Marlborough Sounds Archives - Bayleys Marlborough Property

Marlborough Sounds-Sail for summer

December 14, 2017 by kate

During summer, there can be nothing better than taking to the water to explore the stunning Marlborough Sounds and the Waikawa Boating Club offers an ideal starting point.

We caught up with Club Manager, Sue Van Velzen, to discover more about one of New Zealand’s premier boating organisations.

Founded in 1950, the busy, friendly club has over 650 members, making it one of the top ten in the country. Membership is made up predominantly of boat owners, but also accommodates plenty of crew members and social members, from both Marlborough and the surrounding communities, including Canterbury and Wellington.

Sue feels that one of the strengths of the club lies in its variety of memberships, she says, “We try to cater for everybody, our members enjoy a mix of activities, including yacht racing, cruising and socialising in our club rooms.” As a community based club, the Waikawa Boating Club also welcomes many local organisations and groups who use the club for meetings and social events. Sue continues, “Everyone is welcome, and anyone can join. The club is a great place to meet new people, especially on our Friday Club Nights!”

Of course, there are plenty of reasons for boat owners to join; access to over one hundred sheltered moorings throughout the Sounds, the club’s famous organised events and the excitement of yacht racing. Sue says, “There’s a great camaraderie between our passionate boaties, they are always happy to lend each other a hand or to offer advice. Boats are a great leveller!”

The Waikawa Boating Club’s annual New Year Regatta, takes place on the second weekend in January, and is the largest keelboat regatta south of Auckland. The nationally recognised WineWorks Wine Race to Wellington has gone from strength to strength, with over 40 yachts racing Marlborough wine to the capital, and the regular twilight Tuesday racing events attract up to 50 yachts each week over the Spring and Summer period.

Waikawa’s community role also sees its members taking part in bi-annual beach and sea bed clean up trips, to remove rubbish and debris from the shoreline and sea bed.

As an Incorporated Society, the club budgets only a small profit each year, and is therefore grateful for the enormous support and sponsorship it enjoys from local businesses, including Marlborough Sounds Marinas, Lawson’s Dry Hills, WineWorks, Bayleys Marlborough and New Zealand King Salmon, as well as many others.

So, if you feel like sailing away this summer why not join the Waikawa Boating Club? Sue assures us there is nothing better on a glorious Marlborough evening than to be in a beautifully secluded bay, listening to birdsong and enjoying the company of like-minded friends.

Looking for property in the Marlborough Sounds, so that you can enjoy everything the region has to offer? Check out the latest Preview Magazine to see our Sounds listings; or contact us HERE.

Introducing Georgia Ryan and Grant Baxter

November 14, 2017 by kate

It’s time for another blog post in our series of articles for 2017, that profile our Bayleys Marlborough team members. It’s part of our quest to ensure you get to know each of our agents a little better allowing you to make the right choice when you come to sell. This month we’d like you to meet Georgia Ryan and Grant Baxter.

Georgia Ryan

Georgia has been part of the Bayleys Marlborough team for six years. A Marlborough girl, through and through, it’s no surprise that Georgia has ended up working in a very special area of real estate that’s close to her heart… Marlborough Sounds properties, places where childhood memories and family traditions are made.

Before Georgia joined the team at Bayleys Marlborough, she worked at Brancott Estate running winery tours and helping customers in the cellar door. Georgia credits this experience as a definite building block in preparing her for her real estate career, saying “I learned how important it is to create relationships with people, I enjoyed educating them about wine, offering them a great experience and helping them select the perfect wine to take home; this can easily be transferred into helping people find a wonderful home, in the Sounds.” Georgia knows the area well, and her diligence in providing an enjoyable and pleasant Real Estate move for all parties involved is clearly top of her list of priorities.

Asked for her number one piece of advice for vendors, Georgia replys, “First impressions are everything! It is so important that everything is perfect when introducing your property to the market, the first two days are when your property will get the most attention and we want to ensure that it knocks the socks off as many buyers as possible.”

