Could this Northland beach town become the “next Waiheke” – without the price tag?

It has the laid-back vibe, the quiet beaches, the emerging art scene and even the boutique vineyards.

But this tiny beach town in Northland is still flying under the radar — for now.

While Waiheke Island continues to climb in cost and crowding, locals and early visitors say this coastal gem might be the island’s natural successor.

Just without the $1.8 million median house price.

“It reminds me of Waiheke 20 years ago,” says Amanda, an Auckland ceramicist who recently moved north.
“It’s still real. Still raw. And you don’t need to be a millionaire to live here.”

Welcome to…

Set between rolling hills and surf beaches, Mangawhai has long been a favourite weekend spot for Northlanders — but it’s recently begun attracting new attention from Aucklanders, retirees, and remote workers looking for an alternative to city life.

It offers:

• Golden sand beaches and sheltered estuaries
• A growing food and wine scene, including a handful of boutique vineyards
• A thriving creative community, with regular markets and exhibitions
• Houses still selling for under $700,000 — if you’re quick

“People are catching on,” says a local agent.
“But it hasn’t exploded. Not yet.”

The Waiheke parallels are adding up

Like Waiheke, Mangawhai combines natural beauty with a cultural undercurrent — but without the ferry timetable and luxury property bubble.
There’s also:

• A strong eco-conscious community
• Local businesses instead of chains
• A push to maintain low-impact development even as population rises

And with new fibre rollout and remote work becoming the norm, more Kiwis are asking: why stay in the city at all?

“I Zoom into meetings from my deck, then go for a swim five minutes later,” says David, who left his IT job in Takapuna to work remotely from Mangawhai.
“It’s not a fantasy. It’s daily life now.”

But how long will it stay affordable?

That’s the catch. While Mangawhai is still reasonably priced, sales have surged over the past 18 months, and land is being snapped up quickly.

Locals worry that without planning controls, the town could lose what makes it special — just like Waiheke, which saw a tourism and housing boom that many long-timers say changed the island permanently.

“We want people to come,” says a café owner on Wood Street.
“But we don’t want it to become Waiheke 2.0 in the worst ways.”

The bottom line?

Mangawhai may not stay quiet for long.

So if you’re looking for that Waiheke feeling — beaches, wine, community — without the price tag, this could be the moment.

Just don’t tell too many people.