Unspoilt water views, March 2005

UNSPOILT WATER VIEWS STORY, originally published in the Sun Herald March 2005

Not all of Sydney’s great water views have the hustle and bustle of the Harbour Bridge, ferries, large ships and sailing boats with a city skyline in the background.
In fact, much of Sydney’s leafy bushland and quiet bays and waterways remain just as beautiful.
The following suburbs offer tranquil, leafy views at a price which will still set you back millions of dollars, but are a lot more affordable than a Sydney Harbourfront.

COTTAGE POINT:

The view: With an unspoilt vista over Cowan Creek in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, this is one of Sydney’s most secluded suburbs about an hour’s drive north of the city.
APM median house price: There are not enough sales to get a median price, but the cheapest property on the market is a block of land for $1.8million and the most expensive is $5million.

Ten-minutes drive from Terrey Hills through the National Park is this tiny suburb with only 50 houses on just three streets.
There is only bushland and an endless array of creeks and bays to look at from this suburb, which is a mecca for sailing types who love to bring their keeled yachts in to the deep waters of the area.
The area used to be a holiday spot, but many of the large luxury houses are now lived in all year around.
“It’s people with huge yachts that love the area, because not many waterfronts offer so much deep water at high and low tide,” Mrs Grey says.
L.J. Hooker Mona Vale’s Nick Breadman says the waterways surrounding Cottage Point are the best within an hour’s drive of Sydney, attracting boat lovers who want to sail down Cowan Creek into Pittwater or Broken Bay and out through the heads to the ocean.
On the weekends, the seaplane comes in to land and take punters to the restaurant for lunch.
“You do get a lot of sailing boats and power boats on Cowan Creek, so there is enough to look at – it’s not just bush,” Mrs Grey says.
House prices in the suburb start at $2 million, and the houses are all on steep blocks of land with the bulk of them offering deep waterfrontage and boating facilities.

NORTHBRIDGE

The view: Set on Middle Harbour, the peninsula suburb overlooks Sailors Bay and Castlecrag on one side and Long Bay on the other.
APM median house price, Dec 2004: $1.425m

Northbridge is one of the most tranquil waterfront suburbs close to the city, with the eastern end being the most sought after, according to local agents.
“You would swear you were somewhere at the end of a national park, not ten minutes from the city,” says Richardson & Wrench Northbridge agent Pamela Downie.
Houses in Coorabin, Minimbah and Minnamurra roads offer leafy water views to Castlecrag, while houses in Coolawin and Dorset roads overlook Mosman’s Beauty Point.
Ray White Northbridge agent Judy Bateson says the peaceful views are not the only appeal driving high property values in the area.
“Most people really like it because it is a peninsula suburb with a village feel,” she says.
“They like Northbridge because of its combination of views and facilities – the schools, the golf course, the baths, the sailing club and the harbour make it very unique.”
Mrs Downie says houses with views start at $2 million, but a rundown house without an outlook can be snapped up in the low $1 million price range.

LILLI PILLI

The view: With an outlook over Port Hacking and the bushland in the Royal National Park in the Sutherland Shire, this headland suburb is around 50 minutes drive south of the city.
APM median house price, Dec 2004: $1.27m

With vistas of shifting sandbars in the shallow waters of Port Hacking, this was a quiet suburb until Sutherland Shire devotees discovered the appealing views.
Denise Howell Real Estate principal Denise Howell says Lilli Pilli is one of The Shire’s most appealing “upgrade” suburbs, offering families large blocks of land with great views.
“Some people prefer the views from Burraneer because you can watch the ferries and there is a lot of activity, but there are just as many people who like the quiet boats and bush views from Lilli Pilli,” she says.
Kim Gilmore Real Estate principal Kim Gilmore says the views to the west from Lilli Pilli offer fantastic sunsets over the broadwater of the river, while the easterly views are an ever-changing vista of tidal sandbars.
”The view to Maianbar is a constantly changing pattern of blue and sparkling sand and it’s really very beautiful – I don’t think there is anything quite like it,” she says.
Lilli Pilli has large block sizes and more space between the houses, offering a leafier and more private alternative to suburbs in the nearby Wooloware peninsula.
“You feel like you are in a retreat when you come into Lilli Pilli – there just isn’t the congestion of places like Burraneer,” Mrs Gilmore says.