When Georgia isn’t selling property, you’ll find her enjoying everything the Marlborough lifestyle has to offer, including the Marlborough Sounds! As a country girl at heart, and with a love of the great outdoors you’ll find her boating, fishing, swimming, walking, taking time out on the family farm, or riding and competing on her horse Gym Bob.

Grant Baxter

Originally from Canterbury, Grant now calls Marlborough home. He joined the team at Bayleys Marlborough some twelve years ago, bringing with him seventeen years worth of experience as a partner in an insurance and investment brokerage.

Grant specialises in commercial, industrial and business sales, and his previous professional background qualifies him to be able to offer specialist assistance to property vendors in this area and maximise values. The ethical standards practiced in the financial services industry have prepared him well for his career in real estate, Grant says, “I pride myself on the fact that I am committed to protecting commercially sensitive information, ensuring it is available only to the right people at the right time.”

Asked what he loves most about his job, Grant replies, “That’s a simple one to answer, I relish the challenge of finding the right buyer at the right value to satisfy my vendors.”

When Grant isn’t at work, he enjoys riding bikes and tramping in the back country, but at this time of year he confesses to spending far too much time mowing the grass on his eight hectare lifestyle property!

Introducing Vicki Eastgate & Kurt Lindsay

April 19, 2017 by kate

This week we’re bringing you the fourth in our series of blog articles for 2017, profiling Bayleys Marlborough team members. We understand that selling your property is a process that requires an excellent working relationship with your chosen real estate agent, and this regular feature is part of our commitment to ensure you get to know each of our agents a little better, so you can make the right choice when you come to sell!

This month we have two introductions to make, we’d like you to meet Vicki Eastgate and Kurt Lindsay.

Vicki Eastgate

Vicki joined Bayleys Marlborough two years ago as part of the Picton team. Originally from Gisborne, Vicki’s journey to Marlborough came after she and her partner decided it was time for a change. So just like that, they sold their house, quit their jobs and drove off into the sunset… After a Tiki tour of the top of the South and Canterbury, Vicki’s then husband was offered a job in Picton. He decided to accept it and that afternoon they bought a house, not to be outdone by her spouse Vicki found herself a job the same day! So, as you can see when Vicki puts her mind to something, it gets done!

Vicki joined Bayleys Marlborough with over twenty years experience in real estate. She had owned and managed Real Estate Companies, but decided to return full time to sales because she missed the interaction with her clients; she believes you reap what you sow, and is happy to work hard to get the best result. As a seasoned realtor, Vicki will tell you that her job is to get the best price for her vendor but asked for her career highlight, and Vicki doesn’t cite record prices and ground-breaking offers. Instead, she talks with benevolence about the time she found the perfect unit for an elderly lady who had been searching for two years. Vicki says, “We built a strong long-term friendship, and that’s what makes this job so rewarding.” It’s a combination of Vicki’s easy manner, empathy and fidelity to her clients that sees them returning to her time and time again, as well as referring their friends and family.

With a love of Marlborough, and especially Picton, where Vicki believes it’s like living full time in a holiday destination, she’s the perfect person to sell your Picton or Sounds home. When she’s not working, you’ll find her sticking with the holiday spirit, boating, enjoying the Sounds or relaxing with friends and family!

Find out more about Vicki HERE.

Kurt Lindsay

Kurt became part of the Bayleys Marlborough team three years ago. Raised on a sheep farm in Drummond, Southland and with a background studying and working in viticulture, Kurt is a real asset to our country, viticulture and lifestyle division.

Even though he’s been selling real estate for five years, Kurt is the first to admit that he still gets a frisson of excitement every time he shakes hands on a new listing or a sold sign goes up!

Asked why a vendor should choose him to sell their property, Kurt responds, “In a vibrant market, like we’re experiencing at the moment, anybody can slap a for sale sign in the ground and will usually get a result. But to garner that ten to twenty percent premium you need the right agent with the right experience in their sector.” He continues, “As a rural property specialist, I’ve got proven results. I am confident that I achieve the best result for my clients.”

