The rare opportunity to purchase quality finishing country in Hawke’s Bay has presented itself, with Melrose Station’s
subdivision opening up 390ha of quality land that lends itself well to intensive livestock farming.
Bayleys Hawke’s Bay salesperson Tony Rasmussen says with the back portion of Melrose already sold and committed to
forestry, the station’s easier front country represents the best of what the district can offer. Its free draining
productive soils have been accentuated by the property’s careful fertiliser plan across well farmed, easy country
lending itself well to cultivation.
In the four years the present owners have had the property they have capitalised on some good seasons’ income, investing
significantly back into the property.
This has included capital expenditure on upgrading the water supply, including dam and culvert improvements, and
covering the sheep yards.
There has been an extensive re-grassing programme across the property while infrastructure projects have included
refurbishing the two dwellings to a quality standard.
Melrose is located within a comfortable 47km of Napier CBD while schooling includes the local Tutira primary school.
“The property consists of two purchasing options, one of 273ha with the bulk of the infrastructure upon it, including a
five-stand woolshed, cattle yards three implement sheds four hay barns and the two homes, a four-bedroom main home and
three-bedroom cottage.
“The remaining 117ha including a four-stand woolshed and haybarn and the entire property is serviced by quality
laneways, and fencing is to a very high standard with conventional post and battens across the 56 paddocks. There is
very little that needs doing on purchase, it is well set up,” says Rasmussen.
The block also includes a large house site already prepared and offering expansive views northwards across the property.
Melrose has been run for the past few years as a finishing property delivering exceptional quality stock for processing
with lambs hooked at an average carcass weight of 20kg.
Bull beef production provides the other income tier, with yearling bulls purchased and run through to processing,
averaging 280-300kg carcass weight.
“Given the convenient size of the two parcels there is potential here for an operator who may be looking for a smaller
parcel of land that integrates well with their steeper country for a finishing unit, or possibly even for a stud
property, its accessibility makes use options very flexible.”
Melrose’s cropping profile reveals a property well suited to cultivation and easily traversed by tractor. About 50ha of
country is cropped every year, including 20-plus hectares of high yielding lucerne, usually fed out as 600-650 round
bales to bulls during winter.
Kale and maize silage plantings are also grown, with the maize silage sold as a crop.
The area’s generous average rainfall of 1,200mm a year, and a relatively low altitude of 200m above sea level ensures a
good growing season, with generous early spring growth helping make it an early finishing property.
Fertiliser application has been consistent over the years, including regular applications of ag-lime for the past four
years and fertility dressings of superphosphate.
Rasmussen says this spring is witnessing a particularly optimistic, buoyant property market in Hawke’s Bay, and interest
in Melrose reflects that.
“With its two parcels and exceptionally kind country, this block is likely to draw considerable interest particularly
from local farmers keen to get their hands on a block that could integrate with their current farming operation.”Melrose Station is for sale by tender, with tenders closing 4pm, Thursday October 28.