Inside Waiheke, the 'Hamptons of New Zealand' where billionaires are hunkering down in their mega-mansions during the pandemic

Hillary HoffowerApr 21, 2020, 21:33 IST

Waiheke Island offers an escape from Auckland.daneady/Getty Images

Waiheke Island, near Auckland, is known as the "Hamptons of New Zealand."
Some of the wealthy are riding out the pandemic in New Zealand, including Waiheke, reported Olivia Carville for Bloomberg.
Waiheke, a laidback but high-end island, is home to mega-mansions hidden away in remote corners — exactly what billionaires want right now.
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New York City might have the Hamptons, but Auckland has Waiheke Island.

The New Zealand island, about half an hour away from the urban city, offers a laidback, yet high-end escape for the wealthy. Many own multimillion-dollar vacation homes there, where they can enjoy the island's stunning landscape.

But Waiheke isn't just popular among New Zealanders. Wealthy Americans, too, have an affinity for the island's rolling hills and lengthy beaches, as well as the country it's a part of.

Superrich Silicon Valley moguls in particular have made New Zealand a popular doomsday backup plan. Now, some are putting those plans in action and heading to New Zealand to wait out the coronavirus pandemic. Sixteen private jets have arrived in New Zealand from the US since February, according to Business Insider's Becky Peterson and Angela Wang.

And some are taking up shelter in Waiheke, reported Olivia Carville for Bloomberg. Here's a look at the island and its appeal to the wealthy seeking a safe haven from the world's events.

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But not everyone's staying in a mansion. Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mihai Dinulescu a Silicon Valley entrepreneur told Bloomberg he's staying in a two-floor, three-bedroom ocean-view house on the island until the pandemic recedes — for $2,400 a month.

krug_100/Shutterstock

That's more than a third less than the rent for their San Francisco two-bedroom apartment. He and his wife chose Waiheke for its reputation.

"Frankly, we were billionaire hunting," Dinulescu told Bloomberg. "We wanted to figure out where all the other Silicon Valley people would be."

But not everyone's staying in a mansion. Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mihai Dinulescu a Silicon Valley entrepreneur told Bloomberg he's staying in a two-floor, three-bedroom ocean-view house on the island until the pandemic recedes — for $2,400 a month.

That's more than a third less than the rent for their San Francisco two-bedroom apartment. He and his wife chose Waiheke for its reputation.

Frankly, we were billionaire hunting, Dinulescu told Bloomberg. We wanted to figure out where all the other Silicon Valley people would be.

Some have been fleeing to Waiheke's mansions specifically. "These homes are designed to be a sanctuary for wealthy billionaires when they need to get away from what's happening in the rest of the world," local builder Perrin Molloy told Bloomberg.

Mansions in Waiheke. krug_100/Shutterstock

Molloy said one of his coworkers helped build a $12 million house in a private bay with an "air tunnel."

"It was quite obviously an escape tunnel in the basement," he added.

Some have been fleeing to Waiheke's mansions specifically. "These homes are designed to be a sanctuary for wealthy billionaires when they need to get away from what's happening in the rest of the world," local builder Perrin Molloy told Bloomberg.

Molloy said one of his coworkers helped build a $12 million house in a private bay with an air tunnel.

It was quite obviously an escape tunnel in the basement, he added.

It helps, too, that New Zealand has been able to keep its coronavirus cases low thanks to early lockdown efforts.

krug_100/Shutterstock

New Zealand began imposing restrictions on travel weeks before recording even a single coronavirus case within its borders, Business Insider's Rosie Perper reported.

Experts say that early national lockdown efforts, good public adherence to the rules, and widespread testing capabilities may have prevented New Zealand from being overwhelmed with a wave of infections.

"New Zealand shows the benefit of having quite high levels of scientific expert input into the policymaking process and a Prime Minister who is a very good communicator who the public trust," Nick Wilson, a professor and public health expert at the University of Otago in New Zealand, told Perper.

New Zealand began imposing restrictions on travel weeks before recording even a single coronavirus case within its borders, Business Insider's Rosie Perper reported.

New Zealand shows the benefit of having quite high levels of scientific expert input into the policymaking process and a Prime Minister who is a very good communicator who the public trust, Nick Wilson, a professor and public health expert at the University of Otago in New Zealand, told Perper.

New Zealand was already popular among superrich Silicon Valley moguls, who have been buying up millions of dollars' worth of doomsday bunkers in the country over recent years.

