St Huberts Island is one of the Central Coast’s more distinctive places to live, a compact canal estate linked to the mainland by a single road connection at Daleys Point. Life here centres on the water: residents keep boats tied up at the bottom of the garden and spend weekends fishing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and cruising Brisbane Water. Many homes add private pontoons and direct canal access with sweeping Brisbane Water views, and residents enjoy leisurely walks and bike rides around the island. If you are weighing Long Arm Parade against Mainsail Avenue, the useful comparison is not about location, since both share the same island. It is about block size, price spread and the character of the waterfront each street offers.
Two Waterfront Streets on One Compact Canal Island
Both streets sit on an island of about 0.6 km², roughly five kilometres east of Woy Woy and 88 kilometres north of Sydney. Because the whole suburb shares one road entry and the same services, neither street holds a separate location edge. The island offers five reserves, picnic areas and a large children’s playground in Attunga Close, plus a public boat ramp in Luderick Avenue. Cafes, restaurants and beaches at Ettalong, Umina and Woy Woy are about a five-minute drive away. In practical terms, you are choosing the street, not the suburb.
Streetscape and Character
Long Arm Parade is the smaller and more varied of the two. Domain records 26 houses, with 95% owner-occupied, and lot sizes run from about 639 m² up to 965 m². You will find direct waterfront, water-view and non-waterfront holdings on the one street. Mainsail Avenue is larger and more uniform, with 37 houses, 85% owner-occupied and a typical four-bedroom, three-bathroom, four-car configuration. Its lots sit in a tighter band from about 648 m² to 696 m², which makes the street easier to read at a glance.
Property Prices and Value
St Huberts Island’s median house price is $1,925,000 over the past year, with median values up 7.29% over 12 months and 19.72% over five years. Against that backdrop, the two streets tell different price stories. Long Arm Parade spans a wide band, from estimates around $2.09 million to $3.25 million at 9 Long Arm Parade and 14 Long Arm Parade, while 21 Long Arm Parade sold for $6,000,000 in October 2024. Mainsail Avenue’s recent sales cluster more tightly, with 33 Mainsail Avenue at $2,000,000 in February 2026 and 25 Mainsail Avenue at $1,970,000 in April 2025, reaching 13 Mainsail Avenue’s $2,600,000 at the top end, all above the suburb median.
Waterfront Living and Home Features
The real draw on both streets is water access, but the holdings differ in feel. On Long Arm Parade, 4 is a single-level waterfront home with water at the back door, a slipway and sandy beach access, while 14 sits in a prized outside-waterfront position with wide, calming views. The standout at 21 offers a north-facing 24-metre frontage, panoramic views and a heated pool. On Mainsail Avenue, 11 brings a full-width canal frontage with a jetty, mooring pole and electric-winch slipway, 6 is absolute waterfront with wide water views, and 30 overlooks Shelter Cove from a two-storey home with an easterly aspect.
Schools, Transport and Everyday Access
Both streets share the same government catchments. Long Arm Parade is a 13-minute walk from Empire Bay Public School, while Mainsail Avenue is about a 16-minute walk. The secondary catchment is Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus, roughly a 12-minute drive from Long Arm Parade and 11 minutes from Mainsail Avenue. The nearest private schools, including Coast Christian School, Green Point Christian College and St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, sit about 11 to 12 minutes away for both. Transport is shared and car-oriented: bus routes 59 and 64 serve the suburb, Woy Woy station is about a 10-minute drive, and the Ettalong to Palm Beach ferry runs about 35 minutes.
Choosing Your Street
The decision comes down to a few practical differences: value spread, lot size, ownership mix, street consistency and waterfront configuration. If you want a uniform avenue with lots from about 648 m² to 696 m², a consistent price band and typical four-bedroom, three-bathroom homes, Mainsail Avenue reads as the simpler fit. If you want a wider range of lots from about 639 m² to 965 m², home styles and frontage types, including a premium north-facing 24-metre waterfront holding, Long Arm Parade is the one to explore. Neither street is universally better; it depends on the specific house and your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Long Arm Parade’s property price range on St Huberts Island?
