World War II bunker adds to appeal
Gated Red Beach home boasts open plan living, sea views and additional security
Open plan living, sea views, generous section . . . and a military bunker. A Red Beach home is for sale with the property boasting its own World War II bunker.
The four-bedroom home is in a gated community on Whangaparaoa Rd and the bunker sits on a shared piece of land within a few metres of the property that is being sold.
Century 21 Collett Realty owner Liam Collett said the bunker was built in 1942 in response to the threat of a Japanese invasion.
“The four-man infantry post was manned by the home guard and army troops,” he said.
“While there were several others built in the immediate area this particular bunker was sited to cover any approaches from Red Beach and Whangaparaoa Rd.
“Also dubbed a pillbox, it would’ve come with two wirewove bunks that folded up against the inside walls for extra space.”
The property’s body corporate had commissioned its own research on the bunker, which was thought to have only been actively manned for about a year before fear of a Japanese attack subsided, Collett said. “The history that comes with this stunning architecturally designed home is only adding to its appeal. Let’s just say interest has been strong and genuine intrigue is coming in from all quarters.”
The gated community also had its own petanque court, he said.
The home is on a 509sq m fee simple section and comes with an additional 1⁄13 share of 7228sq m of fee simple land. It will be sold by deadline sale closing October 21.
Reminders of past conflicts remain scattered around Auckland.
These include tunnels, bunkers and former gun emplacements, among them a coastal defence system, first set up in the 1880s amid fears of attacks from the Russians and later extended in World Wars I and II, at North Head and Mt Victoria.