Elizabeth Towers development a ‘catalyst’ for change in CBD
The villa we tour is almost like a street-level townhouse — you walk through a gated outdoor patio into the open living areas, the staircase to the right leads to the upstairs bedrooms, laundry and bathroom, and directly ahead is a glass door opening to a surprisingly large deck and garden area. This villa has views towards Matapihi and, despite being on a lower floor, we still catch glimpses of the harbour.
To the Green Tower next to visit a range of apartments — a twobedroom with a south-facing view towards Maungatapu, a one-bedroom and media room with north views over the CBD towards the Port of Tauranga, a two-bedroom corner apartment with views across the
This villa has views towards Matapihi and, despite being on a lower floor, we still catch glimpses of the harbour.
Waikareao Estuary, port, Mauao, and the Maungatapu Bridge, and the piece-de-resistance of the tour: A three-bedroom apartment on the 10th floor complete with two bathrooms, a separate toilet, a scullery, and a walk-in wardrobe.
We stand on the balcony and take in the sights — a plane flies in from the west, gliding across the southerly profile of Mauao before going to land at the airport. We can see the large timber beams of the new council building, the length of the Matapihi rail bridge, a container ship berthed at the port, and pedestrians walking beneath the leafy trees on Grey St.
We leave the tower by the new staircase next to the Elizabeth St parking building and stop to admire the laneway connecting Elizabeth St and 1st Ave. We return to Earth beneath the shadow of the towers and walk into the city centre.