Tsunami http://waihekepedia.org/Tsunami has been in the bay for 20 odd years while Sunflower has made her floating home there for 17 . Another houseboat , the Kukurei (Kiribati for "happiness"!) has joined the community in recent years.
There are also 7 Iconic houseboats nestled in the Rangihoua Inlet in Putiki Bay
Many of the boats were built by Waiheke resident and houseboat guru Russell Conder, author of the book
Handmade Houseboats , described on Amazon as a book that could " help you build a self-sufficient and economical floating home that generates its own power, deals with its own waste, and leaves no scar upon the Earth"
About the Author
Russell Conder wandered around Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America working at various means of survival--electrician, clerk, painter, sculptor, salesman, ballet administrator . . . among others--before returning to the pastoral society of New Zealand's sixty million sheep, and a few people. He currently lives on Waiheke Island
We are starting this blog as these Waiheke icons , and colourful part of Waiheke Character and maritime history ,are under threat under new proposals in the Draft Auckland Unitary Plan.
We would like to document our reasons why we think it is so important to save these iconic boats , make a place where people can leave messages of support and tell our stories of houseboat living.
It's a simple but interesting life, leaving only a small footprint, living completely off the grid , on alternative power systems of wind and solar, and catching our water from the sky.
I think we would be better off making space in our community for houseboats, rather than trying to outlaw them. For example, the park in Putiki bay could be built to facilitate and recognise that a houseboat community lives nearby, featuring art and facilities that would be useful for boaties (such as a barbecue!). If boaties could be recognised as ratepayers, and even (as in some communities) have prescribed standards to live up to, that would be cool!
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