Pudding Hill has plenty to tuck into

Pudding Hill Lodge and Holiday Park could suit many purposes. Photo / Supplied

Pudding Hill Lodge and Holiday Park, along with 12.1ha of land at the base of Mt Hutt skifield, just 10 minutes from the Canterbury town of Methven, has been put on the market.

The business and property at 5259 Arundel Rakaia Gorge Rd, just off scenic inland route SH72, is offered for sale as a freehold going concern by deadline private treaty, closing on March 10, through Adrian Chisholm, principal officer at Tourism Property Brokers in Christchurch.

"The current owner has single-handedly taken it from a nil turnover to around $170,000 per annum in four years," Chisholm says. "He has carried out many improvements including the installation of a new water system costing over $100,000 and meeting fire compliance requirements costing $50,000.

"A talented couple could take this existing tourism accommodation business to the next level and develop these extensive buildings and property.

"This is also an ideal opportunity for a church, school, university, technical college, sporting or training organisation to convert the property into a facility to meet their individual requirements."

Chisholm says the Pudding Hill Lodge and Holiday Park, occupying 3ha of land and comprising 2400sq m of buildings, is ideally suited for family groups, school groups, weddings, ski teams and mini-conferences.

"It has a bar with a liquor licence, and a hot tub and two saunas where skiers can go after skiing on Mt Hutt, or hiking one of the many walking tracks during summer."

Other major features of the property are a tennis court and 9.1ha of spacious farmland, suitable for training or recreational purposes.

"The opportunities are endless for schools, churches, sporting organisations, in-house residential colleges or training schools looking for a property such as this, which is next to a registered airstrip on an adjoining property."

Building 1 in the complex comprises a refurbished chalet with four bedrooms and two studios containing six queen-sized beds and five single beds for up to 17 guests.

Buildings 2, 3 and 4 will sleep 19 guests in each, and comprise a mixture of two and three-bedroom units, and units with bunks and single beds along with bathroom facilities.

Building 5 can accommodate 25 singles with five showers and five toilets, while Building 6 sleeps 36 singles and has six toilets and eight showers.

There is also a very spacious two-level home, serving as manager's accommodation. This has six bedrooms upstairs, with three showers, and five bedrooms downstairs with two bathrooms. The house has four toilets and a big two-car garage. Using all available accommodation, including that within the home, the facility can accommodate 156 people.

Within the main lodge are two conference rooms, each taking 50 to 60 people. It also has a big games room and dining room, a large fireplace, licensed bar and relaxation area.

"There is Sky Television in the main lounge and a DVD player in the lounge and conference rooms," Chisholm says.

"There is also an onsite commercial laundry with drying room and a large commercial kitchen to cater for big groups."

Pudding Hill's three-star holiday park is ideal for camper vans with 24 power-points, 24 tent sites, full amenities block and barbecue area.

Chisholm says the current vendors have owned the property for over four years and developed it into a viable commercial enterprise from a very run-down condition. It was originally owned and operated by Contiki Tours.

"The replacement value of the land, buildings and extensive chattels list would be several million dollars more than the asking price, so this sale represents one of the best tourism property investments of the decade," Chisholm says. The land and buildings were last valued at $1.814 million and offers in a price range of $1.45 million to $1.95 million are sought.

Chisholm says nearby Methven, a well-known South Island ski centre, is the hub for a host of tourism and recreational activities, including hot air ballooning, tandem skydiving, and one of New Zealand's best international golf resorts.