You’ll often overhear Kurt extolling the virtues of the Marlborough climate and lifestyle to purchasers from outside the area; so as a country boy with a love of the great outdoors, it won’t surprise you to know that when he’s not selling properties you’ll find him out on the water or fishing. We’re proud to say Kurt’s also supporting the Fight for Life Education in Marlborough, with a charity boxing match upcoming, we’re pretty sure he’s going to be as successful in the ring as he is in selling rural properties.

Find out more about Kurt HERE.

Where to live in Marlborough

March 15, 2017 by admin

At Bayleys Marlborough we think we’re pretty lucky to live, work and play in a region that’s #brillianteveryday and there’s a lot of it to explore.

If you’re thinking about making Marlborough your home we wanted to give you a quick run down of some places to visit and provinces to explore so you can decide where you want to settle down!

Blenheim:
Blenheim is Marlborough’s main town, it’s also where you’ll find the Bayleys Marlborough head office, so be sure to come in and say hello when you visit. Blenheim has a plethora of great restaurants, with an understandable focus on local wines and food. It has great shopping, including the fabulous department store Thomas’s with its high end national and international brands. There’s a public art gallery, a fabulous multi-use and purpose built theatre, a cinema, a museum and wonderful parks and recreational areas, including the Taylor River Reserve and Blenheim’s premier Pollard Park. It’s also the town where our budding entrepreneurs, future business people and next wave of talent receive a fine education at Marlborough Boy’s College and Marlborough Girl’s College. There are a selection of schools for years 1 – 6, plus an intermediate school.

Renwick:
Renwick is 10 kilometres west of Blenheim, close to the south bank of the Wairau River and in the heart of wine country! You’ll never be short of a cellar door destination for lunch or dinner, you’ll also find a supermarket, pubs with local beers and some service shops. There are some great local parks and reserves including a large sports domain. One of the most popular recreational areas, on the outskirts of Renwick is the Conders Forest area beside the Wairau River, which offers mountain biking and dog walking. Renwick has a school for years 1 – 8.

Picton:
25 km north of Blenheim and 65 km west of Wellington, you’ll find beautiful Picton at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound, the jewel in Marlborough’s coastal crown! A buzzing community and home to some fantastic cafes, restaurants, galleries and specialty shops. If you enjoy the great outdoors then Picton is close to lots of walking tracks. The kids will love the skate park and the Endeavour Park sports park development which has its own pavilion. Picton’s school caters for years 1 – 6. This thriving town is home to the Bayleys Marlborough Picton office, so please call by to say hi!

Havelock:
This coastal village sits at the head of Pelorus Sound, it’s also the Greenshell ™ Mussel capital of the world. With a busy marina, you’ll find restaurants, pubs, cafes and gift shops, as well as a small supermarket and service station. The Havelock domain with sports facilities is right in the middle of this bustling community, and you’ll find other picnic areas on the outskirts of the township with fabulous views of the Sounds. If your child is years 1 – 8, they’ll settle right in at the Havelock school.

Seddon:
Located 25 kilometres south of Blenheim, close to the mouths of the Awatere and Blind Rivers and the Lake Grassmere salt works. This small, yet thriving community has strong ties to the agricultural and viticultural industries. You’ll find a few shops and a new café, art gallery and wine bar. When you want to enjoy the great outdoors visit the beach at Ward or the Seddon domain. Seddon has a school for years 1 – 8.

Kaikoura:
Not strictly Marlborough, we wanted to include Kaikoura in this article, as it’s also home to our third Bayleys Marlborough office. Kaikoura is located on the east coast of the South Island 180 km north of Christchurch. This picturesque coastal town is a natural playground for all who love the water! With a great selection of bars, restaurants and cafes, shopping and art galleries, there’s plenty to enjoy when you make Kaikoura your home. With a primary school and high school, your kids won’t have far to travel each day.