Formerly home to Whangārei’s city port, Port Nikau represents 100 hectares of freehold development in the heart of Whangārei, Northland, New Zealand. With over four kilometres of coastline, access to deep water and close proximity to arterial routes, amenities and facilities, Port Nikau is uniquely positioned out into the Whangārei Harbour, creating genuine waterfront living and harbourside opportunities.

Port Nikau is situated in central Whangārei, with primary, intermediate, secondary and tertiary institutions all within five kilometres. The nearest supermarket and shopping centre is less than three kilometres away and it is just nine kilometres from Whangārei Airport and five kilometres from Whangārei Hospital.

Yes. Port Nikau is less than five kilometres off State Highway 1 and less than four kilometres from Whangārei’s CBD. It’s just nine kilometres by road from Whangārei Airport and can also easily be accessed by boat from Onerahi and Limestone Island, with deep water marine facilities available.

Yes, it’s an easy flat ride into Whangārei city, taking 10-15 minutes. The Port Road bridge has recently been upgraded to allow a bike path to the central city, making the journey safer and easier. Port Road connects to the Town Basin, Hatea Loop and a shared cycleway to Onerahi via the Waimahanga Track.

Port Nikau will work with any reputable building company of your choice. We have partnered with a number of trusted build partners already, and we invite you to speak with them, as well as other builders you may have in mind, about how they can help you achieve your dream Port Nikau home. See their available house and land packages.

There are local authority approvals – typically covered by a Building Consent. In most cases, the building company will take care of this for you. Additionally, there are Developer Approvals – this is a check that your house design meets the standards required to be in keeping with the Port Nikau vision. When utilising one of the many Port Nikau designs, this is a straightforward process where we simply check that the plan meets the requirements of the covenants. Again, in most cases, the building company will take care of this for you.

This can depend upon the builder, but as a guide, allow 2-3 months for planning and 4-6 months to build, depending on the size of the project.

Yes, all new homes will include connections to services.

House and land packages are negotiated with the building company. Your builder can help facilitate the land purchase with Port Nikau.

With the extensive list of sections and housing designs available at Port Nikau, changing a design, moving to another section or even undertaking boutique design and build is all achievable. Check with your chosen builder for advice on plan flexibility and adherence to Port Nikau Design Guidelines. Once you have an idea of the home you want to build, we recommend you ask your building company to contact us and ‘reserve’ the section for you for a short time so you can firm up your plans and budget while not losing the section availability to another purchaser.

We recommend that you work with a reputable building company with a proven track record. Ask them about their Master Build contract and Defects Warranty period and any other warranty or guarantee provided by their brand. The builder partners that are featured on our website are all familiar with these aspects and will be happy to provide you with guidance and comfort about such issues.

You can purchase a section directly from Port Nikau and then take your time choosing a building partner. The covenants do require you to commence building within 6 months of purchase unless there are special circumstances that make this unrealistic. Buying a house and land package gives you the complete project price. This makes it easier to arrange finance, with most banks requiring a total budget before lending on a land purchase. A house and land package gives you the peace of mind of knowing the contract build price before you commit to the project. Most people prefer to work with a builder before committing to and purchasing a section so that they have confidence that their planned home will fit on the site and be within their budget.

Whangārei has one of the lowest rates per property in New Zealand, with the rating being on the land value only (excluding improvements). The current rates for any property can be searched in the Whangarei District Council Rates Database.

No, the House and Land packages are examples of what is possible on that Lot and provide an example of the price for that solution. If the section has not been sold, then you can choose your design and your builder to complete your dream Port Nikau home on that section.

The covenants require building to commence within 6 months of purchase, and to complete building within the following 12 months. Driveways, crossings and landscaping within a further 6 months. This is 30 months from purchase to completion. As with all covenants, Port Nikau will consider individual circumstances if the timeframes become unrealistic for personal or family reasons. The covenants are designed to ensure sections are not ‘land banked’, which can lead to vacant and unkept properties and detract from the sense of community envisioned for the subdivision.

Port Nikau has been designed, consented and serviced in line with the Port Nikau Development Area (PNDA) overlay. This outlines the use for each of the individuals sections and means that no further subdivision is possible at the current time.

Whangārei is a small city with a great deal to offer both its residents and visitors, within just a short drive or bike ride from Port Nikau. There is a wide variety of places to eat and enjoy the beautiful natural environment. Explore Whangārei here and find out more about what it has on offer.

Yes, the Marine Precinct is a busy working area with boats coming and going daily. A public walkway runs alongside it, so residents can enjoy watching the different marine activities as part of their everyday surroundings.

