Rowena Duncum from The Country caught up with Peter Newbold, General Manager of PGG Wrightson Rural Real Estate, out on the road down south. First up, they looked at the state of autumn listings for rural properties. Peter reckons they're clearing them out well ...

If farming and family go together, Tom and Sally Law provide an ideal example. They are fully family focused, and have been since before they founded their business, Waimara Angus, in 1988 on a small Te Anau property.Their daughter Kate Pont explains ...

Graeme Harris claims he is New Zealand’s laziest farmer. “I’ve never worked a day in my life,” he says. Anyone looking at Graeme and wife Gillian’s immaculate Coldstream, Mid Canterbury arable farm Terrace View might disagree ...

Alan Davis served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 75th Squadron in World War II. After training in Canada he was based in England, flying over Europe as a wireless operator. When he returned to North Canterbury he was eligible to go for a ballot farm ...

Interest in two West Coast farms offered for sale by Pāmu illustrates the reanimation of the region’s rural property market. Mawheraiti Farm, a 1453 hectare property located at the top of the Grey Valley 66 kilometres north of Greymouth, 16 kilometres ...

A farm rated as one of the Tasman region’s best grazing properties sold in January for the first time in 86 years. Mal and Doug McConochie farmed 1009 hectare Lake Station, 10 kilometres west of St Arnaud in a family partnership with their wives Ingrid and ...

Wayne Brooks is Iwi Liaison Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate, also serving as the company’s Lower North Island Sales Manager. For Wayne, who traces his whakapapa to Ngāti Kahungunu and Whakatōhea, the importance of his role within the company ...

Several significant recent Bay of Plenty orchard sales have established a new benchmark for kiwifruit property values. For the best producing, most sought after properties, in favoured locations, at the right altitude, and growing gold kiwifruit, transactions ...

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme, which has raised some $40 million in that time. PGG Wrightson Livestock has been a principal sponsor since the beginning, working alongside the IHC to encourage farmers to donate or pledge ...

Running a global decarbonisation business from Pukeuri, North Otago Born in Dunedin, environmental entrepreneur Deb Noller grew up in Waimate and Christchurch, before moving to Australia with her family in 1981. With a technology background, Deb and her c ...

Mid Canterbury family shows entry to lifestyle property market can be within reach for first time buyers Taking the first step on the property ladder can be daunting, particularly when that step is into a lifestyle rather than a residential property. Brodie ...

Leap of faith pays off for teaching couple with farming in the blood Andrew Carswell and Jo Hunnikin work in education. Both have backgrounds teaching physics and chemistry, though each has moved into executive leadership roles, which until last year saw them in ...

Successful auction completes sales of popular North Canterbury subdivision North Canterbury’s appeal based on its easy commute to Christchurch was demonstrated again recently as the remaining lots of a sought after subdivision were snapped up. An early ...

Historic Marton ‘gem’ has new owner An immaculately presented 126 year old villa on the northern outskirts of Marton has just been sold. Charming homes such as this villa will never be on the market for long, and this particular Marton ...

Organic Pyes Pa kiwifruit orchard secures long held goal for Matt and Sarah After chasing the Bay of Plenty lifestyle dream for four years, Matt and Sarah Strahan were beginning to wonder if they would ever find a property to fulfil those hopes. Meanwhile ...

Rare Waikato lifestyle sections overlooking spectacular Ruapuke beach for sale Two remaining prime lifestyle sections overlooking spectacular Ruapuke beach are for sale. Presented to the market by Richard Thomson of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Hamilton ...

Ideal site and 20 years tree planting creates perfect park-like sanctuary Jake and Margreet Chardon came to New Zealand from the Netherlands in 2000.Jake is a geneticist and the couple moved 18,000 kilometres, halfway around the world, when he was offered a ...

Coastal block offers rare opportunity for exclusive subdivision A 98 hectare Firth of Thames coastal block with a potential consent for a 16 hectare subdivision is for sale. Located at Point Wharekawa, Whakatiwai and presently in grazing land, the property is ...

Jamie Mackay from The Country had his monthly catch-up with Peter Newbold, General Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate, to have a look at the state of the rural real estate market. The big question is how the current state of the world affects the rural market ...

Two recent large sales have established a new benchmark for highly sought after Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit orchards, including the first transaction valued at $2 million per canopy hectare. Five Te Puke kiwifruit orchards in a combination of green and gold ...

Jamie Mackay from The Country spoke recently with Peter Newbold, General Manager of PGG Wrightson Real Estate. Newbold told Mackay that January was the best January they have had in ten years. It was an incredible month of sales across most property types ...

After the decision has been made to sell your property, there can be an overwhelming amount of information and advice being given to you from all directions. Suddenly, instead of the exciting start of a new chapter – you’re stressed. We’ve asked ...

North Canterbury’s appeal based on its easy commute to Christchurch was demonstrated again recently as the remaining lots of a sought after subdivision were snapped up. A recent auction of the 27 premium sections on the popular Amberley Oakfields ...

An 8.2 hectare Katikati bare block sold at auction last week for $3.725 million. Situated near the town boundary, the virtually level site, rated as ideal for horticultural or agricultural production, attracted nine registered bidders who placed 24 bids ...

Several desirable Bay of Plenty kiwifruit properties have listed for sale recently and are set to change hands for a combined value that could exceed $100 million. Stan Robb and Dave McLaren of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Te Puke have listed 10 orchards ...

Jamie Mackay from The Country spoke recently with Peter Newbold, General Manager of PGG Wrightson Real Estate.Jamie speculated whether the recent rise in the forecast milk price from Fonterra was influencing the price of dairy farms. Newbold confirmed ...

Following unprecedented rises in residential and lifestyle property values last year, anyone going to the market in the next few months should achieve excellent results.Real Estate Institute of New Zealand statistics indicate the nationwide median ...

The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Rural Real Estate, Peter Newbold, to take a look rural property this month. Newbold comments on the prominence of sheep and beef properties, and how it is interesting to see ...

