Pastoral farm also offers honey and tourism

As well as this homestead the property has fully a self-contained luxury cottage, which sleeps eight guests.

A waterfront Hawkes Bay sheep and beef farm is for sale, offering additional income streams from honey production and tourism.

The 710ha Te Au Station, near the entrance of Mahia Peninsula, has traditionally carried about 4500 stock units, says Bayleys' Gisborne director James Macpherson.

"However, entrepreneurial owners Malcolm and June Rough have been diversifying their revenue streams over the past decade through development of complimentary farm operations," says Macpherson.

"Over the past few years the freehold property has been steadily building up the volume of its honey production, and is now home to some 350 hives - well up from the 250 hives used at the same time last year.

"In addition, Te Au Station operates a fully self-contained luxury cottage, which sleeps eight guests and has been let as tourist accommodation - with guests taking advantage of Te Au's privately-accessed trout-rich river." He adds that following 23 years on the land building, up the business in all its formats, Malcolm and June have now decided to place the property for sale, with offers being taken until January 26.

The 710ha Te Au Station has traditionally carried about 4500 stock units.

Macpherson points out that by broadening Te Au's economic activities in several directions, the potential buyer pool of buyers interested in the property is now wide-ranging.

"Te Au Station's business model is representative of where many farms are now heading in New Zealand - utilising the traditional and established productive sector as a foundation, then adding on other revenue streams. In this case, the commercial accommodation and apiary activities," Macpherson says.

"It's a financially sensible approach, as the diversity of revenue streams helps smooth over any operational troughs which may arise from the primary activity, which in Te Au's case is sheep and beef rearing and grazing.

"The abundance of trout in the almost-3km stretch of Kopuawhara River running through the property underpins the attraction of the lodge-style dwelling, with trout fishing enthusiasts appreciating access to the fishery towards the rear of the farm. "The property also has extensive ocean frontage for guests seeking to pursue sea fishing as an alternative leisure activity, or take advantage of Mahia peninsula's nationally renowned beaches."

Water is derived from a variety of streams and springs, complimented by multiple man-made dams. The locality has a recorded average rainfall of 1600mm, with the farm's altitude ranging from sea level to 370m.

A 3km stretch of the Kopuawhara River offers abundant trout fishing.

"In the 23 years which the current owners have run Te Au Station the farm has only browned off twice," Macpherson says.

The property is subdivided into 28 paddocks with post and baton wire fencing, and is served by a well-maintained network of tracks and access lanes. The farm has been thoroughly fertilised - with 90 tonnes of sulphur super spread over the past five seasons and 15 hectares of pasture sown in new grass.

Farm building infrastructure includes two three-bay lockable implement sheds. The homestead is a 600sq m four-bedroom/three bathroom villa with extensive veranda decking overlooking an in-ground salt water swimming pool and barbecue area with views over Mahia Peninsula. The self-contained short-let is nearby.

The farm contains two QEII Trust native reserves totalling 58ha of plantings, with a further 60ha of bush adjacent to gullies and streams.