– A South Auckland home where Jonah Lomu married his first wife is for sale.
– Wattle Downs offers affordable luxury homes, popular with families and workers near Auckland Airport.
– The suburb features high-decile schools, coastal walkways, and properties starting from $700,000.
A South Auckland home overlooking the spot where All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu tied the knot with his first wife almost 30 years ago has hit the market for sale.
Bayleys agent Dylan Turner said St Annes Crescent was “quite a famous street”. Lomu and South African Tanya Rutter chose to get married on the lawn of a private residence on St Annes Crescent, in Wattle Downs, because of its waterfront setting.
Race car driver Scott Dixon also grew up a few doors down.
Jonah Lomu married Tanya Rutter in secret in 1996, but he did invite New Idea magazine to photograph the ceremony. Photo / Supplied
Wattle Downs is home to stunning harbour views, affordable homes and good schooling. Photo / Getty Images
Wattle Downs is somewhat of a secret in South Auckland and can only be reached after driving through Manurewa. Turner told OneRoof it was one road in and one road out.
The agent, who has owned a property in the suburb since the late 1980s, said that once you got to the peninsula, it was a joy.
The suburb overlooks the Manukau Harbour, features high-decile schooling, coastal walkways, a golf course, retirement village, a dairy, and a takeaway.
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It is particularly popular with families wanting to be in zone for Reremoana School and workers who wish to be close to Auckland Airport.
Luxury homes there are much more affordable than similar waterfront properties overlooking the Waitematā, costing around $2m. Entry-level houses start in the $700,000s, while family homes are in the early $1ms.
Turner is selling one of the largest waterfront properties in the suburb at 55 St Annes Crescent. He said the 660sqm home came with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms and could easily accommodate three families.
Also up for grabs in the suburb is a three-bedroom brick and tile family home at 23 Croftview Road. Photo / Supplied
A three-bedroom home with potential is on the market in the suburb at 6 Gleneagles Grove. Photo / Supplied
The property, which has an RV of $2.075m, overlooks the spot where Lomu exchanged vows with Rutter in secret on St Patrick’s Day in 1996.
Turner knows the man who lent Lomu his home for the ceremony. “[Lomu] wanted it out of the public eye.”
Ray White agent Sam Steel said Wattle Downs was a “hidden spot”.
“It’s almost like walking through the door of Narnia when you come down here. It just opens up and it transforms completely,” he said.
“It’s generally a fantastic spot for everything. You don’t need to leave to get your essentials or do anything.”
Steel said they often saw families from the neighbouring suburbs move to Wattle Downs for schooling and because it offered more bang for its buck. Others loved Wattle Downs so much they just upgraded from their first home to their second while staying in the same suburb.
“You do get a lot of home for your money.”
Steel said the waterfront homes tended to be the most desirable and a cross-lease property overlooking the water at Hoylake Place recently sold for $895,000.
The agent is currently marketing a large three-bedroom, two-bathroom at 6 Gleneagles Grove and a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 23 Croftview Road. Both have RVs of around $1m and are for sale by negotiation.
– Click here to find more properties for sale in Wattle Downs