To celebrate Auckland breaking free from lockdown a Bay of Plenty real estate professional is putting on a special evening open home celebration on the day Aucklanders can freely travel outside their own region. Having put in the effort to keep the rest of ...

The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Rural Real Estate, Peter Newbold, to take a look rural property this month. Newbold talks about how the selling is strong and the value is good in the rural property market ...

In 2005 Ngaire and Noel Hamilton bought a 20 hectare bare block ‘retirement project’ in Te Uku, nine kilometres east of Raglan. They built a farm shed, which they lived in for a year while their new house was built, as Noel explains. “This was ...

When Sabir Ahmed arrived in New Zealand in 2007 he was 26 years old. From the north east of India, ‘in the shadow of the Chinese border, where there is practically nothing going on,’ Sabir brought one special gift to his new country: hard work ...

New Zealand’s so called ‘golden triangle’ is having a significant influence on the lifestyle property market. Encompassing Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga, the triangle generates approximately 50 per cent of the country’s GDP, and ...

The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Livestock and Rural Real Estate, Peter Newbold, to take a look rural property this month. All rural sectors have gone gang-busters recently. Newbold says that he cannot recall ...

In 2012 Mike and Helen Darling purchased a 10 hectare property 10 kilometres north of Cromwell. Naming it Moorpark & Mulberry, their aim was to create a ‘fruit salad’ orchard, leaving 300 of the original trees and planting 6000 new ones, as Mike ...

While the Bay of Plenty has numerous lifestyle attractions, for many drawn to the region golf is a big part of its appeal. Mike Matutinovich is among their number. Originally from Auckland, though having lived at Waihi Beach for 20 years, Mike is a member of the ...

A large, modern homestead with breath-taking northern views over Lake Karapiro is for sale. Martin Lee of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Cambridge is selling the 17 hectare property at Maungatautari, 17 kilometres east of Cambridge, 44 kilometres north east of Te ...

A well-kept secret among the local population, though maybe not for much longer, Mount Stewart, nine kilometres west of Feilding and 22 kilometres north west of Palmerston North is considered the dress circle of Manawatu.Jacqui Campion of PGG Wrightson Real ...

A 10 hectare lifestyle property with some of Dunedin’s finest views and a five generation heritage sold in October before the marketing campaign planned for it had even begun. Craig Bates of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Dunedin sold Bellfield, Highcliff ...

After 45 years in horticulture in Central Otago, one of the industry’s most respected advisers, along with his wife, set out to establish their own orchard. Based on their expert understanding of the latest planting and growing technology, over the past ...

Grant South is well known in Peel Forest, where he is heavily involved in adventure tourism. In 1998 he began construction of a unique home in the South Canterbury village, something he had been thinking about for several years. “Travelling the world I saw ...

A South Waikato dairy farm in the same family for 93 years is for sale. Trevor Kenny of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Matamata is bringing 347 hectare Karanama to the market on behalf of third generation owners Andrew and Sue Main. Located 27 kilometres east of ...

Motivated by favourable export markets, Marlborough’s viticulture sector is positive at present with investors eager to participate. Joe Blakiston of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Blenheim says demand for vineyards and properties with potential to grow grapes ...

Demand for kiwifruit property is intense and increasing for existing orchards and bare land. Fully developed gold kiwifruit orchards in the most sought after Bay of Plenty districts have sold recently at $1.7 million per canopy hectare. Although that value ...

A large Waikato dry stock sheep and beef finishing farm, situated between Tuakau and Pukekohe, sold recently following intense interest from buyers. Mark Needham of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Pukekohe offered 637 hectare Benmar Station, Glen Murray, to the market ...

by Julie Pringle, BrokerWeb Risk Services Under-insurance is a significant risk that many do not realise they face until it is too late; those unaware of the problem will only find out when they lodge a claim. Farmers are especially vulnerable, and if their ...

A 298 hectare Mid Canterbury farm, listed for sale this spring, represents the future of dairy, says the salesperson marketing the property. Tim Gallagher is selling Aberystwyth Dairies owned by Wyvern and Beth Jones and located at Carew, between Ashburton and ...

Rod Thomson‘s grandfather Tom struck it lucky! Originally from Scotland and having served in the Boer War, in 1908 Tom was a Christchurch hansom cab driver when his name was pulled out of the ballot for one of 29 parcels of land from the sub-divided ...

After 20 years Rob Jesson achieved his dream of dairy farm ownership. In June Rob bought a South Wairarapa property with land, buildings and plant, plus stock comprising a herd of 370 Kiwicross milking cows. Like most others stepping onto their first farm ...

Douglas Falconer was 23 years old in 1958 when he first leased land in Waimumu, west of Gore. Although Douglas was from local Southland farming stock, he was committed to standing on his own two feet, and started farming with nothing more than a drench gun ...

The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Livestock and Rural Real Estate, Peter Newbold, to look at rural property this month with the market being worth more now than it was this time a month ago. Newbold notes that ...

Location flexible This is an opportunity for a high performing sales manager to take a professional and respected team to the next level. PGG Wrightson Real Estate is New Zealand’s leading rural real estate company. We are a national team of expert ...

How and why does a Hutt Valley plumber end up buying one of Wairarapa’s tidiest and most productive dairy farms? Dairying is an attractive investment in the current market: providing good returns and reasonably stablelong termprospects. However ...

One of North Canterbury’s most exceptional dairy farms will be offered for sale in the spring. Held in the same family since 1908, the farm’s history reflects that of the district. Two major transformations have happened through the generations ...

The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Livestock and Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month with New Zealand being at alert level 4 lockdown. Mackay queries if this ...

New Zealand is currently in Alert Level 4.Well… here we are again! From us all at PGG Wrightson Real Estate, we hope you and your whanau are all hunkered down and keeping well.During Alert Level 4 agents, property managers and staff must work from ...

Values for fully developed Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit orchards have risen spectacularly over the past few seasons. Current benchmark prices of $1.3 million per canopy hectare are based on the generous returns orchardists are making: Zespri reported this ...

