A Matamata fattening property up for auction with Bayleys is well positioned for graziers and beef operators alike wanting to capitalise on its ideal location, great contour and excellent farm infrastructure.

Located on Old Te Aroha Road the 345ha property is being marketed by Bayleys agents Mike Fraser-Jones and Neville Jacques, having enjoyed over 70 years of ownership by the Fletcher family, and a single lease holder for the past 25.

Retiring owner Ken Fletcher says the property has demonstrated extreme versatility over his tenure, where at one stage he even ran Merino sheep.

Most recently it has been running 500 ewes, 650 rising two-year old cattle 110 rising one-year cattle and a small breeding herd. For much of the last 25 years it has been home to dairy heifers, benefitting from its good pasture, contour and central location relative to the greater Waikato.

Located only 30 minutes from Tauranga and an hour from Hamilton with easy access to State Highway 29 and the school bus at the gate, it combines the convenience of location with the benefits great fattening country.

Bayleys agent Neville Jacques said the property is a relative rarity in Waikato where good north-north west facing, well located hill country land can be hard to come by.

“We have had some similar properties sell along the Kaimai over the years, but this is very much a once in a generation opportunity.”

Ken Fletcher says originally the farm’s boundary stretched up and over the Kaimai range into Bay of Plenty, prior to the land being sold and retired in perpetuity into protected bush.

Today the property runs from about 50m above sea level through to just over 100m, with the rear of the property often experiencing useful additional amounts of rainfall over summer.

“And it is very rarely to get a property of this size. It is ideal as a large grazing and support block for dairy operators, with enough capacity to also run a beef operation, thanks to the infrastructure already in place,” Jacques said.

He said there is plenty of potential for a farming family with multiple dairy operations, for example, wanting to team up for ownership of a block where owning grazing country makes more commercial sense than sending stock via expensive transport down country to contact graze.

Divided into 60 paddocks for heifer grazing, the block is all set to stock and run. While running to the Kaimai bush boundary, Neville Jacques says the property includes generous flatter areas mid-way up, including good silage making country.

“And thanks to excellent management by the grazier over the years the property has received timely, well advised fertiliser applications that ensure it’s good to go from the minute its stocked.”

Facilities include full yarding, a three-stand woolshed in excellent condition, haybarns and implement sheds. For buyers seeking to live on the property or install a manager, the solid three-bedroom home offers comfortable living with a superb vista view across the Waikato basin.

Water supply is Kaimai stream sourced, with a two-tank storage and gravity delivery system providing plentiful clean supply year-round.

With strong dairy returns and good beef incomes more assured, interest is expected to be strong in the property that is being sold at auction.

“We have a rated valuation on the property of $8.80 million and think this would be a good point for buyers to start.”

The property will be auctioned 11am Thursday 20th November. Interested parties can contact Neville Jacques 021 774 190 or Mike Fraser-Jones 027 475 9680