St Huberts Island is a tightly held waterfront enclave of around 560 homes on a 0.6 km² island, where every street delivers some form of water access. Cuttlefish Parade and Mercator Parade sit roughly 400 metres apart yet offer distinctly different waterfront experiences: Cuttlefish faces the open expanse of Brisbane Water, while Mercator wraps around the island’s sheltered internal canal network. This comparison walks through the practical differences in property, lifestyle, and streetscape.
The Defining Difference: Open Water vs Canal Living
Cuttlefish Parade runs along the northwestern outer edge of the island, facing Brisbane Water with wide, uninterrupted views stretching to the Rip Bridge. Listing language is consistent: “rare open water views,” “sandy beach,” “slipway,” and “jetty” appear regularly. Homes here enjoy a genuine open-waterfront feel, with broad skies, changing tides, and a sense of looking out across the waterway.
Mercator Parade sits on the internal canal network and delivers a more intimate, protected waterscape. Listings centre on “canal-front,” “deep-water mooring,” “north-facing,” and “pontoons.” Boats are moored in calm water at private pontoons, and the streetscape has that classic canal-estate rhythm of bridges, waterways, and neighbouring vessels.
The choice largely comes down to whether you value sweeping open-water panorama or protected canal mooring.
Property Market: Prices, Sales, and Availability
St Huberts Island’s suburb-wide median house price sits at $1,925,000 to $1,950,000, but both streets trade well above this.
Cuttlefish Parade has a street median of $2,895,000. With 35 properties and three currently listed, recent sales include 3 Cuttlefish at $2,550,000 (March 2025), 34 Cuttlefish at $2,500,000 (2024), 14 Cuttlefish at $2,180,000 (2024), and 26 Cuttlefish at $2,700,000 (2021). Turnover sits at every 13.0 years, and the median rent is $900 per week.
Mercator has no published median, though Allhomes estimates $2,600,000 to $2,850,000. Its 36 properties have produced notably strong sales: 13 Mercator at $3,400,000 (January 2026), 9 Mercator at $3,200,000 (December 2025), 30 Mercator at $2,950,000 (July 2025), and 7 Mercator at $2,750,000 (2024). The 1 Mercator sale at $1,380,000 is a corner-block renovation outlier.
Mercator’s higher individual sale prices relative to Cuttlefish are best explained by the street’s greater lot-size variety and the premium many buyers place on protected deep-water mooring with private pontoons.
Occupancy, Community, and Rental Profile
Both streets are overwhelmingly owner-occupied. Cuttlefish sits at 90% owner-occupied, 10% rented; Mercator at 95% owner-occupied, 5% rented. The island-wide figure is 87.3%.
Cuttlefish has an active holiday rental at number 12, a three-bedroom waterfront property with private jetty, from $279/night. No equivalent has been identified on Mercator.
Both streets sit within a close-knit community served by the active St Huberts Island Residents Association (SHIRA), founded in 1976, which holds quarterly general meetings and an annual St Huberts Day celebration at Long Arm Reserve attracting up to 200 residents.
The median age is 58 and median household income is $1,605/week, with households predominantly childless couples in professional and managerial occupations. The slightly higher rental presence on Cuttlefish is worth noting for buyers who value a purely residential feel.
Lot Sizes, Property Types, and Streetscape
Both streets are exclusively houses, with no units or townhouses, consistent with the island’s low-density character governed by a single DCP describing “individually-designed houses oriented towards waterfront views, either one or two storey brick and tile designs with wide balconies and terraces.”
Cuttlefish lots cluster in the 664 to 742 m² range with one 854 m² outlier. Homes are predominantly four to five bedrooms with wide balconies.
Mercator shows greater diversity: standard 664 m² lots sit alongside 854 m² (1 Mercator, corner), 946 m² at 20 Mercator, “one of the only blocks left on the peninsula”, and 1,022 m² at 34 Mercator, listed at $2.6M to $2.7M. This variety contributes to Mercator’s broader sale-price spread. On a 0.6 km² island under a single planning instrument, kerb-side differences are modest. The choice is about what each street faces rather than how it looks.
Shared Foundations: Schools, Transport, and Amenities
There is no material difference between the two streets on these dimensions.
Both fall in the Empire Bay Public School catchment (ICSEA 1,014, above the national median of 1,000), a 16-minute walk from Cuttlefish and 18-minute walk from Mercator, and Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus (ICSEA 966), a 10-minute drive. Five private schools sit within a 13-minute drive, including St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School (11 minutes), Coast Christian School (12 minutes), and Green Point Christian College (13 minutes).
No public transport stops exist within 1,500 metres of either street. Both are served by Busways routes 59 and 64, accessed via the single bridge at Daleys Point. Woy Woy station is a 10-minute drive, Sydney CBD is 80 to 90 minutes, and the Ettalong Wharf ferry to Palm Beach is about 35 minutes.
For shopping and dining, both streets are five to six minutes from Ettalong Beach village, Umina, and Woy Woy. Highlights include the Ettalong Markets on weekends and the Ettalong Diggers Club with its dining, entertainment, and waterfront views. The island has no shops, a defining characteristic of every street.
