NSW’s best beach houses: The top 30 properties from the Central Coast to Byron Bay and beyond
Warning: you’re going to get jealous. NSW’s best beach houses, including glamour homes up hidden coves and idyllic peninsulas, have been revealed and one even includes a bowling alley.
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It’s the new Aussie dream. Homes with ocean breezes through the rooms, a water horizon and a location footsteps from the beach have become the most popular expression of modern living.
They’ve also become the most sought after properties in both NSW and the country since the pandemic hit as city residents try to escape the crowds and capitalise on work from home arrangements.
SEE BEACH HOUSE RANKING BELOW
NSW has no shortage of jaw dropping beach homes and in honour of the state’s bold beach architecture and stunning geography The Saturday Telegraph has ranked the top 30 beach homes.
These are the glamorous houses set on idyllic peninsulas, private sands and hidden coves.
They include a mixture of classic beach house designs, experimental architecture and bold choices where the house complements its unique setting, be it in regional NSW or Sydney.
A common theme in some: actor Chris Hemsworth.
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The Hollywood superstar’s luxury compound south of Byron Bay is an obvious inclusion, but the Thor actor was also reported to have inquired about the top ranked home in Burraneer.
There has been a celebrity touch in other properties, including model Jennifer Hawkins’ former beach home in Newport, which she built with partner Jake Wall. Radio presenter Ray Hadley’s former Central Coast retreat also ranks highly.
With prices of up to $50m, most of us can only dream about some of these houses, but others we hope will inspire your next project or even your next stage in life.
TOP 30 BEACH HOMES IN NSW
30. Ocean View Dr, Wamberal
Stained glass, timber and an open layout combine to create a dreamy coastal vibe in this home footsteps from the rolling waves of Wamberal Beach. Stairs from the deck lead onto the sand.
29. The Tor Walk, Castlecrag
There’s access to not one, but two private beaches from this one-of-a-kind waterfront home in Castlecrag. The residence is spread across two levels and has jaw-dropping views of Middle Harbour.
28. Marine Pde, Avalon Beach
With a unique pavilion-style and nestled under a canopy of Norfolk Pines, this house bordering the Avalon surf break is more than a match for its world-class setting.
27. Ohana, Narrabeen
Completed in 2017, ‘Ohana’ includes two outdoor showers, a gym and pool with a slide. The home capitalises on a premier position and nearly every room has ocean views.
26. Bronte escarpment house
With a timber-lined roof that appears to float above the wraparound balcony, architect Richard Cole designed a house using a palette of natural materials, such as timber, stone, brick, zinc and concrete.
25. Casuarina way, Casuarina
There’s a resort feel to this Casuarina stunner on two acres of beachfront land. The three-level house includes 12 bohemian style bedrooms, a yoga room, spa and six treatment rooms.
24. Bilgola Beach House
There is lift access to each of the three levels of this home with access to Bilgola Beach, each with a series of alfresco entertaining terraces. Want sundowners with that view? The home includes an expansive bar.
23. Surfview Rd, Mona Vale
This is the perfect home for anyone who wants to hear the waves crashing while they sleep. The award-winning home backs directly onto Mona Vale beach thanks to the nearly 30m of absolute beach frontage.
22. Paterson Rd, Coalcliff
Direct beach access is rare along the northern Illawarra coastline and this four-bedroom house has one of the best outlooks in the whole region. The fully fenced oceanfront backyard has an outdoor spa and built-in fire pit.
21. Oceanie, Avalon
Arguably the most famous house in Avalon, “Oceanie” has a dramatic roof line, whale-watching platform and a nautical bridge smack bang in the living room. Built in 1989, the ski-slope-looking roof was designed to look like the surf.
20. Pretty House, Central Coast
This luxury lodge on the Bouddi peninsula is set high on the escarpment above Pretty Beach and is surrounded by the nearby national park.
19. Glass house, Bayview
The three-storey residence was constructed more than 10 years ago and features clean contemporary lines and bespoke finishes. Standout features are the epic infinity pool perched on the second floor and the three-storey foyer with a suspended staircase.
18. Lighthouse keeper’s cottage, Seal Rocks
The Lighthouse Keepers’ quarters below Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse sit on a dramatic headland east of Seal Rocks village on NSW’s mid-north coast. The quarters are now holiday accommodation and it’s become a popular spot for whale watchers.
17. Timber box house, Gerroa
This Gerroa house with timber panelling was designed to endure extreme weather, while balancing the need to showcase the ocean view without compromising privacy. A project by Clayton Orszaczky architects, the upper level is shrouded in sliding timber screens that direct the flow of light and breezes.
16. Marine Pde, Avalon Beach
Claiming one of Avalon’s finest oceanfront positions, this home was designed to be the quintessential beach house and the classic look and organic textures cleverly complement the blue of the Pacific.
