Soak up nautical views

Watch the world go by in privacy, writes Donna McIntyre

Nine years ago, Gay and Donald Marriott moved into this luxury first- level apartment at The Point, looking out to the Viaduct Harbour. Donald quite liked the idea of being on one of the higher levels but Gay was keen to live on the first floor. She reasoned the bonus of being on the first level was that, no matter whether you are standing in the lounge, the master bedroom or further back in the kitchen, you can always see the water.

“You become part of the Viaduct when you are on level one,” says Gay, “which of course is still elevated.”

The couple bought off the plans 18 years ago, renting the apartment out for the first nine years they owned it until they moved in, in 2008.

“We were living in the country and moved to Auckland for our jobs,” says Gay.

She tells how they learned about The Point when they went to the Viaduct to look at another apartment building in the tail end of the 1990s.

“We saw The Point being built. We saw the detail and the enthusiasm of this building; we were sold.

“It was an exciting project due to the pending America’s Cup.” ( Auckland’s first defence of the Cup was in 2000).

Fletchers built The Point, a leasehold building with five levels of 85 apartments, constructed using concrete, steel, stainless steel and cedar. The building on the Customs St West site, looking out to the Waitemata Plaza and Lighter Basin, is an L shape.

The Point has two street entrances at Customs St West and Pakenham St East, and residents have parking in the basement, plus use of the complex’s lap pool, sauna and gym.

Gay and Donald’s northwest- facing apartment gets plentiful sunlight most of the day but especially during the afternoon.

As you come in through the door to the short entrance hallway with wooden flooring, there is a carpeted bedroom to the left.

Also on the left are the tiled bathroom and carpeted master bedroom with its walk- in wardrobe and en suite plus glass doors to the deck.

On the right, by the entry, is the generously

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103/ 121 CUSTOMS ST WEST, VIADUCT HARBOUR SIZE: PRICE: BODY CORP: GROUND RENT: INPECT:

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sized, wooden- floored kitchen with lots of storage, new granite benchtops and new F& P appliances, and the breakfast bar next to the living and dining area.

This living area opens to the deck that has a sliding cedar screen that can be closed for privacy and shelter during the cooler months, or opened for alfresco dining on warm days.

“What sets these apartments apart from others is we all have front apartments with views of the water,” says Gay.

“There are no internal hallways with your front door opening on to someone else's front door.”

She says residents are families, professionals or retirees.

The couple enjoy living at the Point so much that they will still be staying in the building; just in a bigger apartment with three bedrooms.