Investor appetite for the dairy sector has rebounded since the beginning of 2021. Values for dairy farm transactions have returned to levels not seen since 2013. With this season’s forecast payout at a healthy level, and projections for the next few years ...

The Country’s Rowena Duncum is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. The 2020-21 rural real estate season has come to an end. Newbold notes that it has ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay said business was up over 70 per cent year on year, with a lot of renewed activity and ...

Wool prices have lifted across latest wool sales in both the North and South Islands. The late May sale in Napier was largely the first since Christmas featuring large quantities of good quality second shears. This offering resulted in spirited bidding from ...

In the past few months interest in dairy property has risen markedly. Making good money this year, dairy farmers have the confidence to re-invest. With bank interest rates low and returns as strong and reliable as dairy difficult to find, external investors are ...

North Canterbury lifestyle and rural property sales through the autumn continued recent trends with plenty of interest from within and beyond the region, and prices firm. Lifestyle property has been in heavy demand, including from people looking to move in from ...

In the Tasman region headline prices for lifestyle property have risen up to 20 per cent in the past 12 months. On low interest rates listings do not need long on the market to attract motivated buyers, encouraged by lower debt servicing costs. Properties in the ...

Two recent North Island sales highlight the current strength of the rural market. Pairama Station is an 860 hectare Waikaretu, Port Waikato sheep and beef property, in the same family since it was developed in 1913. Carrying around 7000 stock units, approximately ...

Through the autumn in the lower North Island the property market was strong. Listings were steady, though have been keenly sought, especially in the residential and lifestyle categories, where newcomers to Manawatu and Horowhenua are driving the market ...

With the shortage of overseas workers, many growers have moved directly from harvest to pruning, rather than taking a break in between as they usually would. Following a poor flowering season grape yields were low: in some vineyards up to 50 per cent lower than ...

Rural property has been particularly highly sought after in Waikato and King Country in recent months. Demand has been consistent across the board: from 20 hectare blocks to farms in excess of 1000 hectares, and supply is tight. Most recent farm sales are of ...

Values for kiwifruit property continue their apparently irresistible climb. Gauging total revenue across the sector for the 2020-21 season, growers reportedly averaged $76,722 per hectare of green kiwifruit, and $158,599 per hectare of gold. Such strong returns ...

TheNEW winter property publication the Property Collection highlights quality rural, lifestyle, residential and commercial properties listed for sale throughout New Zealand. Our sales team throughout the country have been continuously busy across autumn and ...

How best to sell a residential, lifestyleor ruralproperty can change as the market rises and falls. Marlborough’s property market has recently trended towards offering property with no price attached. Vendors have benefited with some extremely ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay said business was up over 70 per cent year on year, with a lot of renewed activity and ...

After a brief and noteworthy marketing campaign one of South Canterbury’s most sought after farms changed hands last month. A Fairlie Basin pastoral grazing property with scale and scope, Stanton Station was offered to the market by deadline private treaty ...

PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Real Estate, Peter Newbold, joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to take a look at the lifestyle property market this month. Lifestyle sections have overtaken rural sales as they have increased from approximately 6 billion to 9 ...

PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to take a look at the rural property market this month. The rural real estate market is heating up as it has seen more activity in the past two months compared to ...

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit land has been fiercely sought after since the PSA crisis tapered off in 2015. That trend is increasing further as rural property’s most heavily demanded class becomes even more highly prized in the Covid low interest rate era ...

A Kerikeri kiwifruit orchard sold in late 2020, becoming one of Northland’s highest priced recent rural property transactions. Andrew Ludbrook of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Kerikeri, sold the 7.3 hectare property, located between Waipapa and Kerikeri ...

In previous generations farms tended to sell on X factor, with farmers relying on capital gain made over a 30 to 40 year tenure to fund their retirement, while a farm’s financial performance year to year held less relevance. That has changed over the past ...

A PGG Wrightson initiative has put 1.2 million lambs and 200,000 cattle on farms throughout New Zealand over the past five years. Described as an ‘enabler,’ a ‘game changer’ and a ‘no brainer,’ PGG Wrightson’s GO-STOCK ...

A number of signature North Canterbury farms have sold recently, as buyer enthusiasm has matched the calibre of the properties offered. Canterbury Real Estate Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Peter Crean has managed the marketing of several of these blu ...

For the last several years few large scale dairy farms have changed hands. However, as New Zealand-based entities are showing greater enthusiasm to invest in the sector, that is now changing. Calvin Leen PGG Wrightson Real Estate sales manager for Mid and South ...

A series of marquee South Island sheep and beef farms have listed for sale in the autumn. Each long admired in their respective locations, and rarely available, they will attract considerable interest in an elevated rural property market, where quality and scale ...

Otangiwai Station, Matiere, 23 kilometres north of Taumarunui, is for sale. Described as a once in a lifetime legacy property, the 1562 hectare farm is offered to the market by Peter Wylie of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, King Country. He says it is one of the most ...

A well-established, popular Waikato equestrian venue is for sale. Little Valley Farm at Ohaupo, near Hamilton, comprises 23.63 hectares of undulating land, three separate dwellings and comprehensive equestrian facilities. It is offered to the market by Scott ...

Carterton’s Taratahi Hotel, one of Wairarapa’s longest standing landmarks, is for sale. Built in 1858, unlike many hotels of that era that have burnt down at least once, the original building remains intact, the site of many memorable nights out ...

A grand home, built in 1901 and connected to one of Marton’s pioneering families, is for sale. Jacqui Campion of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Fielding is selling the elevated grand expansive villa that sits on a 1.21 hectare block. She describes the home as ...

An historic home on a one hectare Tamahere, Waikato lifestyle property is for sale for the first time ever. Presented to the market by Angela and Russell Thomas of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Hamilton, the house was originally built in 1910 in Wairoa, where it ...

