Avocado orchard has the pip on competition

The property, shown above in its early development, comes with a 211sq m four-bedroom 1970s homestead with substantial deck area. Photo / Supplied

One of the Far North's biggest avocado orchards has been placed on the market for sale through a mortgagee tender process closing at 4pm on Wednesday, May 26 at Bayleys in Auckland.

Clearwater Orchard at Ngataki on the Aupouri Peninsula is one of New Zealand's most northerly avocado production units. The former dry-stock farm of 311ha is just north of Rarawa Beach Rd on the Aupouri Peninsula which extends from Awanui to Cape Reinga. The property is 15km north of the village of Pukenui, which provides basic shops and services, and 57km from Kaitaia, the main service centre for the northern area.

Bayleys senior sales consultant Alan Broadbent, who is marketing the property with colleague David Gubb, said the Clearwater Orchard development began some four years ago with land contouring and excavation of a large earth dam for irrigation. The dam subsequently created a 7.2ha lake capable in its current structure of providing summer irrigation to 232ha of avocado plantings.

"This is New Zealand's northernmost avocado development with the Houhora area becoming recognised for its climatic reliability, being able to produce earlier fruit than orchards further south at Whangarei and Katikati," Broadbent said.

"Two varieties of avocado, Haas and Reed, were initially planted in 2006 and 2007. Some 64ha have been planted with between 130 to 140 further hectares available for contouring and planting."

Broadbent said that, while the property benefited from dammed water, additional expenditure was required to transfer the total irrigation reticulation into the new dam system and to complete the dam project to its full design capacity.

"However, that investment would deliver higher production crop yields from an orchard which currently has huge potential but is performing well below its true potential," he said. "This is an outstanding opportunity to develop a 'young' orchard to its full production potential by bringing new land into service using existing infrastructure."

With a frontage of more than 2km to the Far North Road, the property at 5681 SH1, Ngataki, is widest in its northern part, and this is the area that has been utilised for the initial orchard development and planting.

The property comes with a 211sq m four-bedroom 1970s homestead with substantial deck area overlooking a flat lawn area. Broadbent says the house, with exterior construction of wood-grained hardiplank, has been substantially extended, upgraded and modernised. A 60sq m double garage adjoining the house has been converted into a modern self-contained flat.

The property has an older implement shed and woolshed constructed of timber faming with a concrete floor, suitable for storage. Two sliding doors give a secure storage area, and the balance of the shed is open bay.

A newer 384sq m steel implement shed with full concrete foundations and a 128sq m attached lean-to is used for storing orchard machinery with one end fitted with office, storeroom, staff kitchen and dining facilities, showers and toilets.

Artificial shelters have been constructed around the current avocado plantings with radiata pine behind the netting. Additionally, elephant grass has been planted for trunk protection.

The predominant soil type on the farm is a mix of free-draining Houhora sand and Tangitiki sand with some Te Kopuru sand in the sub-soil. Just south of the orchard are the east coast beaches of Rarawa and Henderson Bay which are popular for surfing, fishing, and shellfish gathering.

"This is a great opportunity to take a young orchard to full production and plant out the additional land in future," Broadbent said.