Main street bank building in Kaikohe is up for sale
Kaikohe’s main street branch of the ASB Bank is on the market.
The bank has occupied the same Broadway site for 26 years, the property comprising a 230sq m building on 459sq m of freehold land. It is being jointly marketed for auction at 11am on May 16 through Bayleys Auckland and Bayleys Whangarei.
“As is typical of New Zealand rural service towns founded in the late 1800s, Broadway is the retail spine of the town, with the usual selection of banks, health care services, the stereotypical array of ethnic eateries, fish and chip shops, pizza parlours, and of course civic amenities,” Bayleys spokesman Nicolas Ching said.
“That array of tenancies ensures Broadway remains at the centre of the community’s retail needs. And Kaikohe’s economic confidence has been firmed with the announcement by The Warehouse this month that the retailing magnet intends continuing its presence in the town.
“In line with the bank’s corporate image and professional services, the Broadway property has been maintained to an extremely high standard throughout its lifespan, and is one of the best-presented retail premises in Kaikohe.”
It was currently on a sixyear lease (to 2022), paying $33,000 plus GST per annum.
Bayleys noted that the sale came as the Far North District Council was proposing a substantial investment in its civic presence in Kaikohe, including the development of a community hub and a civic centre, together costed at $18.2 million in the council’s LTP consultation document. A filter-feeding whale shark has been spotted cruising the Bay of Islands, the second sighting of the biggest fish in the ocean in as many months.
This time it was seen near the Nine Pin, at the entrance to the Bay of Islands, on Saturday. Last month jetskiers on a tour to the Hole in the Rock were treated to a close up encounter that lasted about 20 minutes.
This summer the water has been warmer than usual, but Whangarei marine conservationist Wade Doak said his observations were the fish could be expected in the Bay of Islands about this time of year.
“This is the typical time of year when we see these migratory filter feeders,” he said, adding that Facebook postings had alerted him to a sighting about this time three years ago. The latest encounter was spotted by Scott Turton who posted pictures of the fish on Facebook.
“I’d say a pretty young one, must’ve been 6-7m long, by itself also, another spotted about six weeks ago other side of the Bay but even bigger. Really awesome to see,” he said.
The whale shark is a slowmoving, filter-feeding carpet shark, the largest known extant fish species. They occasionally visit northern New Zealand waters from November to March, with most sightings in February. The Department of Conservation says those found in New Zealand have been between 3 and 15 metres.