He said most told him onsite auctions don't work in Pambula, one company said they wouldn't bother with a video and another suggested the best he would achieve would be $820,000.

On January 29 what is thought to be a record price for the area, $1.675 million, was achieved following the onsite auction, conducted by Glenn Brunette of Eden Realty, of the modest two-bedroom Pambula Beach holiday home on 853sqm of land at Coraki Dr.

The property has been in the Henderson family since the 1960s and it was the first time it had been offered for sale after their father acquired it in a Crown Land lottery.

While the home itself is a beach bungalow built from a decommissioned Snowy Hydro scheme mess hall, the big selling point was its location as the property sits close to Lions Beach and the Pambula rivermouth.

The event attracted a large number of locals keen to see how the auction played out, as well as those registered for the auction.

"We knew it was going to make waves. There were more than 150 people at the site," Andrew said following the successful sale.

"There were about 12 people registered and at least five of them were interstate. We had the proxies quite early and then the other bidders turned up and registered on the day," Andrew said.

"We has indicated what the range was and bidding started at $1.3m and then went up quite quickly, it was all very theatrical.

"A couple from Rose Bay got the fall of the hammer and everybody in Pambula Beach was impressed. From our perspective it was a great result," Andrew said.

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Glenn said the couple were holidaying in the area when they saw the sign and returned for the auction. They are believed to be keeping the holiday home and taking some time before they decide what to do with the property and land.

Glenn said he was very pleased with the outcome.

"This is a 60-year beach bungalow. It's all about the land and position. I think as far as a land sale is concerned this is a record; it certainly exceeded expectations and we had a tremendous response," he said.

Glenn said he "had a bit of fun calling the auction" refusing to let it be about the house or the land but insisting people were buying a lifestyle that offered a 100m walk to the surf, their feet in the sand and the sound of bellbirds.