One of Waikato’s most striking and prestigious lifestyle properties is for sale. Regally overlooking Karapiro on the lake’s southern shore, this trophy property, 13 kilometres east of Cambridge and suggestive of a French chateau, is listed for sale by ...

A popular and historic Central Otago orchard and fruit stall sold prior to Christmas, taken on by a Mosgiel family who turned a Covid redundancy into an opportunity to change their lives. Coal Creek Gardens, six kilometres north of Roxburgh, was the first stone ...

In 2011 Terry Cayford retired as principal of Te Anau school after 17 years, while his wife Liz teaches secondary school in Invercargill. They moved to their idyllic lifestyle property, Whitestones, which combines a deer farm with a B&B, in 1996. Now the ...

Emma and Tama Taurua, along with daughters Ashlee (24), Maia (14) and Zoe (12), considered moving from Merivale in Christchurch onto a lifestyle property for several years. However, as Emma explains, until last year the timing was never quite ...

One of Mid Canterbury’s most notable properties is on the market. Sitting on 61 hectares adjacent to the Rangitata River, with a blend of mature English-style woods and productive farmland, Cracroft Lodge is presented for sale by Tim Gallagher of PGG ...

Many lifestyle properties are achieving outstanding results at auction. Sloane Morpeth is PGG Wrightson Real Estate’s North Island auctioneer. He has conducted several successful auctions recently and has more scheduled during autumn. “We are ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold, to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay asked if the rural market was as hot as the residential market. Newbold said that ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold, to take a look at the rural property market this month. The rural sector was receiving a lot of interest outside of the traditional rural buyers ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay queries the return of corporate investors back into farming. Newbold confirms that they have ...

Donna Tisdall and Roger Nicolson are keen advocates for Taieri’s lifestyle qualities. They have both lived there for some time: Donna and family since 2011 while Roger and his family have called the area home since 1993. Based at PGG Wrightson Real Estate ...

A modern Balcairn, Amberley lifestyle property with a classic rural homestead ambience sold in early October. Hawkswood House, a two storey six bedroom home on four hectares, 30 kilometres north of Christchurch was listed for sale by Maria Rickerby and Mark Clyne ...

One of Marlborough’s most desirable and spectacular. A 20 hectare Blind River property sold in September after a marketing campaign that attracted national and international interest. Overlooking Clifford Bay 34 kilometres south east of Blenheim on an ...

A 20 hectare Waingaro property, 29 kilometres north east of Raglan and an easy commute to Hamilton, sold in quick time recently. Mike Ball and Tania Gibson decided to sell the property after a change of career circumstances due to Covid persuaded them to purchase ...

Marjolijn and Ralph Van Dalen like character homes. They like the home they live in so much that they have relocated it twice, first from Masterton to Whanganui in 1998, then from Whanganui to Tamahere, Waikato in 2003. Then they relocated two more character ...

A prime equine property in a desirable South Auckland locality is for sale. Three kilometres west of Clevedon and 19 kilometres east of Papatoetoe, the 26 hectare Brookby property is offered to the market by Jim Scorrar and Mark Needham of PGG Wrightson Real ...

As far as Paul Yates is concerned, you will never better the Far North. Born, bred and educated in Kaitaia and marketing property in and around the district for PGG Wrightson Real Estate, for Paul it’s all about location, and his ticks all the most ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay cracks into it talking about Fonterra’s recent activity and queries corporates ...

Often perceived as a quiet achiever, iwi involvement in agriculture is a growing force in New Zealand’s rural economy. According to the Ministry for Primary Industries, Māori hold an estimated $10.6 billion in primary sector assets. Wayne Brooks was ...

A large pastoral run in Ward, Marlborough, sold well in July. Joe Blakiston, Nelson/Marlborough PGG Wrightson Real Estate Sales Manager, marketed the 843 hectare farm, The Hummocks, in conjunction with colleague Greg Lyons. He said the substantial property ...

A Southland dairy farm owned by one of the country’s longest established farmers is for sale. Dugald McKenzie and his wife Kathleen started farming at Seaward Downs after they were married in 1940. Now aged 103, Dugald is selling up. Andrew Patterson of PGG ...

Changing land use in Northland is firmly focused on horticulture. Kiwifruit and avocados are at the forefront, though its warm, moist climate mean other crops are also being tested. PGG Wrightson Real Estate Northland Sales Manager John Duder says the region ...

Northland beef farms sold well during 2019/20. PGG Wrightson Real Estate Northland Manager John Duder said more properties carrying over 3000 stock units sold during the year than any time since 2015. “Prices are strengthening. However, these remain firmly ...

Several premier North Canterbury sheep and beef properties are offered for spring sale. Canterbury Real Estate Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Peter Crean, said a mild winter led to a positive spring, motivating farmers to sell property. “Most ...

A 15.69 hectare Bay of Plenty property sold in June for $4.53 million. With 1.46 hectares planted in gold kiwifruit, 5.04 hectares in green, plus a four bedroom home, the property’s value was at the upper end of expectations, particularly at higher ...

Several premium King Country sheep and beef farms have come to the spring property market, with plenty of buyers lining up to purchase them. Peter Wylie, PGG Wrightson Real Estate Waikato Real Estate Manager, says local farmers have held back on selling for the ...

An immaculate Hawke’s Bay property, complete with two lakes, is on the market for the first time in 32 years, providing new owners with exceptional versatility of land uses. A 420 hectare farm, Kautuku, situated 10 kilometres west of Hastings, is presently ...

Viticulture is standing up well to COVID, with growers remaining optimistic. Joe Blakiston of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Blenheim says the sector is attracting steady interest. “Wine remains popular, especially in lockdown. Meanwhile, low interest rates ...

Demand from kiwifruit growers seeking rights for the lucrative SunGold variety is higher than ever. Zespri’s 2020 closed tender allocation of licences motivated 544 growers to lodge 944 bids aiming to cover a total of 1660 hectares. With licences for only ...

New regulations designed to improve the quality of New Zealand’s fresh waterways came into force at the start of September. This legislation requires significant change for many land use practises. Any farmer seeking to sell property needs to understand the ...

