The Woolshed near Queenstown is a sheer delight

The Woolshed on SH6 near Lake Hayes in Queenstown has active consent for a café and gallery but offers a range of potential uses.

A renovated woolshed just outside Queenstown is for sale through Colliers International, with a café and small function venue, gallery or visitor accommodation among its many possible uses.

Known as The Woolshed at Bendemeer, the original 175 sq m building is on a 2 hectare block of land off State Highway 6 near Lake Hayes, Queenstown at the gateway to the exclusive Bendemeer lifestyle estate.

"This building provides an opportunity for an investor or owner occupier to develop a project within a range of possible business uses," says Mark Simpson, director of the Queenstown office of Colliers International, who is marketing it for sale by deadline private treaty closing on October 15, unless it sells earlier by negotiation.

"The previous owners completed a restoration project that has resulted in a stunning building presented to the market," says Simpson. "It will have wide appeal to buyers including: food and beverage operators; lifestylers seeking a project with a difference; and investors looking for a foothold in Queenstown's tightly held property market."

The Woolshed's restoration, which won a New Zealand Institute of Architects award shortly after completion, was carefully planned to showcase its original use as a working farm woolshed, while retaining the character of the building.

"The renovated woolshed tells the story of its own heritage both inside and out, with the exterior largely unchanged and the interior a sensitive combination of old and new that complements the structure and the surrounding landscape."

The Woolshed comprises an original stacked-stone building dating from the 1840s, alongside an adjoining timber-framed, corrugated iron-clad extension built in the 1950s. The main entrance sits between the two.

Inside, the original shearing pens have been retained as a special feature, while the front section of the building has been converted to a modern kitchen and dining room area with an open fire. Extensive use of wood panelling has been used throughout, which ties in with the original parts of the interior.

"The Woolshed has been used by the existing owner as a venue for small functions and has an active consent for a café and gallery that could provide a base for a new owner or operator to build a business on to service Queenstown's ever-growing tourism and visitor market," says Simpson.

"There are also other possible uses depending on the relevant consents being approved," he says..

"The building has a very high profile location near Queenstown, Lake Hayes and Arrowtown with views over the entire Wakatipu Basin. This makes it perfectly suited for a restaurant, boutique accommodation, wine tasting venture or café-style venue."

The property also includes consented plans to incorporate a commercial kitchen and extension, he says.

The property is owned by UK-based New Zealander Alistair Jefferies, who acquired The Woolshed property with the balance of the Bendemeer estate in 2011. With business interests continuing to keep him in the UK, Jefferies has decided that the project to develop The Woolshed is best passed onto a new owner, says Simpson.