Shay Yacobinski/Shutterstock

The most expensive of these bunkers cost $8 billion, reported Isobel Asher Hamilton for Business Insider.

Fleeing to New Zealand is a popular backup plan for apocalypse-fearing billionaires in the US, wrote Peterson and Wang.

New Zealand was already popular among superrich Silicon Valley moguls, who have been buying up millions of dollars' worth of doomsday bunkers in the country over recent years.

The most expensive of these bunkers cost $8 billion, reported Isobel Asher Hamilton for Business Insider.

Fleeing to New Zealand is a popular backup plan for apocalypse-fearing billionaires in the US, wrote Peterson and Wang.

The island's elevated status has become especially apparent lately, as some of the wealthy have headed to New Zealand to ride out the pandemic.

New Zealand. Olga Danylenko/Shutterstock

Sixteen private jets have arrived in New Zealand from the US since February, including hedge fund billionaire John Griffin's, according to Business Insider's Becky Peterson and Angela Wang, who analyzed flight data.

Luxury real estate agent Graham Wall told Bloomberg that he's received "about half a dozen calls" from Americans looking to buy property on the island.

But Sam Altman, former president of Silicon Valley startup incubator Y Combinator and chief executive officer of OpenAI, told Bloomberg he didn't know of anyone who fled to New Zealand.

Luxury real estate agent Graham Wall told Bloomberg that he's received about half a dozen calls from Americans looking to buy property on the island.

But Sam Altman, former president of Silicon Valley startup incubator Y Combinator and chief executive officer of OpenAI, told Bloomberg he didn't know of anyone who fled to New Zealand.

But Waiheke's popularity as a second home for the rich has priced some locals out of the island. "It doesn't have the same community feeling and I think it's getting worse," Waiheke resident Anna Pashby told Stuff.

krug_100/Shutterstock

Source: Stuff

But Waiheke's popularity as a second home for the rich has priced some locals out of the island. "It doesn't have the same community feeling and I think it's getting worse," Waiheke resident Anna Pashby told Stuff.

Source: Stuff

But a piece of coastline facing the east, stretching from Te Miro Bay to Cable Bay, is well known as Billionaire's Bay. As of 2017, it was home to more than $67 million worth of real estate.

Cable Bay. daneady/Getty Images

Source: Stuff

But a piece of coastline facing the east, stretching from Te Miro Bay to Cable Bay, is well known as Billionaire's Bay. As of 2017, it was home to more than $67 million worth of real estate.

Source: Stuff

"There are so many wealthy people hidden away," resident George Gardner told New Zealand publication Stuff. "The general community don't know who they are."

Matt Deluca/EyeEm/Getty Images

She said there are many hideaways in the island for the rich and famous who want to remain discreet.

Like the Hamptons, Waiheke doesn't have many hotels. Instead, visitors typically own or rent a vacation home there.

Mariangela Cruz/Shutterstock

Source: Vogue

They have their favorite haunts, like the world-renowned winery and restaurant of Mudbrick and The Oyster Inn — "Waiheke's answer" to Montauk's The Surf Lodge, according to Vogue.

Mudbrick. Sandra Teddy/Getty Images

"Where else can you find beautiful, often desolate beaches, world-class wineries, and restaurants in a rural setting just a half an hour from an urban hub?" The Oyster Inn owner Andrew Glenn, Louis Vuitton's former UK communications director, told Vogue. "And with Waiheke's bohemian roots and laid-back charm, the vibe is chilled, authentic, and unpretentious, which is refreshing in today's world."

Source: Trip Advisor

They have their favorite haunts, like the world-renowned winery and restaurant of Mudbrick and The Oyster Inn — "Waiheke's answer" to Montauk's The Surf Lodge, according to Vogue.

Where else can you find beautiful, often desolate beaches, world-class wineries, and restaurants in a rural setting just a half an hour from an urban hub? The Oyster Inn owner Andrew Glenn, Louis Vuitton's former UK communications director, told Vogue. And with Waiheke's bohemian roots and laid-back charm, the vibe is chilled, authentic, and unpretentious, which is refreshing in today's world.

Source: Trip Advisor

A number of the rich and famous have discovered the island's allure, including Bill Gates, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Cindy Crawford, and Beyoncé.

fotopress/Getty Images

Source: Vogue

Such close proximity, combined with picturesque beaches, rolling hills, 40-plus wineries, and an enjoyable climate, have made the island increasingly popular among the elite.

krug_100/Shutterstock

Source: Vogue, New Zealand Herald

Such close proximity, combined with picturesque beaches, rolling hills, 40-plus wineries, and an enjoyable climate, have made the island increasingly popular among the elite.

