KEY POINTS:
The Bay of Plenty Katikati Heritage Museum complex, comprising a variety of retail and hospitality businesses, is for sale.
It occupies an 8989sq m site north of Tauranga, and is being sold by tender as a freehold going concern through Linda Harley of Affiliated Business Consultants in Tauranga.
The business and property consists of a 320sq m barn-styled museum building that also houses a souvenir and gift shop. Other buildings on the property include a 218sq m three-bedroom house, the 200sq m Heritage restaurant-carvery premises that can seat 120 diners and which is leased to an independent operator; and a 220sq m four-unit retail building currently occupied by the Katipatch quilt shop, a Maori arts and crafts outlet, a small educational facility and a local fruit distribution business.
The complex also includes a mini-putt golf course in a farmyard setting inhabited by "children-friendly" animals like donkeys and kune kune pigs.
Harley says a large area of the property is currently used for coach turning and parking and for visitors' cars.
"The variety of retail and hospitality businesses occupying the property provides a lot of flexibility in relation to the commercial rentals currently providing annual income of $46,000 in addition to the operation of the museum," Harley says.
"There is opportunity to increase the use of facilities on this large site which has a zoned Rural G under the western Bay of Plenty allowing for a wide range of permitted, controlled and discretionary activities."
Harley says the property and business are being offered for tender with the opportunity to buy the freehold tenancies and museum business, or to purchase the freehold and tenancies with a view to establishing another business on the site and tenanting the museum building.
"The vendors are ready to retire and, although their preference is to see the museum business continue to trade and promote the heritage of the region, they are open to the property being sold to purchasers with a different vision."
While tenders must be submitted to Affiliated Business Consultants at 36 Cameron Rd, Tauranga by 4pm on Friday May 2, the owner has reserved the right to sell prior to that date.
The museum project commenced in 2000 with the intention of developing a tourism business based on a museum that promoted the heritage of the Katikati region. The museum contains a broad collection of memorabilia from early 1900 onwards and provides an interactive, personal tour with colourful presentations of the pioneering days when Irish immigrants established themselves in Katikati. It is believed that Katikati is the site of the only planned Ulster Irish settlement in the world.
The museum is home to the Goodwin bottle collection which is the largest of its kind in Australasia and also features the "LPs of Yesteryear" collection of long-playing records.
Over 300 tourists per month visit the museum comprising tour groups from cruise ships, retirement homes, schools and travellers driving along State Highway 2 - which is promoted by tourism agencies as the scenic Pacific Coast Highway.
For schools, the museum offers educational programmes designed for the school curriculum from years 1-8, but adaptable to any age or school.
"The programmes are hands-on with children dressing up in 1900 period costume to experience what it would be like to be a child at an early pioneer school," Harley says.
"All of these programmes can be expanded on, especially with the number of cruise ships coming to the Port of Tauranga increasing each season and a general increase in tourist numbers within the Bay of Plenty."
Harley says commercial activities are not able to be developed off the Pacific Coast Highway frontage but the museum property has achieved resource consent due to access being via the adjoining Wharawhara Rd.
Harley says Katikati is the fastest growing district in the Bay of Plenty, showing a 22 per cent growth in the 2006 census.
"This growth has resulted in the construction of three new commercial developments, a new supermarket and a number of residential subdivisions reflecting confidence in the township."
