East Coast sheep and cattle farm

Torlea Station is about 82km northwest of Gisborne. Photo / Supplied

A substantial East Coast hill country sheep and cattle grazing farm divided into three separate blocks, each with its own supporting infrastructure, is on the market.

Torlea Station — about 82km north-west of Gisborne — is a 602ha property comprising the 257ha Rangariri Block; the 305ha Mountain Block (with 29ha of QEII covented bush reserve); and the 39ha Home Block.

Ranging from 520m to 800m above-sea-level, the station receives more than 2m of rain annually. This boosts productivity with records showing the station carried 2291head of cattle and 2747 sheep over the 2018 winter. Last year Torlea delivered a lambing ratio of 127 per cent, despite being hit by a storm in the middle of lambing season, while also producing a 90 per cent calving ratio.

The freehold property, at 3286 Whakarau Rd, will be auctionedat 1pm on April 12, through Bayleys Gisborne. Salespeople Simon Bousfield and James Bolton-Riley say the farm runs a straightforward sheep breeding/finishing programme, while cattle are bred with the intention of selling Hereford bull calves and 16-month-steers and heifers, plus replacement heifers.

Bousfield says a comprehensive fencing programme, implemented over the past three years, has seen assets repaired and upgraded. Fencing now consisted of a mix of conventional post and batten and electric fencing.

"The farm has large portions of flats – all of which have ground-based fertiliser applied on a rotational basis with new grass being sown. The remainder ranges from easy to medium-contour, with some steeper country throughout the Mountain and Rangariri blocks.

"Fertiliser on the hill country pasture is flown in, with three grassed airstrips within a 4km radius of Torlea's perimeter."

A large reliable spring with clean water situated high on the Mountain block is an ideal reticulated water source.

The station has a four-stand woolshed adjacent to a night pen capable of holding up to 1000 sheep; a two-bay 61sq m workshop; a three-bay implement shed, with lock-up saddle room; three sets of satellite docking yards, with three-way draft additional to the main set of covered yards; a covered set of cattle yards, with crush on the Home block.

Accommodation includes a four-bedroom homestead, plus two pairs of one-bedroom worker cottages.