Malcolm Hogg has been hunting for more than 50 years, with some of his earliest outdoor adventures on the East Cape and Raukūmara Ranges.
Until recently Malcolm owned a hunting block in Manawatū. He sold that last year, aiming to replace it with another block closer to his Tauranga home. However, when a 357-hectare property bounding the Mangaoporo River approximately 10 kilometres north of Ruatōria became available, the temptation to revisit some of his earliest hunting memories was too much for Malcolm.
“Even though it’s no nearer to home, I couldn’t resist,” he says.
Comprising a mix of regenerating native forest species, including Mānuka, Kānuka and Rewarewa, the block provides habitat for wild pigs, fallow and red deer, and goats.
Marketing the Ruatōria property, PGG Wrightson Real Estate East Coast rural manager Gary Brooks knew Malcolm after selling his former block last year.
“I had a feeling he’d be interested,” says Gary.
“It’s where I started. There’s always been a better type of red deer on the East Coast, which is the main attraction for me,” says Malcolm. The sale and purchase agreement was settled in January.
Ranging over both steeper and easier contoured land, with grassed clearings throughout, the property abounds with natural waterways and birdlife.
While covenants have already been placed on the property to protect the native biodiversity and ecosystems, Malcolm’s plans include clearing access tracks, tidying the accommodation, which is an old woolshed, and some pest eradication.
“I want to make good and maintain my legacy on the property. I’m looking forward to getting into the possums. I’ve been dealing with them all my life, and I know we can make a difference here.”
An unsought bonus is the carbon credits attached to regenerating bush. Naturally established on land that was not forested before 1990, the regenerating bush qualifies under current carbon pricing, with almost 150 hectares forecast to provide useful annual revenue for the next several years.
“Some income to go towards maintenance costs, looking after tracks and stay on top of the pests, is always worth having and made purchasing the property stack up better. Maybe even some left over to pay the rates,” says Malcolm.Like any other market, Gary says many potential hunting block purchasers are interested in a bargain.
“Filling the freezer with quality organic meat at little cost is the New Zealand way. If a property has good accommodation, that helps. A bit of acreage and the presence of sika deer are big attractions. Carbon credits can be a nice bonus.”
However remote they may be, blocks such as this change hands reasonably regularly and meet steady demand.
“This is the dream for many people: wilderness, getting back to nature and soaking up the tranquillity on offer in a place of such beauty. These features make for a natural legacy that can be further enhanced with careful management. All this, and the opportunity to bag a feed every now and then. How enticing,” Gary says.
Malcolm relishes the prospect.
“I’ve been a bush hunter most of my life. While I’ve always been up for a challenge, in 50 years I know the slopes have become steeper and the hills higher,” he says.
Gary says specialist hunting and recreational properties require a different marketing approach to conventional farms, with buyers often motivated as much by lifestyle and legacy as by return.
“Understanding that buyer mindset is important. These properties are about access to wilderness, habitat quality and the experience on offer. Presentation and targeted exposure make a real difference.”
In marketing such properties, Gary draws on his affiliation with Sports Afield, an international network connecting rural listings with dedicated domestic and overseas buyers. Founded in 1887, United States-based Sports Afield is one of the world’s oldest outdoor recreation publications and is affiliated with a specialist property network focused on hunting and recreational land.
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