Long Arm Parade spans a wide value band. Current estimates run from about $2.09 million at 9 Long Arm Parade to $3.25 million at 14 Long Arm Parade, and 21 Long Arm Parade sold for $6,000,000 in October 2024. That puts the street well above the suburb median of $1,925,000, with older records sitting much lower, such as 3 Long Arm Parade selling for $1,115,000 in 2003 and 19 Long Arm Parade for $1,275,000 in 2009.
What waterfront features do Long Arm Parade homes offer?
Long Arm Parade mixes direct waterfront, water-view and non-waterfront holdings. At 4 Long Arm Parade, water is only steps from the back door, with a slipway and sandy beach access. Number 14 offers an outside-waterfront position with wide views and privacy, while 21 adds a north-facing 24-metre frontage, panoramic views and a heated pool.
How large are the blocks on Long Arm Parade?
Blocks on Long Arm Parade range from about 639 m² to 965 m², with the 892 m² north-facing waterfront holding at 21 Long Arm Parade. Compared with Mainsail Avenue’s tighter band, that wider spread suits buyers who want larger or more varied parcels.
What schools are Long Arm Parade homes zoned for?
Long Arm Parade homes are zoned for Empire Bay Public School for primary, about a 13-minute walk away, and Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus for secondary, about a 12-minute drive. The nearest private schools, including Coast Christian School, Green Point Christian College and St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, are roughly 11 to 12 minutes away by car.
What is Long Arm Parade’s streetscape and ownership mix like?
Domain records 26 houses on Long Arm Parade, with 95% owner-occupied and 5% rented. It is a more mixed, lower-density street with a broader range of home styles and frontage types rather than a single uniform template.
How do Long Arm Parade residents access transport and everyday amenities?
Long Arm Parade shares the island’s car-oriented access. Bus routes 59 and 64 serve the suburb, Woy Woy station is about a 10-minute drive, and the Ettalong to Palm Beach ferry runs about 35 minutes. Ettalong Beach, Umina and Woy Woy are about a five-minute drive away.
What is Mainsail Avenue’s property price range on St Huberts Island?
Mainsail Avenue’s recent sales cluster tightly in the high $1.9 million to $2.6 million range, above the suburb median of $1,925,000. Recent results include 33 Mainsail Avenue at $2,000,000 in February 2026, 25 Mainsail Avenue at $1,970,000 in April 2025, 13 Mainsail Avenue at $2,600,000 and 11 Mainsail Avenue at $2,300,000.
What waterfront features do Mainsail Avenue homes offer?
Mainsail Avenue’s standout is 11 Mainsail Avenue, a full-width waterfront property with a sunny northerly aspect, long water views, a jetty with mooring pole and a slipway with electric winch. Number 6 is absolute waterfront with wide water views, and 30 Mainsail Avenue looks over Shelter Cove from a two-storey home with an easterly aspect.
How large are the blocks on Mainsail Avenue?
Mainsail Avenue lots cluster from about 648 m² to 696 m², with examples running from 6 Mainsail Avenue at 648 m² to 33 Mainsail Avenue at 696 m². The consistent lot profile makes the street easy to compare property to property.
What schools are Mainsail Avenue homes zoned for?
Mainsail Avenue homes fall in the same catchments as Long Arm Parade: Empire Bay Public School for primary, about a 16-minute walk away, and Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus for secondary, about an 11-minute drive. The nearest private schools, including Coast Christian School, Green Point Christian College and St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, are roughly 11 to 12 minutes away.
What is Mainsail Avenue’s streetscape and ownership mix like?
Domain records 37 properties on Mainsail Avenue, with 85% owner-occupied and 15% rented, and a typical four-bedroom, three-bathroom, four-car configuration. It is a more uniform canal-side avenue where homes and lots follow a consistent pattern.
How do Mainsail Avenue residents access transport and everyday amenities?
Mainsail Avenue shares the island’s car-oriented access. Bus routes 59 and 64 serve the suburb, Woy Woy station is about a 10-minute drive, and the Ettalong to Palm Beach ferry runs about 35 minutes. Ettalong Beach, Umina and Woy Woy are about a five-minute drive away.
Conclusion
Both streets deliver the same St Huberts Island canal lifestyle, amenities, school catchments and car-based access. The choice really comes down to street feel and budget fit: Mainsail Avenue for a consistent, uniform avenue in a tight price band, or Long Arm Parade for a broader spread of lots, styles and frontage types. Weigh the block, the waterfront configuration and the specific holding rather than chasing one name over the other.