15. Northumberland St, Clovelly
This bespoke beach house with finishes of concrete, copper, recycled timber and repurposed sandstone blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living. It includes two interlinked pavilions topped with a parent’s retreat with views over the ocean.
14. Bunker House, Gerringong
Designed to resemble a concrete bunker, The Bunker House is decked out with raw, unfinished materials. The fully automated smart-home is used as a holiday rental and includes a pool, steam room, fire pit and gym.
13. Hemsworth compound, Byron region
Actor Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky have a mammoth hinterland hideaway locals have dubbed “the shopping centre” or “fortress Hemsworth”. The pair have dropped several million into the home and agents estimate it could be worth close to $20m. The six-bedroom home is understood to have a gym, massage rooms, two bars and a games room, along with a 50m rooftop pool.
12. Basin Beach House, Mona Vale
This one-of-a-kind house resembles a low-slung tent draped over the rolling dunes of Mona Vale beach. The timber spaces and vault-like ceiling designed by Peter Stutchbury Architecture push visitors toward the Pacific outlook.
11. Melaleuca, Palm Beach
This Palm Beach house known as Melaleuca holds the suburb record for priciest home sale at $24m. It achieved this feat after just 17 days on the market. It sits on a massive 3564sqm parcel of land with absolute beach frontage.
10. Agave, Wagstaffe
Perched serenely on the Wagstaffe Point waterfront on the Central Coast, the grand white Hamptons-style mansion commands attention from every angle. In 2018 it took out the most prestigious award in the residential building industry — the Housing Industry Association’s House of the Year. It’s now up for sale for $13.5m and selling agents Belle Property have enlisted brand ambassador and model Elyse Knowles to help market the property.
9. Headland House, Gerringong
This Gerringong house is another Housing Industry Association award winner. The unique house seemingly hangs over its setting near Werris Beach and includes three pavilions that open to the north. There’s even a “storm watching room”, along with a heated swimming pool. It currently rents out for close to $3000 a night.
8. House Holman, Dover Heights
House Holman sits on the edge of a 70m cliff in Dover Heights, the suburb adjacent to North Bondi. Designed by architects Durbach Block Jaggers, the stone walls of the lower level appear almost like an extension of the cliff face. The rooms hang over the ocean allowing for some mesmerising views.
7. Gaelforce, Palm Beach
Gaelforce sold last year for $19.5m. It has been renting out as a holiday home for about $35,000 a week. The previous owners spared no expense with a spectacular renovation that honoured the 1940s, Spanish mission-style, and took luxury to the next level. The block is home to a number of wonderful Angophora trees, which have been there since the home was built.
6. Toowoon Bay Rd, Toowoon Bay
Once owned by radio host Ray Hadley, this Central Coast beach house showcases clean, contemporary lines and bespoke finishes. There is a seamless flow from indoors to out with vast decks on all four sides, heated plunge pool and a luxurious poolside cabana all nestled in a private, gated setting.
5. Cove House. Cronulla
Sold last year for $14m, Cove House is one of Australia’s most iconic coastal homes and was designed by acclaimed architect Reuben Lane in the early 1970s. One of the highlights is the custom designed glass fronted swimming pool with mosaic tiles. The property has direct access to Salmon Haul Bay and its protected swimming areas.
4. Byron record-breaker, Byron Bay
This home set records in Byron Bay when it sold in 2020 for over $20m. Multiple celebrities were rumoured to have inquired about the property, including Hollywood star Zac Efron, but the identity of the buyer remains unknown. The home at the foot of Wategos beach is near the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse and has the same postcard-worth views.
3. Casa Paloma, Newport
Billionaire Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes paid $24.5m in 2020 for this Newport mansion built by model Jennifer Hawkins and husband Jake Wall. Hawkins and Wall spent three years building the private beach, the five-bedroom home has a cinema, gym, and heated pool – and of course a dressing room worthy of a supermodel.
2. The Point House, Collaroy
Positioned on the northern most point of the exclusive Collaroy Basin with direct access to the sands of Collaroy Beach, The Point House by Peter Stutchbury Architecture is in one of Sydney’s most applauded oceanfront settings. There is an alfresco courtyard with a poolside oasis, media room and home office and the ocean backdrop features in nearly every space. The distinctive curved design shelters the open areas from the elements. The home sold last year for $16m.
1. Nautilus, Burraneer
This Burraneer house with its own private sandy beach was the most viewed NSW house on listings site realestate.com.au last year. It’s easy to see why. Listed at $50m, it’s the most expensive house in the state outside of the eastern suburbs. The palatial home is spread across six floors and includes a bowling alley, two bars, a commercial-grade lift, Turkish steam room and wine tasting room. There’s even a Bat Cave-like setting for the underground garage, which includes an antique torpedo.
Actor Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky were reported to have inspected the Sutherland Shire home last year.
Originally published as NSW’s best beach houses: The top 30 properties from the Central Coast to Byron Bay and beyond
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