Station Well Poised On Wine Country’s Edge

Thursday, 28 October 2021, 2:06 pm
Press Release: Bayleys

Birch Hill Station’s proximity to Wellington means it offers an exciting range of options from its traditional pastoral sheep and beef base.

The 1,579ha (1,320ha effective) property sits only 10 minutes southeast of Martinborough in picturesque southern Wairarapa, offering a good mix of flat, rolling and steeper country that includes some attractive terraced land.

Bayleys Wairarapa salesperson Lindsay Watts says properties of Birch Hill’s expanse and quality are rare to the market, typically held intergenerationally by families.

Treating the station as his own, long-time manager Stuart Ross has overseen a high standard of farming, with exceptional land stewardship and stock.

The property has received regular and generous fertiliser applications, with the farm split into six blocks for lime application in an annual pattern.

It includes quality fencing, infrastructure, and raceways throughout.

The entire property is serviced via an extensive and high quality five-kilometre central raceway.

Management is simplified by good paddock layout, comprising 65 paddocks plus numerous holding paddocks.

There are 6,100 ewes put to the ram, while the two-tooth ewes have been mated to a Dorset Down terminal sire.

Birch Hill focuses on getting lambs away well before Christmas. Last season, 3,500 lambs went direct to processing at weaning time.

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A herd of 300 Hereford cows are mated to bulls sourced from Otapawa Stud in northern Wairarapa with the first calvers mated to Dandaloo Stud Angus bulls.

Watts says the property’s potential lies beyond its proven pastoral history, drawing off some highly appealing bush country throughout and a location just over an hour from Wellington, offering opportunity for on-farm tourism and holiday visits.

The bush appeal includes 95ha of QEII covenant protection out of the 120ha of fenced-off bush area.

The station’s high standard of dwellings include a three-bedroom cottage and restored shearers’ quarters featuring polished wooden floors and a pleasant rustic atmosphere.

The shearers’ quarters in particular have been renovated to a high standard for the owners to stay in and would suit a tourist operation needing an excellent class of accommodation.

Birch Hill’s homestead offers a standard suited to a station of Birch Hill’s stature, with the home carefully retaining its 100-year character features also offering all the benefits of a modern home.

The potential for wine planting is one that also presents itself as an opportunity at Birch Hill with some appealing terraced country that has drawn some attention to its potential for winegrowing.

Meanwhile, the Genesis windfarm that offers some lease income at the rear of the farm also has room for expansion, with potential for even more significant lease income with it.

“Opportunities to purchase properties of this calibre are rare today, and Birch Hill’s location – only 10 minutes from Martinborough – and its scale are its greatest attributes, along with the ability to step onto the property and start generating a solid pastoral income from it,” says Watts.

Address: 1300 White Rock Road, Martinborough, South Wairarapa, New Zealand

Location: 10 minutes southeast of Martinborough

Area: 1,579ha (1,320ha effective)

Stock: 6,100 ewes, 300 Hereford cows. Lambs off farm early December.

Paddocks: 65 fenced with conventional post and batten to a high standard.

Woolshed/Buildings: Six-stand woolshed plus a 2,000-head covered yard, three sets of cattle yards and four sets of sheep yards throughout the station. Four-bay storage/workshop.

Dwellings: Four-bedroom homestead, three-bedroom cottage, six-bedroom shearers’ quarters and single-person quarters.

Raceway: Extensive 5km central raceway from front to rear of station.