Motorcycle legend Wayne Gardner sells Bower Street, Fairy Bower, Manly leasehold home
Motorcycle legend LU Simon and his wife, Toni, have sold their oceanfront home at Fairy Bower, Manly for slightly less than its initial $8 million hopes held on its February listing.
Title Tattle gleans the price was at least $7.25 million.
Wayne Gardner paid $2.05 million in 1999.
The three storey home comes with 17-year leasehold title up for renewal in October with the Catholic Church.
Leases were first offered for around 150 blocks along Bower Street, Fairy Bower Road and College Street in 1915 for a few thousand pounds.
The former grand prix motorcycle racer and family moved to Barcelona, Spain in 2012 to pursue the racing ambitions of their sons Remy and Luca.
The five-bedroom sold through McGrath agent Jake Rowe. It comes with three indoor living areas, along with pool, poolside family room and pool bar at the 68 Bower Street, Manly holding.
For many years Manly's record price was the Belle Epoque-style mansion, Fairy Bower, which fetched about $9.5 million when sold by the Potts Point-bound former car dealer Terry Mullens and his wife, Wendy in 2009.
Les Flots Bleus, the clifftop Shelley Beach, Manly, property, held the suburb's residential record when $6.75 million was paid by Jane Fitton-Williams, a professional cookery expert, through Jake Rowe from McGrath in 2007.
Manly's house sale record earlier stood at $6.5 million when Terry Agnew and his wife Kyril sold their 1920s mansion, Fairy Bower, in 2004.
Prior sales on the dress circle have included $6.75 million for 62 Bower Street in 2007.
There was the $4.3 million sale of 81 Bower Street in 2008.
The Mediterranean-style villa Beach Haven was among the earliest prestige sales, fetching $3.1 million in 2000 through Bergelin Real Estate's Bernie Bergelin, the former Manly Rugby Union captain, when bought by the family of surgeon Michael Christie from transport magnate and former Manly sporting identity John McPhee and wife Laura. It had been virtually rebuilt since bought by the McPhees for $465,000 in 1984, from the estate of Lady (Mollie) Askin, widow of the late premier Sir Robert Askin.
The Gardner couple have leased their 57 hectare hobby farm near Berry.
The Meroo Meadow farm on the NSW south coast had been previously listed with $2 million-plus expectations.
It's a picturesque grazing and lifestyle property that cost $1.8 million in 2003.
It comes with some rainforest with private waterfalls.
The four-bedroom farmhouse comes with substantial garaging and farm outbuildings.
With well-planned fencing and paddock layout, it has a carrying capacity of 50 breeders.
"The owner has enjoyed the farm lifestyle, however business and family interest have moved offshore," the marketing noted.