Westmere Rd is also very close to the coast, a must to produce high quality olives according to even the Mediterranean masters.
"Groves on the East Coast are prone to frost and drought, we are not and that allows the fruit to grow without stress," Mr Summerhays said.
The grove features 1800, 16-year-old trees planted in 2000 with four varieties - Leccino, Frantoio, Picholene and Koroneiki.
The first commercial harvest was in 2008 just after John and Anne Summerhays bought the property. Crop volumes have grown steadily since and last year peaked at 20 tonnes, although John is convinced there is potential to up the ante to 30 tonnes.
Silver lining
The quality of that first harvest was immediately obvious when the Koroneiki single variety was awarded a silver medal in 2008 and repeated in 2009 at the New Zealand Olive Oil Awards.
"No oils were entered since 2009 until this year when we entered three. All three were awarded silver," Mr Summerhays said.
The Koroneiki and Frantoio varieties won silver in the Commercial Medium Oil Single class, while the Picholene won silver in the Boutique Intense Oil Single grade.
The end product was rebranded Otamatea Olive Oil this year to reflect the story the local region and soils have to tell.
At Otamatea the fruit is mechanically harvested in June-July and sent to be pressed at "The Olive Press" in Greytown within 24 hours to retain quality. No additives or preservatives are added at pressing or bottling to ensure the contents are 100 percent pure natural Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Otamatea Olive Oils are all certified EVOO.
Healthy living
Both John and Anne have had tremendous pleasure from producing the award-winning oils and no doubt benefited greatly from the health qualities olive oil has to offer.
"Extra Virgin Olive Oil carries high levels of polyphenols which are attributed to the increased health benefits. The oil is one of the few ways to absorb sufficient levels of polyphenols," Mrs Summerhays said.
The lifestyle is phenomenal with surprisingly less work than traditional lifestyle blocks.
"The harvest is once a year and mechanical and we prune once a year," Mr Summerhays said.
"We run a few sheep in the olive grove to keep the grass under control, although I do mow a strip so I can hit a few golf balls without losing them.
"I know there is so much more potential to increase production here. Olives New Zealand runs the Focus Grove Project aimed at improving the quality and consistency of olive growing. Through that I know there are relatively simple ways to increase production."
And to put the silver medals into context the awards place Otamatea Olive Oil in the top 10 per cent in New Zealand with New Zealand being recognised as among the best in the world.
"At present the majority of olive oil consumed in New Zealand is imported and of inferior quality being refined oils rather than that grown locally. The challenge we have is to train the New Zealand pallet to the locally grown EVOO," Mr Summerhays.
The beauty is that this dream can become a reality to others with the property going up for sale with an asking price of just $1.5 million.