KANGAROO POINT

The view: Overlooking the Georges River, Tom Ugly’s Bridge and secluded bays, this suburb is around 35 minutes drive south of the city.
APM median house price, Dec 2004: There were not enough house sales last year to create a median house price, but most recent sales have been for more than $2 million, with the 2003 median price at $2.175m.

This north-facing peninsular suburb has only eight streets, with the east side offering the most expensive properties and deep water frontage.
Nonie Ressler Realtor sales agent Justin Ressler says the sunrises over the water ensure Kangaroo Point captures some of the most spectacular panoramic outlooks over the quiet Georges River.
“The east-facing side of the point really is quite amazing – you look at the bridge and into Kogarah Bay so there is something nice to look at, but it’s not too busy,” he says.
“You see a lot of boats and sail boats going past.”
John Greig Real Estate agent David Greig says the halt of commercial fishing on the river means fishing stocks are coming back, and the river is becoming a haven for recreational fishing.
“You see mostly leisure boats and fishing boats – it’s really very nice,” he says.
The biggest selling point for the suburb is its close proximity to the city, with easy access to the airport and CBD compared to the Port Hacking waterfront suburbs.

OTHER UNSPOILT VIEW LOCATIONS:

Here are some more affordable suburbs where you can pick up a property for under $2 million with a lovely outlook over Sydney’s quieter waters.
NORTH: Berowra Waters, Clareville, Scotland Island, Dangar Island, Bayview, Brooklyn, Church Point.
SOUTH: Bundeena, Illawong, Lugarno, Grays Point, Port Hacking, Maianbar, Como.


