St Huberts Island is one of those Central Coast pockets that rarely comes up in conversation, mostly because so little of it changes hands. It is a quiet canal estate on Brisbane Water, and two of its residential streets, Long Arm Parade and Mercator Parade, show two versions of the same waterfront life. Both are around 95% owner-occupied, which signals how tightly held these homes are. Here is how the two streets compare on property style, prices, block sizes, boating, schools and day-to-day convenience.
Street Character and Setting
Long Arm Parade is the smaller of the two: a settled strip of 26 houses mixing near-water and direct-waterfront homes. It has underground power and utilities, and one listing describes it as one of the island’s most sought-after streets. Mercator Parade is a little larger at 36 properties, built around direct deep-waterfront frontage with private jetties, moorings and slipways, plus north-east aspects on some homes. Both streets sit on the same leafy road network and share the suburb’s quiet canal-estate feel, so the difference is frontage and scale rather than setting.
Waterfront Lifestyle and Boating
Boating is the island’s default setting. Canals thread through the residential streets, giving many homes direct water access and private jetties, and locals spend weekends kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and fishing on Brisbane Water. On Long Arm Parade the boating story shows up house by house: 4 Long Arm Parade has a slipway and a sandy beach, and 21 Long Arm Parade is an architectural north-facing waterfront with 24 metres of frontage and a heated pool. Mercator Parade leans into it harder, built around direct deep-waterfront frontage with private jetties, moorings and slipways, plus north-east aspects on some homes. That frontage-first layout keeps boating close at hand, with recent sales such as 13 Mercator Parade at $3,400,000 in January 2026.
Homes, Blocks and Prices
Neither street has a captured street-level median, so value reads best through sales and block sizes. The suburb’s median house price sits at $1,875,000 from 20 sales in the past year. Long Arm Parade skews to larger family blocks, mostly between about 645 and 965 square metres. Recent signals are thinner here: 11 Long Arm Parade sold for $2,010,000 in 2020, a five-bedroom architectural waterfront at 21 Long Arm Parade sold for $6,000,000 in October 2024, and 17 Long Arm Parade carries a current estimate around $2,526,000.
Mercator Parade centres on compact deep-waterfront blocks, many around 660 to 664 square metres, with larger corner sites up to about 1,181 square metres. Its recent sold set is denser, running from about $1.38 million to $3.4 million across 2024 to 2026, including 13 Mercator Parade at $3,400,000, 9 Mercator Parade at $3,200,000 and 30 Mercator Parade at $2,950,000. Deep-waterfront homes there have also shown long-run growth, with 7 Mercator Parade moving from about $1.29 million in 2008 to $2.75 million in 2024.
Schools and Daily Amenities
No schools sit on the island itself, but both streets draw on the same surrounding network. The island is largely residential, so everyday shopping and train services sit close by in Woy Woy, with Ettalong Beach and Umina also nearby. Long Arm Parade’s primary catchment is Empire Bay Public School, about a 13-minute walk away, with the secondary campus at Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina about a 12-minute drive. Mercator Parade has three schools within walking distance: Woy Woy Public School at about 16 minutes, Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy Campus at about 19 minutes and Ettalong Public School at about 19 minutes. Its Empire Bay Public primary catchment is about an 18-minute walk, and the same Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina secondary campus is about a 10-minute drive. Independent and Catholic options sit about 11 to 12 minutes from Long Arm Parade and 11 to 13 minutes from Mercator Parade.
Transport and Getting Around
Transport is a shared, suburb-level benefit, because both streets sit on the same road network. A single bridge connects St Huberts Island to the mainland, feeding the road network to Woy Woy and the M1. Woy Woy railway station, about 10 to 15 minutes away, offers direct Central Coast and Newcastle Line services to the Sydney CBD, with frequent morning-peak trains. Local bus routes 59 and 64 serve the area, Sydney is about an hour and 20 minutes by car, and the Ettalong Wharf ferry reaches Palm Beach in about 35 minutes. Neither street has its own public-transport stop within 1,500 metres, so any difference amounts to minutes within the island loop.