Cherries loom large in Central Otago. While Covid-related market pressures are creating challenges, demand for orchards and land to grow cherries in the region continues to rise. Neil Bulling is PGG Wrightson Real Estate Manager in Cromwell. Having grown cherries ...

An extensive high country property, reckoned to be the largest North Otago farm offered to the market for many years, is for sale. John Sinnamon of PGG Wrightson Oamaru is marketing Balmoral, which totals 4902 hectares 45 kilometres west of Oamaru. “A ...

We are happy to announce the winners for our recent national awards. Congratulations to our successful colleagues and thank you to everybody for all your hard work of the past year. Check out the impressive results here:

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. The market has had a few good months, said Newbold, who explained that July, which was usually a ...

PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to take a look at the rural property market this month. Mackay asked Newbold to crunch the numbers and report on how much the rural market was behind - in terms ...

Peter Newbold joins Lee Piper on the Country Sport Breakfast to discuss the latest on rural real estate.

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. It had been an interesting period, according to Newbold, who noted that a lot of transactions that were ...

GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay as he journeys out of the home office for the first time since the lockdown. Mackay comments on some positivity in the primary sector, and mentions a previous conversation with Todd Muller ...

GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to take a look at the rural property market this month. The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the ...

We’ve just released the autumn edition of ourProperty Express Extra- South Island magazine, showcasing lifestyle and rural properties on the market. In the latest edition of the Property Express Extra – South Island Edition, over 70 pages ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look ...

Self-contained South Otago dairy farm with excellent environmental credentials A large self-contained South Otago dairy farm producing up to 325,000 kilograms of milk solids per annum, sitting right on the beach, and with huge opportunities for fishing and ...

Mid-altitude Central Otago property offers scale, size and scope In 2008 Rob McQueen and his brother Ian bought Tima Hills, a 1010 hectare sheep and beef farm at Millers Flat, 60 kilometres south of Alexandra and 80 kilometres north east of Gore. Operating in ...

Mid Canterbury dryland sheep farm sells after four generations in the same family Ever since he can remember Ross Chisnall wanted to farm. His earliest memories are of being on his father’s lap while dad Des drove the truck round the family farm ...

Two recent sales mark near complete conversion of Awatere Valley Land use change in Marlborough, from pasture to viticulture, is now close to complete. Most of the available land in the Wairau Valley has been growing vines for some time, and in recent years the ...

Irrigated Wairarapa grazing property attracts strong buyer interest A versatile irrigated Wairarapa grazing property sold well prior to Christmas. Situated at East Taratahi, eight kilometres south of Masterton and 14 kilometres north of Carterton, the 180 hectare ...

Eastern Bay of Plenty property offers natural beauty, historic legacy and solid returns An Eastern Bay of Plenty property that has undergone a huge transformation in recent years is for sale. When Margaret and Michael Kirk took over Fairview Station in late 1989 ...

Te Puke property one of the finest Bay of Plenty rural listings Born and bred in Te Puke, Glen Carter has spent most of his life in kiwifruit. For the past five years, alongside partner Kim Smith, he has focused his experience, energy, and expertise on developing ...

Onewhero sheep and beef farm shows the benefit of careful development Mike Fraser departed New Zealand in 2003, setting off on his own through Asia, Africa and into London. After growing up on a Te Awamutu dairy farm he left the country with a BCom (Ag) from ...

Autumn is here, so now is a great time to assess if any containers, drums oragrichemicals on your property need recycling or collecting. Sound like a tedious task?Thanks to Agrecovery it’s easy! Agrecovery is a not-for-profit charitabletrust ...

Garlic Rust In recent years Kath Irvine has tackled garlic rust, a fungal disease which hits midspring. Here Kath shares the techniques that assist her in managing the disease. Garlic rust is a fast spreading fungus. Itpresents as raised, orangey spots ...

Growing Garlic Garlic is one of Kath Irvine’s favourite crops, having beena garlic grower for more than 24 years. Here Kath sharesher knowledge on how to grow glorious garlic. When to plant:Plant garlic in autumn so when diseasessuch as ...

Having played a vital role on the farm, earning the love and respect of their owners,working dogs deserve the good life after retirement. Adopting a retired working dogonto your lifestyle block would provide open spaces for the dog to enjoy as well as anew ...

Having planted and grown your chilli plants over the spring and summer, you’ll still beenjoying their harvest going into autumn, with the plant fruiting multiple times. Here,NZ Gardener magazine provides helpful hints on growing your own chillies whichcome ...

When Anna-marie Gilmour was growing up on her parents’ Alexandra lifestyle property in the 1990s, a cute rustic cottage nearby in Letts Gully caught her imagination. “As I watched the property develop I had a special feeling about it, thinking: ...

Six years agointerior designerJacqueline Hadley-Warring and herhusband David, asoftware developer,were living on therural outskirts ofMelbourne, in theDandenong Rangesnear the winegrowingYarra ...

William and PearlAdamson startedbeekeeping on theManiototo Plain inthe early 1930s, running 300 hives in the early days, buildingto 2000 in a family partnership in the early1970s as the business grew.Although some of the ...

Mike and Haley Tweeddale, with growing daughters Riley and Millie,were looking for a larger place, somewhere that suited their need for space better than their home on four hectares at West Melton.When they first viewed a bigger property with a large ...

Hawke’s Bay coupleDiane and WayneHurring movedout of Taradale 16kilometres west to a35 hectare block atPuketapu in 1996. Peter Dick of PGG Wrightson Real Estate,Hastings sold them the property, which atthat stage ...

In the mid 1990s David and Pam Bryant, who were farming onWaikato’s west coast, decided to sell their much loved Te Akauproperty to move closer to Hamilton. David had farmed since he was 15, says Pam,including a six year spell as a shearer ...

Jonathan and Anne Patton, their son JD, and daughters Emily and Charlotte were all born and bred in the United States, with roots in South Carolina and more recently Texas. Since the middle of last year however, their future has been set in New Zealand ...

GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to take a look at the rural property market this month. They also discuss if recent developments around the coronavirus have impacted farm sales. Newbold does not think this is the case ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson's GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. Banks still had a stronghold over the rural property market as credit control got tighter. This was "probably ...

Sheep and beef In several districts market interest in sheep and beef farms is firm, driven by two or three seasons of buoyant returns for red meat, which have left farmers increasingly motivated to buy and sell property. However, where stronger links to the ...

In the livestock market for sheep and beef, recent activity has been buoyant with animals in top condition andcommanding top dollar. In the sheep and beef sector this spring’slivestock market has been buoyant, withanimals in top condition ...

Spring is always a busy time for growers. Thisyear that was certainly the case with pressureon to reach key milestones in continuingdevelopments ahead of the summer. These developments typically focus oncorporates diversifying beyond dairy ...

After its annual hiatus through the winter, New Zealand’s fine wool selling season re-commenced in early spring, largelymirroring the situation in Australia. Prices paid at Australian fine wool auctions have fluctuated in recent months, withNew ...

Tasman Although spring and early summer listings ofTasman farms were scarce, those that cameforward attracted plenty of attention. A 61hectare coastal finishing block at Best Island,Richmond, a 215 hectare Upper Moutereforestry and ...

Northland Several Northland and Auckland farmswere listed for spring sale. While potentialpurchasers are active, obtaining finance is achallenge. Vendors prepared to be flexible, forexample, leaving some money in the property,are ...

In the early weeks of a new production season, positive growth and elevated revenues are evident in most sectorsof the rural market. While short to medium term returns areencouraging, concerns in banking circlesassociated with exposure to the ...

Spring arriving late and tighter conditionsaround bank finance left us with a subduedrural property market in recent months.Farmers are dealing with uncertainty onseveral fronts, which will generally leavemany too cautious to consider ...

PGG Wrightson's GM for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to talk rural property this month. It has been a tough year for selling farms – it started slow in spring and is only just coming into fruition. Mackay notes that in ...

PGG Wrightson's GM for Real Estate Peter Newbold joins The Country's Jamie Mackay to talk rural property this month. Mackay gets into the discussion of money and where it is coming from, and questioned if there is a Mexican standoff between the banks and the ...

Halloween is over so it’s time to start planning next year’s lantern by planting a fairy tale pumpkin and be in with a chance to win some great prizes. PGG Wrightson real estate agents Andrew Fowler and Amanda Edwards present the Family Fun Pumpkin ...

Passing farms onto the younger generation was still one of the main succession plans though it was becoming less common and making it fair to non-farming children could be tricky. For some farmers, the thought of having to divvy up their life’s work or ...

In 1976 Don and Dorothy Cromb movedfrom Mossburn, where they weremanaging Mount Hamilton, to Fiordlandtaking up a 200 hectare farm, Tapua, atWilderness Road, The Key 20 kilometressouth east of Te Anau. Over the course of the next 30 ...

Kate Marshall from Waimea Nurseries shares two sweet cherry varieties that harvest inDecember, the Dawson and Stella, providing you with a sweet and tasty fruit treat ready foryour festive celebrations. Here’s the essentials, giving you an ...

Steph Kerr and JothHankinson met in apub in Arrowtownin 2014. Steph was creative manager for Queenstown basedinbound travel operator Real Journeys,responsible for branding and interior designacross the company’s vessels ...

A Waitaki Valleyproperty blessedwith an exceptionalmicroclimate isfor sale. Situated just north of Georgetown at the baseof the Awamoko Hill, 29 kilometres inlandfrom Oamaru, the 6.5 hectare property hasbeen in the hands ...

Companion planting is a great tool for helping fend off peststhat play havoc in your vegetable garden and orchard. Take note of these great companion plants, placing themstrategically in your garden and orchard, to help provide youwith a healthy ...

Kaiuma Bay development grows in popularity. Recent sales suggest interest in Kaiuma Bay, a 77 sectionsubdivision at the top end of Pelorus Sound around 20 kilometresfrom Havelock in Marlborough, is set to take off. Greg Lyons of PGG Wrightson Real ...

Kath Irvine schools us on how to raise good seedlings thisspring and summer. Follow these easy steps for healthy seedlings: 1. Begin with fresh seeds as old oneswon’t germinate as well. If you storeseeds yourself – date them ...

One of Taupo’shistoric residenceschanged handsrecently. Rona Reidand Stuart McKinstrysold the 105 year oldhome, now situatedon a 4.5 hectareproperty at Oruanui20 kilometres northof Taupo, to ...

Mite free chooks this summer Here’s Kath Irvine’s advice on caring for your chooks this summer - preventing red mites is simplerthan management. This is how she ensures nasty red mites don’t infest her beloved ‘girls’ ...

Kirsty Walker ofPGG WrightsonReal Estate, Taurangahelped make Bryanand Gilda Smith’sdream come trueas she found themthe lifestyle propertythey yearned for atMcLaren Falls,24 kilometres southof ...

Sections on a newboutique lifestylesubdivision inone of Auckland’smost soughtafter getawaydestinations arefor sale. Alongside his team mates Victoria Tapp andSimon Ryburn, Scott Tapp of PGG WrightsonReal ...

The kunekune pig is a popular New Zealand pet with its sociable and placid nature makingit an ideal family pet on your lifestyle block. A kunekune loves human contact, so don’t beafraid to give them a good scratch! Unique to New Zealand the ...

Most people would think twice about neighbourswho behave like animals in a zoo. Not the Appels:they have livedon a 1.44 hectarelifestyle propertynext to HamiltonZoo in Rotokaurisince 2008. Now theAppels are ready ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market.

Gold kiwifruit orchards are worth $100,000 more per hectare than last year with some earning 13 per cent returns. ''Spectacular'' is how PGG Wrightson rural and lifestyle sales consultant Stan Robb described the current marketplace, which has ''gone up another ...