Development and Renewal Activity
Island-wide four-year compound growth sits at +6.8% p.a., reflecting sustained demand.
In December 2025, the Central Coast Council announced canal revitalisation works, the first dredging since the 1970s. These works will improve boat navigation and amenity across the canal network, directly benefiting Mercator Parade.
On Cuttlefish, recent DAs signal ongoing renewal: a new dwelling and pool at number 23, and seawall replacement plus boat ramp alterations at number 27. Nearby streets have active applications for alterations, additions, pools, and jetty works. The pattern island-wide is one of considered reinvestment.
Summing Up
The choice between Cuttlefish and Mercator hinges on the waterfront experience. Cuttlefish offers a higher published street median and sweeping open-water views; Mercator has recorded the higher individual sale prices and greater lot-size variety with near-total owner-occupation. Both share identical access to schools, transport, and amenities, and both represent premium waterfront living in one of the Central Coast’s most tightly held suburbs. The right street is the one whose waterfront, whether open panorama or calm canal, feels like home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cuttlefish Parade
What is Cuttlefish Parade’s median property price on St Huberts Island?
Cuttlefish Parade has a street median of $2,895,000, well above the suburb-wide median of $1,925,000 to $1,950,000. Recent sales range from $2,180,000 (14 Cuttlefish, 2024) to $2,700,000 (26 Cuttlefish, 2021), with three properties currently listed.
How often do properties on Cuttlefish Parade come up for sale?
Turnover on Cuttlefish Parade runs at every 13.0 years. With only 35 properties and a 90% owner-occupier rate, supply is genuinely limited.
What waterfront features do Cuttlefish Parade homes offer?
Cuttlefish Parade fronts open Brisbane Water with broad views to the Rip Bridge. Properties feature sandy beach access, private slipways, jetties, and wide covered verandahs. The listing for 3 Cuttlefish (“Illawong”) is representative: inground pool, outdoor shower, BBQ area, and private front garden with pond and waterfall.
Is Cuttlefish Parade mostly owner-occupied or rented?
90% owner-occupied, 10% rented, slightly above the island-wide rate of 87.3%. The street also has an active holiday rental at number 12, a three-bedroom waterfront property with private jetty, from $279/night. The median rent is $900 per week.
What kinds of properties are on Cuttlefish Parade?
All 35 properties are detached houses, with no units or townhouses. Lot sizes predominantly 664 to 742 m² with one 854 m² outlier. Homes are typically four to five bedrooms, brick-and-tile with wide balconies maximising the water outlook.
What are Cuttlefish Parade’s key lifestyle advantages on St Huberts Island?
The standout advantage is open-water living: sweeping views across Brisbane Water, sandy beach access, and a genuine sense of space. Boating, fishing, and kayaking at your doorstep, all within a five-to-six-minute drive of Ettalong Beach, Woy Woy, and the Palm Beach ferry.
Mercator Parade
What is Mercator Parade’s typical property price on St Huberts Island?
No street-level median is published, but Allhomes estimates $2,600,000 to $2,850,000. Recent sales guide: $3,400,000 at number 13 (Jan 2026), $3,200,000 at number 9 (Dec 2025), and $2,950,000 at number 30 (Jul 2025). 34 Mercator is guided at $2.6M to $2.7M.
What recent sales have been recorded on Mercator Parade?
Key sales: 13 Mercator at $3,400,000 (Jan 2026, 3 bed, 2 bath), 9 Mercator at $3,200,000 (Dec 2025, 5 bed, 4 bath), 30 Mercator at $2,950,000 (Jul 2025, 4 bed, 2 bath), and 7 Mercator at $2,750,000 (2024, 5 bed, 4 bath). The outlier is 1 Mercator at $1,380,000, a corner-block renovation.
What waterfront features do Mercator Parade homes offer?
Mercator Parade sits on the internal canal network, offering calm, protected waterfront living with deep-water mooring, private pontoons, and north-facing canal frontages. It is ideal for mooring boats without exposure to open-water conditions.
Is Mercator Parade mostly owner-occupied or rented?
Mercator Parade is 95% owner-occupied and just 5% rented, one of the highest rates on an island averaging 87.3%. No holiday rentals have been identified.
What are Mercator Parade’s lot sizes and property features?
The 36 houses sit on lots from 664 m² to 1,022 m². Standouts include 34 Mercator (1,022 m²), listed at $2.6M to $2.7M, and 20 Mercator (946 m² vacant land), one of the last undeveloped waterfront blocks on the peninsula.
What are Mercator Parade’s key lifestyle advantages on St Huberts Island?
Protected canal-front living is the standout advantage: calm-water mooring at your pontoon, an intimate waterscape, and a prestigious, tightly held community. The 95% owner-occupier rate, larger lot diversity including rare vacant land at number 20, and direct access to the soon-to-be-revitalised canal network make it one of the island’s most sought-after addresses.