesperson for the Richwhite family said in statement released by Bayleys that the bach “deserves to be enjoyed and utilised regularly. While it’s absolutely a heart- wrench to be selling given the intergenerational memories made there, it’s time for someone else to love it and create their own legacy”.
The bach sits on 1.21ha on the Western Bays of Lake Taupō. Photo / Supplied
Whittle had previously said that while council records for the property were somewhat limited, the owners advised that their grandfather and father built the cottage in the 1920s.
She told media last year: “I’ve had contact from people who have only glimpsed the property while boating in the area and feel no need to book a viewing for more information.
“The location is so highly coveted that people seem to have a very emotional association with the property, despite never having set foot on the shores there.”
Bayleys said King Charles III had fished at the property during a royal tour of New Zealand in the 1970s.