Stability and Long-Term Outlook
Both streets are about 95% owner-occupied, with a resident mix of professionals, families with children, retirees and singles and a median age around 58. Island streets are tightly held, with turnover running every 13.0 to 15.3 years on comparable streets. Recent island-wide works, including jetty, ramp and pontoon improvements and new dwellings with inground pools at 34 Marina View Parade and 23 Cuttlefish Parade, point to ongoing care and reinvestment at suburb level. That low-turnover character keeps both addresses feeling settled.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island known for?
Long Arm Parade is known as a settled street of 26 houses, about 95% owner-occupied, that mixes near-water and direct-waterfront homes. It has underground power and utilities and is described in one listing as one of the island’s most sought-after streets.
How much do houses on Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island sell for?
There is no street-level median, so recent sales and advertised history are the guide. 11 Long Arm Parade sold for $2,010,000 in 2020, 21 Long Arm Parade sold for $6,000,000 in October 2024, and 17 Long Arm Parade has a current estimate around $2,526,000. Advertised prices through 2015 to 2023 were mostly in the $1.5 million to $1.9 million range.
What are the lot sizes like on Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island?
Observed lots run roughly 645 to 965 square metres, giving the street a larger, family-friendly block profile compared with the island’s compact deep-waterfront blocks elsewhere.
Is Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island a good street for boating?
Yes. The street sits on the island’s canal network, with strong boating amenity at individual homes, including a slipway and sandy beach at 4 Long Arm Parade and 24 metres of waterfront at 21 Long Arm Parade.
Which schools are near Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island?
The primary catchment is Empire Bay Public School, about a 13-minute walk away, and the secondary catchment is Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina, about a 12-minute drive. Most other government schools and private options are a short drive away.
How far is Long Arm Parade St Huberts Island from Woy Woy and Sydney?
Woy Woy station is about 10 to 15 minutes away for direct Sydney trains, Sydney is about an hour and 20 minutes by car, and the Ettalong Wharf ferry reaches Palm Beach in about 35 minutes.
What is Mercator Parade St Huberts Island known for?
Mercator Parade is a 36-property street defined by direct deep-waterfront frontage, with private jetties, moorings and slipways and north-east facing aspects on some homes, in a quiet island setting.
How much do houses on Mercator Parade St Huberts Island sell for?
Recent sales range from about $1.38 million to $3.4 million across 2024 to 2026, including 13 Mercator Parade at $3,400,000, 9 Mercator Parade at $3,200,000, 30 Mercator Parade at $2,950,000 and 7 Mercator Parade at $2,750,000.
What are the lot sizes like on Mercator Parade St Huberts Island?
Lots centre on compact deep-waterfront blocks around 660 to 664 square metres, with larger premium corners up to about 1,181 square metres and a rare 3,003 square metre outlier, reflecting a frontage-first layout.
Does Mercator Parade St Huberts Island have deep water frontage and jetties?
Yes. Direct deep-waterfront frontage with private jetties, moorings and slipways is the street’s signature, with north-east aspects on some homes. A recent example is 13 Mercator Parade, which sold for $3,400,000 in January 2026.
Which schools are near Mercator Parade St Huberts Island?
Three schools are within walking distance: Woy Woy Public School at about 16 minutes, Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy Campus and Ettalong Public School at about 19 minutes each. The Empire Bay Public primary catchment is about an 18-minute walk away, and the Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina secondary catchment is about a 10-minute drive.
Is Mercator Parade St Huberts Island a good long term investment?
Long-run deep-waterfront appreciation is well documented, with 7 Mercator Parade moving from about $1.29 million in 2008 to $2.75 million in 2024, 13 Mercator Parade from $1.185 million in 2016 to $3.4 million in 2026 and 9 Mercator Parade from $1.15 million in 2007 to $3.2 million in 2025.
Conclusion
The choice comes down to what you want from the water. Mercator Parade suits buyers who want direct deep-water frontage, with a jetty and mooring at the bottom of the garden. Long Arm Parade suits buyers who prefer larger blocks and a mix of near-water and direct-waterfront homes on a smaller, settled street. Both share the same island lifestyle, schools, amenities and transport, so the real difference is block size, frontage and price band. Either way, you are buying into a tightly held, owner-occupied pocket that people rarely leave.