Port Nikau has a deep-water marina with berths ranging from 13 to 18 metres, plus a dedicated superyacht pontoon for vessels up to 90 metres long. There’s also 670 metres of commercial wharf space for short- and long-term use, suitable for fishing boats, tugs, workboats, and charters.

In 2023, 48 new berths were added to the marina. A fuel stop and boat ramp are also available.

Learn more about our marine facilities on the Port Nikau Marine website.

No, the development has been carefully planned to separate residential and commercial areas. Buffer zones, smart building layouts, roads, and parks all help reduce any impact. The Marine Precinct and the commercial area on Logyard Road are set apart from homes and have their own access points, so residents can enjoy a peaceful living environment.

There are large storage facilities on Logyard Road, right next to Port Nikau, and on Port Road and Kioreroa Road.

There are already a range of useful services nearby on Logyard Road, including storage facilities, a tyre shop, mechanics, civil and landscape contractors, pet care, and a panel-beater. In the future, more services are planned – such as childcare, office space, and waterfront business units – to support the growing Port Nikau community.

2021: The Port Nikau Development Area (PNDA) Masterplan is adopted into the Whangarei District Plan.

2025: Arataki Stage 1A residential development underway with titles expected by the end of 2025. Port Nikau Marina (Pier B and Pier C in full operation.

2026: Our first residents will be welcomed to Port Nikau, and public parks and walkways will be opened.

2028: First of Port Nikau town centre facilities due to open, including retail, hospitality and office buildings.

2030: Waterfront apartments are scheduled for development.

2031: Arataki Stage 1A residential area is completed, with more than 400+ sections sold and residents enjoying Port Nikau life.

With a total of 1200 residential units planned, the development will continue to grow over the next 10 to 15 years (subject to demand)

The entire Port Nikau development includes plans for over 1,200 dwellings. The full 55-hectare housing development is fully designed and consists of a wide and varied range of lot sizes and building typologies, so residents can choose a way of life that best suits them. Building typologies include 2, 3 and 4-bedroom standalone houses, terraced houses, apartments and mixed-use home/office type buildings.

The Port Nikau Development Master Plan has been carefully created over the last 15 years, with inspiration taken from other successful port and waterfront developments around the world and guided by the Urban Design Protocol. The long-term vision is to build a new ‘village’ offering a sustainable and livable destination in Whangārei city’s first urban waterfront community.

Port Nikau will have plenty of green space to enjoy. There will be a large three-hectare park at Waitai Point, right in the heart of the development. Smaller parks and green areas – including along Port Road and within the main avenue – will be spread throughout the neighbourhood. All parks will be connected by walkways and cycle paths, making them easy to get to from anywhere in the community.

The Port Nikau Town Centre will be a two-hectare hub designed to support the growing community. It will include places to eat, shop, and access everyday services. A small supermarket is also planned to complement the larger Okara store, just 3km away. Some buildings will have office space and apartments above the shops, creating a lively, convenient village-style centre.

In 2021, the Whangārei District Council adopted a new growth strategy which outlines forecast growth of 45% in the next 30 years, taking the district’s population to 145,000 in 2050. The Port Nikau development will help to meet this future demand for housing, with a varied range of lot sizes and building types, including 2, 3 and 4-bedroom standalone houses, terraced houses, apartments and even home and office buildings, so residents can choose a way of life that best suits them.

Yes, much of the Whangārei CBD and lower Port Road area is built on land reclaimed by the Harbour Board in the 1960s. The land has had over 60 years to settle and consolidate. All buildings and developments are preceded by in-depth engineering investigations and solutions to ensure appropriate ground conditions – and council engineering standards – can be met for the planned residential and/or commercial investments. Geotechnical engineering at Port Nikau has been extensive to meet the council’s standards for a 100-year subdivision. The best technology has been used – wick draining and pre-loading the ground to remove settlement and to meet the required standards. As a result, building sites are flat, which makes building easy, using rib raft slabs; retaining walls are not required.

Port Nikau subdivisions are designed according to the latest climate change and flood management recommendations from the Northland Regional Council and Whangārei District Council. With minimum finished floor levels at 3.88m above sea level, engineering best practice standards are designed to allow for a worst-case scenario 100-year sea level rise event.

Public Consultation commenced with the Port Nikau Private Plan Change in 2010, which amended the zone from Industrial to Mixed Use. The Plan Change was approved after extensive public consultation with neighbouring landowners, iwi, community and other stakeholders. In 2022, the Whangārei District Council’s rolling 10-year review triggered a second council-led public process, which resulted in the current Port Nikau Development Area.