Source: Vogue, New Zealand Herald

Like the Hamptons, Waiheke offers a high-end but laidback escape not far from an urban metro area.

Auckland, New Zealand. ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

Auckland has a busy population of about 1.6 million. Carlson likened the city to Seattle.

"People want to be able to get away from the rat-race," a real estate agent told New Zealand Herald. "It's a slower pace of lifestyle."

Source: Vogue

Auckland has a busy population of about 1.6 million. Carlson likened the city to Seattle.

People want to be able to get away from the rat-race, a real estate agent told New Zealand Herald. It's a slower pace of lifestyle.

Source: Vogue

Waiheke didn't always have this reputation. It was "generally thought of as a hippie hangout, but over the last 10 years the dynamic has slowly changed," real estate agent Ollie Wall told Vogue.

Ponderful Pictures/Shutterstock

Source: Vogue

Waiheke didn't always have this reputation. It was "generally thought of as a hippie hangout, but over the last 10 years the dynamic has slowly changed," real estate agent Ollie Wall told Vogue.

But the island is unofficially known as a "billionaire's playground" and "the Hamptons of New Zealand."

Waiheke was named one of the world's Top 20 islands by Conde Nast Traveller in 2016 and one of the top 10 travel regions by Lonely Planet in 2015.

Shutterstock/Troy Wegman

Source: Tourism Waiheke

Visitors can get to the island from central Auckland via ferry. They can also opt for a helicopter ride or charter a seaplane.

Michael W NZ/Shutterstock

Source: Vogue

Home to about 9,000 people, Waiheke Island is located in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf about 35 minutes from Auckland.

Google Maps

Source: Tourism Waiheke, Bloomberg

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Inside Waiheke, the 'Hamptons of New Zealand' where billionaires are hunkering down in their mega-mansions during the pandemic

But not everyone's staying in a mansion. Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mihai Dinulescu a Silicon Valley entrepreneur told Bloomberg he's staying in a two-floor, three-bedroom ocean-view house on the island until the pandemic recedes — for $2,400 a month.

Some have been fleeing to Waiheke's mansions specifically. "These homes are designed to be a sanctuary for wealthy billionaires when they need to get away from what's happening in the rest of the world," local builder Perrin Molloy told Bloomberg.

It helps, too, that New Zealand has been able to keep its coronavirus cases low thanks to early lockdown efforts.

New Zealand was already popular among superrich Silicon Valley moguls, who have been buying up millions of dollars' worth of doomsday bunkers in the country over recent years.

The island's elevated status has become especially apparent lately, as some of the wealthy have headed to New Zealand to ride out the pandemic.

But Waiheke's popularity as a second home for the rich has priced some locals out of the island. "It doesn't have the same community feeling and I think it's getting worse," Waiheke resident Anna Pashby told Stuff.

But a piece of coastline facing the east, stretching from Te Miro Bay to Cable Bay, is well known as Billionaire's Bay. As of 2017, it was home to more than $67 million worth of real estate.

"There are so many wealthy people hidden away," resident George Gardner told New Zealand publication Stuff. "The general community don't know who they are."

Like the Hamptons, Waiheke doesn't have many hotels. Instead, visitors typically own or rent a vacation home there.

They have their favorite haunts, like the world-renowned winery and restaurant of Mudbrick and The Oyster Inn — "Waiheke's answer" to Montauk's The Surf Lodge, according to Vogue.

A number of the rich and famous have discovered the island's allure, including Bill Gates, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Cindy Crawford, and Beyoncé.

Such close proximity, combined with picturesque beaches, rolling hills, 40-plus wineries, and an enjoyable climate, have made the island increasingly popular among the elite.

Like the Hamptons, Waiheke offers a high-end but laidback escape not far from an urban metro area.

Waiheke didn't always have this reputation. It was "generally thought of as a hippie hangout, but over the last 10 years the dynamic has slowly changed," real estate agent Ollie Wall told Vogue.

But the island is unofficially known as a "billionaire's playground" and "the Hamptons of New Zealand."

Waiheke was named one of the world's Top 20 islands by Conde Nast Traveller in 2016 and one of the top 10 travel regions by Lonely Planet in 2015.

Visitors can get to the island from central Auckland via ferry. They can also opt for a helicopter ride or charter a seaplane.

Home to about 9,000 people, Waiheke Island is located in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf about 35 minutes from Auckland.