Kaipara: Kauri, kiwi and kingfish

The bush, which is being sold in two 17ha blocks, is a wildlife sanctuary in its own right. Picture / Geoff Dale

This rare piece of Northland bush - boasting a host of native trees, plants and wildlife - has been in the same family for 110 years.

Atumble-down shanty leans in the hot sun, still with its slumping fern camp cots and butter box shelving nailed to rough walls. Rusting rail tracks, fly wheels and a pit saw are overgrown by fern in the bush.

Towering above them are huge totara, puriri, kauri, rimu and matai, native ferns and giant tree orchids. In the undergrowth, there are burrows where kiwi live.

This is a slice of New Zealand history, still in private hands, untouched for almost a century. A few kilometres from of the heart of kauri country, Matakohe, near Dargaville, Oparakau Bush Block is now for sale for the first time in 110 years.

"In all my years of real estate, I've never seen a block like this come on to the market," says agent Deborah Tyacke of Harcourts, Wellsford - a transplanted city girl who has returned to the Northland lifestyle.

"Most bush blocks are fragments with mostly pasture - this is purely bush, a real heirloom. I've counted over 33 varieties of plants and trees, some real monsters."

The property, which is being sold in two 17ha blocks, has been in the Simpson family since 1895. The present owner's grandfather, James Simpson, bought it with Jimmy Queen. Jimmy farmed his half share, but James and his sons milled the 300 acres of bush, bringing the timber out with bullocks.

The fine kauri, kahikatea and rimu were used to build the family homestead, Brotherton, at nearby Ruawai and houses for the sons' farms in the district, as well as butter boxes for the nearby dairy factory.

The men's old shanty still stands on one of the blocks, with remnants of the pit saw nearby. The kerosene Tangye engine used to drive the saw, breaking trunks into wide logs and then into planed boards, is now at the Matakohe Kauri Museum.

Today, it is a sanctuary from urban life. Owner Frank Simpson's son, Andrew, still farms in the district, but comes often to the bush block to unwind. "I can see my kids and their kids all coming here to have a slice of this," he says. He grew up with this "big back yard". The kids often camped overnight, listening to the kiwi calls as they foraged in the dark. With the stands of giant trees and fine ferns, it is hard to spot where the bush was ever cleared.

Less than two hours from Auckland, Oparakau would be the ideal getaway for city folk wanting to de-stress. It's a place for nature-lovers to create their own eco-paradise. The sloping bush blocks are designated of National Significance under the Rural zoning of Kaipara District Plan.

Attractive building platforms have been identified on each block. Naturally, in a setting so rare, resource consents would be required. Sympathetic eco buildings would be an exciting architectural challenge for owners wanting to share their unspoilt paradise with guests. "We'd dreamt of simple eco-cabins on the edge of the bush," says Frank's wife, Anne, "where people can bring their kids and grandkids and experience the trees and the birds close up."

Great fishing is 7km away at Ruawai with a boat ramp entrance to the Kaipara harbour. Andrew frequently catches kingfish and scallops there. Harbour beaches are minutes away at Tinopai, Pahi and Matakohe, or the famous Baylys surf beach is just out of Dargaville, the beautiful Mangawhai heads 40 minutes to the east.

Some 50 bed-and-breakfast and backpacker businesses in the area attest to the blossoming tourist energy of the region.

If you have more than a weekend getaway in mind, Ruawai has primary and secondary schools, and children can board at Dargaville or Whangarei.

Sample the country lifestyle at the Northland Agricultural Field Days - March 3 to March 5 - in Dargaville, and begin to dream of your bush block retreat in the heart of heritage kauri country.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: Oparakau Rd, Matakohe, Kaipara.

FEATURES: Offered in two lots of about 17ha each; zoned rural (with the bush having national significance); 140km from Auckland; 70km from Whangarei; 18km from Dargaville; 12km from Matakohe.

PRICE: Expressions of interest in the region of $450,000 per block.

AGENT: Deborah Tyacke, Harcourts. Ph 027 295 4532 mob.