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UNSPOILT WATER VIEWS STORY, originally published in the Sun Herald March 2005 Not all of Sydney’s great water views have the hustle and bustle of the Harbour Bridge, ferries, large ships and sailing boats with a city skyline in the background. In fact, much of Sydney’s leafy bushland and quiet bays and waterways remain just as beautiful. The following suburbs offer tranquil, leafy views at a price which will still set you back millions of dollars, but are a lot more affordable than a Sydney Harbourfront. COTTAGE POINT: The view: With an unspoilt vista over Cowan Creek in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, this is one of Sydney’s most secluded suburbs about an hour’s drive north of the city. APM median house price: There are not enough sales to get a median price, but the cheapest property on the market is a block of land for $1.8million and the most expensive is $5million. Ten-minutes drive from Terrey Hills through the National Park is this tiny suburb with only 50 houses on just three streets. There is only bushland and an endless array of creeks and bays to look at from this suburb, which is a mecca for sailing types who love to bring their keeled yachts in to the deep waters of the area. The area used to be a holiday spot, but many of the large luxury houses are now lived in all year around. “It’s people with huge yachts that love the area, because not many waterfronts offer so much deep water at high and low tide,” Mrs Grey says. L.J. Hooker Mona Vale’s Nick Breadman says the waterways surrounding Cottage Point are the best within an hour’s drive of Sydney, attracting boat lovers who want to sail down Cowan Creek into Pittwater or Broken Bay and out through the heads to the ocean. On the weekends, the seaplane comes in to land and take punters to the restaurant for lunch. “You do get a lot of sailing boats and power boats on Cowan Creek, so there is enough to look at – it’s not just bush,” Mrs Grey says. House prices in the suburb start at $2 million, and the houses are all on steep blocks of land with the bulk of them offering deep waterfrontage and boating facilities. NORTHBRIDGE The view: Set on Middle Harbour, the peninsula suburb overlooks Sailors Bay and Castlecrag on one side and Long Bay on the other. APM median house price, Dec 2004: $1.425m Northbridge is one of the most tranquil waterfront suburbs close to the city, with the eastern end being the most sought after, according to local agents. “You would swear you were somewhere at the end of a national park, not ten minutes from the city,” says Richardson & Wrench Northbridge agent Pamela Downie. Houses in Coorabin, Minimbah and Minnamurra roads offer leafy water views to Castlecrag, while houses in Coolawin and Dorset roads overlook Mosman’s Beauty Point. Ray White Northbridge agent Judy Bateson says the peaceful views are not the only appeal driving high property values in the area. “Most people really like it because it is a peninsula suburb with a village feel,” she says. “They like Northbridge because of its combination of views and facilities – the schools, the golf course, the baths, the sailing club and the harbour make it very unique.” Mrs Downie says houses with views start at $2 million, but a rundown house without an outlook can be snapped up in the low $1 million price range. LILLI PILLI The view: With an outlook over Port Hacking and the bushland in the Royal National Park in the Sutherland Shire, this headland suburb is around 50 minutes drive south of the city. APM median house price, Dec 2004: $1.27m With vistas of shifting sandbars in the shallow waters of Port Hacking, this was a quiet suburb until Sutherland Shire devotees discovered the appealing views. Denise Howell Real Estate principal Denise Howell says Lilli Pilli is one of The Shire’s most appealing “upgrade” suburbs, offering families large blocks of land with great views. “Some people prefer the views from Burraneer because you can watch the ferries and there is a lot of activity, but there are just as many people who like the quiet boats and bush views from Lilli Pilli,” she says. Kim Gilmore Real Estate principal Kim Gilmore says the views to the west from Lilli Pilli offer fantastic sunsets over the broadwater of the river, while the easterly views are an ever-changing vista of tidal sandbars. ”The view to Maianbar is a constantly changing pattern of blue and sparkling sand and it’s really very beautiful – I don’t think there is anything quite like it,” she says. Lilli Pilli has large block sizes and more space between the houses, offering a leafier and more private alternative to suburbs in the nearby Wooloware peninsula. “You feel like you are in a retreat when you come into Lilli Pilli – there just isn’t the congestion of places like Burraneer,” Mrs Gilmore says. KANGAROO POINT The view: Overlooking the Georges River, Tom Ugly’s Bridge and secluded bays, this suburb is around 35 minutes drive south of the city. APM median house price, Dec 2004: There were not enough house sales last year to create a median house price, but most recent sales have been for more than $2 million, with the 2003 median price at $2.175m. This north-facing peninsular suburb has only eight streets, with the east side offering the most expensive properties and deep water frontage. Nonie Ressler Realtor sales agent Justin Ressler says the sunrises over the water ensure Kangaroo Point captures some of the most spectacular panoramic outlooks over the quiet Georges River. “The east-facing side of the point really is quite amazing – you look at the bridge and into Kogarah Bay so there is something nice to look at, but it’s not too busy,” he says. “You see a lot of boats and sail boats going past.” John Greig Real Estate agent David Greig says the halt of commercial fishing on the river means fishing stocks are coming back, and the river is becoming a haven for recreational fishing. “You see mostly leisure boats and fishing boats – it’s really very nice,” he says. The biggest selling point for the suburb is its close proximity to the city, with easy access to the airport and CBD compared to the Port Hacking waterfront suburbs. OTHER UNSPOILT VIEW LOCATIONS: Here are some more affordable suburbs where you can pick up a property for under $2 million with a lovely outlook over Sydney’s quieter waters. NORTH: Berowra Waters, Clareville, Scotland Island, Dangar Island, Bayview, Brooklyn, Church Point. SOUTH: Bundeena, Illawong, Lugarno, Grays Point, Port Hacking, Maianbar, Como.