At some point, you’ve probably heard of the Hamptons, or at least seen the area in a movie: those affluent, exclusive waterside communities that stretch north-east from New York up through Long Island. Private estates, villas and bungalows, plotted in single file up and down long, narrow strips of pristine beachfront.
To get to them, you drive down long, cobbled driveways lined with tall boxwood hedges. Inside the opulent stone-faced villas, the expansive living areas have high ceilings, floor to ceiling glass on all sides, white curtains, an outdoor area with a glittering turquoise pool. And everywhere the smell of the nearby saltwater, views of waterways and ocean, the waves rolling onto the shore. Like stepping into a postcard.
Yet this is the inspiration of a brand new estate on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast, which, unlike the ‘real’ Hamptons, isn’t priced solely for the well-to-do.
Located within Roche Group’s established Harrington Waters community, just 20 minutes from Taree and 40 minutes from Port Macquarie and Forster, the brand-new development — which has simply been named Hamptons — lies on the shores of the Manning River. This is a luxury villa-style community designed exclusively for over 55s, aimed to provide a blend of relaxation and an active social lifestyle, just a stone’s throw from the beach.
Lifestyle Shot | Future Residents’ Leisure Club
A collection of 34 villas in stage one offer private, luxury homes within easy reach of unforgettable scenery, and are surrounded by convenient amenities and endless waterside activities.
Chatting with locals that are already members of the Harrington Waters community, I was able to get a sense of a close-knit group of like-minded people, who were once neighbours and are now close friends.
Resident Mario Schembri, for instance, was quick to point out the social aspects of the neighbourhood. ‘We’ve met people on the road that are from the area, and now they’re nearly our best friends,’ he says, smiling.
‘Harrington Waters is what you make it. It can be a quiet place. But there’s also social clubs, and the golf club here, there’s a pub, even bowling. There’s even a little nightlife if you want to go out. For people in their late 50s and up, it’s ideal.’
Harrington Golf Club
Margaret Spours, another friendly resident I spoke to, described the up-and-coming area as perfect for ‘getting away from the TV, and getting out and about.’
‘Living in Harrington Waters,’ she says, ‘…you can basically walk to everything, which is what really attracted us. My husband’s a golfer, so he’s a member of the Golf Club. I love walking along the Riverwalk and to the other parts of Harrington — it’s nice flat walks.’
Mario also describes the Riverwalk as one of the area’s greatest features.
‘Amazing sightseeing. Pelicans, turtles. We’re lucky we’ve got this break-wall called the Riverwalk, which runs for about three kilometres, and it’s all concrete paths. That’s the good thing about living up here there is so much to explore.’
One of the biggest draw cards for people that are already enquiring about the upcoming Hamptons release seems to be the Hamptons Residents’ Leisure Club, a luxurious private facility for residents that includes a residents’ lounge, fully-equipped games room, waterside café, swimming pool, gym and tennis courts. When complete, the Residents’ Leisure Club will serve as a dynamic centrepiece of the Hamptons community: friends meeting for mid-week catch-ups, morning workouts, swimming in the lap pool, game nights for couples and friends.
According to the developers of Harrington Waters, these luxury homes are not going to be your average over 55s residences.
Inspired by the premium residences and condos of The Hamptons, these exclusive oversized villas will offer light and air-filled, adaptable living spaces. The design of the facades exude coastal charm, inspired by the tranquillity of Harrington Waters, while inside intelligently designed layouts have been considered to offer various zoned spaces for relaxation and entertaining, both indoors and outdoors.
Aerial | Harrington & Manning River
Opulent yet attainable, quiet yet vibrant, peaceful yet social — Hamptons certainly seems from the outside to live up to its name, and may be a breath of fresh air on the housing market for over 55s, who too often are presented with the typical, white-walled, bricked developments so prevalent in the housing market in recent years.
While it may not be surrounded by tall boxwood hedges and long cobbled driveways, and while your neighbours may not be celebrities, Hamptons may just be as close as us Australians can get to the real deal.
Located within the larger Harrington Waters community you can have that idyllic Hamptons lifestyle of leisure with easy access to a central Shopping Village, the award-winning 9-hole golf course, Harrigan’s Irish Pub, fishing and boating locations (which Mario describes as fantastic for catching flathead), a community centre, library, national parks, Crowdy Head Beach, and more.
This is a development to look out for: a daringly innovative addition to the New South Wales Mid-North Coast. It’s already causing quite a stir, and it has not even been released to market. But it’s coming — very, very soon.
Interested parties can pre-register for an exclusive preview of Hamptons’ First Release, by visiting harringtonwaters.com.au/hamptons or calling 1800 290 616.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Harrington Waters.
