Washer Road (Tapuae)

Washer Road, located between Ōmatā and Ōākura, connects the Tapuae County Estate with State Highway 45.

In 2003, Taranaki Daily News reporter Terry Tacon was escorted around the 78-hectare property by owner and developer John Washer. John and his wife Mary had leased the land in the early 1990s and a few years later were offered the opportunity to buy the prime coastal Taranaki block.

John explained that after selling off 20 hectares for the Okurukuru winery venture they had to decide whether to proceed with a traditional subdivision proposal or a more ambitious (and financially challenging) farm estate option. The couple chose the latter option, one which ultimately created 30 house sites of 0.4 hectares each, along with an ongoing share in the returns from 58 hectares of farmland.

The estate was officially opened on 25 October 2008 with over 100 people visiting the property, leaving the Washers confident that the long preparation and hard work they had put into the development would pay off. The unique building sites, extensive plantings, four kilometres of walking tracks, a lake, pavilion and two tennis courts were all part of the package.

By the end of November 2008, the first site had been sold to a New Plymouth family and in 2010 it was reported that another five had been sold with more under contract. In April 2022 a house on the estate went on the market for $5.75 million, indicating the continuing strong demand for coastal properties.

The formation of Washer Road was completed at a cost of $500,000 and then gifted to the New Plymouth District Council. The road leads to both the estate and a public carpark adjacent to the entrance to the Tapuae gates. A picturesque 700 metre walkway alongside the Tapuae Stream provides access to the beach and is particularly popular with dog walkers given that their pets can run off-leash.  

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

Related items:

Taranaki's first farming estate off to bullish start (Taranaki Daily News 27 January 2005)

A dirty job in the name of safety (Taranaki Daily News 14 March 2005)

Council adviser against plans to add new sections (Taranaki Daily News 2 May 2006)

Tapuae sites on sale soon (Taranaki Daily News 7 Dec 2006)

Tapuae Country Estate (Taranaki Daily News 20 November 2008)

Estate planning (Taranaki Daily News 26 March 2010)