We’ve just released the spring edition of our Property Express Extra - South Island magazine, showcasing lifestyle and rural properties on the market. In the latest edition of the Property Express Extra – South Island Edition, 60 pages of current ...

This spring’sProperty Expressis just released showcasing rural properties on the market. The magazine offers a variety of rural properties from around New Zealand along with interesting property stories and market commentary on ...

Large Northlandrural portfolio offersoutstanding longterm opportunity. A large rural property portfolio aroundRuawai, 30 kilometres south of Dargaville,is for sale comprising a significant portionof some of Northland’s ...

Portion of a 158 year farming family legacy for sale in Northern Southland. Thomas Lowther Barnhill arrived in Dunedinon 27 November 1859 following a fourmonth voyage on the SS Cheviot fromGreenock, Scotland. Born in Antrim, Northern ...

Historic Central Otago high country station presents multiple options. An historic Central Otago high countryproperty with a proven record of fine woolproduction, outstanding views and morethan 150 years of heritage is for sale ...

South Canterbury farm selling after 95 years of family innovation. A large and diverse farm holding in SouthCanterbury is for sale after being in the samefamily for 95 years. Rock Farm and Moa Flat total 640 hectares.Comprising the former ...

Historic North Canterbury property will attract strong market interest. A much admired historic North Canterburysheep and beef property is for sale. Achray is a 418 hectare farm located112 kilometres north of Christchurch,15 kilometres ...

Testing the market early achieves strong result in Central Hawke's Bay. When you have a farm to sell, with no needto rush into it, picking the right time to takeit to the market can be an art form. For Mikeand Louanne Gordon, going early ...

State of the art dairy farm for sale after 80 years of family stewardship. In 1938 Edward Law leased 61 hectares atThornton, five kilometres west of Whakatane,to run sheep. Twelve years later his grandsonJim took over the farm, by then owned by ...

Property in Waikato’sdairying heartlandfor sale after 110years. A 127 hectare Matamata farm, held in thesame family for 110 years, is for sale. Peter Donnelly and Trevor Kenny, of PGGWrightson Real Estate, Matamata, ...

Orchard purchase marks reunion of iwi with traditional land. Kiwifruit orchards seldom change handsduring the winter. However, in July one suchtransaction took place, finalising the saleof a property first offered to the market inFebruary ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market.

Sheep and beefFavourable climatic conditions through the past few months mean sheep and beef farmers in most regions are approaching the spring in an optimistic frame of mind. Several benchmark sales of sheep and beef properties took place during the winter ...

NorthlandNorthland’s winter rural property market was active, though sales were scarce as buyers and sellers awaited confirmation of finance before completing deals. Farmers are motivated to enter and leave property, so solutions will emerge in due course ...

Winter throughout the country was generally kind. Sufficient rainfall and mild conditions accelerated the recovery for those districts hit by drought last summer and most seem to be well set up for spring with plenty of feed available. A productive ...

Winter tends to be a quieter season for the horticulture sector. In between harvest from the previous year and spring planting, it is a time best spent planning and preparing. Considerable capital development took place through the winter, reflecting the present ...

Prices for crossbred wools were steady throughout the winter, albeit at low historical levels. Significant premiums are being paid for the best full wool types with good preparation. Growers of wool with those characteristics are benefiting in the vicinity ...

Favourable climatic conditions through the winter bode well for the spring. In most primary production sectors the positives do not end there as international markets are driving demand for New Zealand’s produce ever higher. Depending on what they produce ...

Although forecasts and returns arepositive other factors are constraining the dairy sector. Costs associated with increased obligations around environmental compliance, such as land and water use, effluent discharge and carbon emissions are cutting ...

Atthe recentReal Estate Industry of New Zealand (REINZ) awards in Auckland, PGG Wrightson Real Estate dominated the rural property category, re-emphasising its leadership in the business of selling farms with wins in three of the five rural property ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more onThe Country.

Innovation and astute use of growing conditions driving rapid expansion of New Zealand hop industry In 2013 350 hectares of hops were grown in New Zealand. By 2019 that had risen to 763 hectares, an increase of almost 120 per cent in six years, and the sector is ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more onThe Country.

North Island districts attracting new breed of lifestyle owners Several districts, particularly in the northern North Island, have come into focus for people seeking a lifestyle change, which technology makes more easily available. As a consequence the lifestyle ...

A spray-irrigated Waitaki Valley dairy farm sold in late June for $8.35 million, potentially re-igniting the market for dairy property. Dave Heffernan of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Oamaru marketed the 178 hectare Hilderthorpe farm, which produced 250,000 ...

One of Central Otago’s best loved businesses, an historical highlight of the Rail Trail, and New Zealand’s oldest continuous general store business, is for sale. Gilchrist’s Store in Oturehua was built in 1899 and taken on by Thomas Gilchrist in ...

Sheep and beef More drystock properties of greater than 100 hectares sold this summer and autumn than for the corresponding period in 2018. At the same time, contrary to usual statistics, sheep and beef farm sales are outpacing sales of dairy farms ...

Growers generally experienced a satisfactory harvest, with activity diminishing as autumn progressed. Drought conditions during a large part of the summer in various regions posed challenges in several sectors, particularly grapes, though those with ...

Northland Northland’s autumn rural property market was more subdued than is normally expected at this time of year, with few exceptional sales. Banks are adhering more strictly to their lending criteria for rural business, meaning motivated ...

Sheep, beef and deer sales positive, bulls trending favourably; dairy livestock sales sluggish. In autumn livestock markets, sheep sales began strongly, particularly in the South Island, with excellent pricing and attendance at on-farm sheep sales early ...

Good coloured crossbred wools of all types are meeting strong demand, realising a significant rise in prices over recent months, including a ten per cent increase at auctions held throughout April. Among these, finer crossbred wools have led the way ...

bidr®, an innovative online rural trading platform recently launched in New Zealand, has been welcomed by the rural community. Described as a virtual saleyard, this new rural marketing channel was developed by PGG Wrightson in consultation with their ...

Zespri’s 2019 process granting its annual quota of new licences to grow the lucrative gold kiwifruit variety signals the strong attraction the saector has for investors.Successful growers committed more than $200 million to the new licences. However ...

Among growers in the horticulture sector and sheep and beef farmers, a positive mood is propelling the rural property market forward. For dairy, however, the situation is more cautious. Kiwifruit orchards are selling at record levels, with hundreds of ...

We’ve just released the winter edition of our highly-read national publication, the Rural Property Pulse, which offers up-to-date information sourced from rural experts within PGG Wrightson. This edition follows the current trends in rural sectors ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more on The Country.

Carbon credit system offers diversity for owners of marginal land Changes signalled to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are set to raise the value of otherwise unproductive or marginal rural land. Under the scheme, in order to reduce ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more on The Country.

An award-winning Central Otago lifestyle property is on the market. Listed for sale by Neil Bulling and Jo Nieperof PGG Wrightson Real Estate Cromwell, andsituated at Mt Pisa, on the banks of LakeDunstan nine kilometres north of ...

Kath Irvine offers a year round planting plan which will attract and keep valuable insects in your garden. There is a wonderful array, in large quantities, of insects who reside in your garden and can assist you in managing pests and aiding ...

Passionfruit, a tropical fruit which has been adapted to cooler climates including New Zealand, offers a long fruiting season, from Christmas through to late winter. Packed full of vitamins C and E as well as potassium, passionfruit offers a ...

Partnerships - thekey to family’s102 year tenure atManahune. In 1915 1,021 eager Cantabrians applied forthe 25 lots available when the renownedNorth Canterbury Glenmark Estate wasoffered in a public ballot. At 8 ...

Views, climate and pace of life add impetus to Central Otago lifestyle property market Central Otago’s lifestyleproperty market has beensteadily rising over the lasttwo years. Buyers are drawn to the region’s ...

Prices for strong wool held their ground during the summer, albeit at low levels. Due to the wet spring weather, and humid conditions through the summer in many districts, there was more colour in the wool consigned to market than normal. Without careful ...

An historic Dunedin landmark, described as far back as 1906 as the city’s ‘most picturesque and romantic suburban property,’ is for sale. Bishopgrove is a six bedroom bluestone, brick and timber residence, built between 1881 and 1883 on ...

Sheep and beefSeveral strong sales of sheep and beef property were recorded in the summer, including in west Waikato, the King Country, Hawke’s Bay, North Canterbury and South Otago. One such, a 286 hectare, Tauwhare, Waikato farm, carrying around 4500 stock ...

Community project delivers on Fiordland’s affordable retirement housing needs. An innovative community project first conceived 25 years ago is now coming to fruition in Te Anau. Murchison Villas is a 23-unit village providing affordable retirement ...

Crossing over on Nelson Lakes farmas one family enters while anotherexits the dairy sector. One family’s aspiration to move into dairyinghas coincided with another couple’s plansto exit the sector and ...

Cornelia Holten of KoruKai Farm shares her beeswax food wrap recipe. Living in rural or semi-rural areas can mean recycling and removing waste from your property is trickier than for those residing in the city and surrounds. Here’s an easy ...

The hugely popular ‘A Dog’s Show’ first appeared on our televisions in 1977, introducing dog trialling to urban dwellers. John Gordon, presenter and producer of the show, has had a life-long love of dogs. So with a great ...

Sally Strathdee introduces Valais blacknose sheep and explains why this charming, super friendly breed is a welcome addition to any lifestyle property. Attracted to the Valais blacknose sheep’s appealing look and easy going temperament ...

In several districts, summer threw up more production challenges than most growers would prefer. However, with export markets continuing to hold New Zealand product in high regard, their efforts should be well rewarded. Dry conditions, and wind in some areas ...

In 1875 the Munro family first came toClevedon. Four brothers arrived in Aucklandfrom Scotland. Landing on the banks of theWairoa River with other settlers, they startedtheir life in a new land. Charles became ...

Dedication and commitment reveal historic personality A grand old lady, re-located twice in her 114 years, and brought back to prime condition by the lavish care and commitment of a couple determined to reveal her full glory, is now for sale in Waikato ...

Ginny Langmuir and Ross Grainger have lived in their Lansdowne Valley home since 2008. Overlooking a broad stretch of Canterbury, from Pegasus Bay to Mount Hutt, the 47 hectare lifestyle block carries ample evidence of the love and care the couple have ...

An Awatere Valley farm classed as ideal for vineyard development, and with high quality water storage that sets it apart from other local viticulture-suited property, has been offered for sale. PGG Wrightson Real Estate Nelson/Marlborough Sales Manager Joe ...

NZ Gardener magazine sheds light on how a greenhouse allows you to continue growing your much loved veges into the winter months. Affordability, sustainability and enjoyment are all great reasons to grow your own fruit and veges on your lifestyle ...

Pasture production early in the summer, excellent meat company schedules and dairy returns moving in a positive direction, kept livestock sales strong through the summer. In the market for sheep and beef, the main focus was on ewe fairs and lamb sales. Under ...

Award-winning Taupo bed and breakfast presents as ideal lifestyle business. Aucklanders, John and Nancy White, drove through Taupo regularly for almost 30 years commenting every time that ‘this would be a nice place to live.’ After taking on ...

Growth of the dairy sector, associated with significant escalation in the capital value of property, appears to have reached a cyclical low. Farmers able to diversify, or with property suited to alternative land use, are leading the market into a new phase ...

Tasman During late spring and early summer local climatic conditions for pastoral farming, arable and horticulture enterprises were excellent. However, the Tasman region suffered a drier start to 2019 than most would prefer, resulting in Nelson’s ...

Northland Although Northland’s summer rural property market featured several good listings, few transactions eventuated, with lack of confidence in the dairy sector accounting for the relatively light activity. Meanwhile, despite returns remaining healthy ...

Kiwifruit sector set to expand into non-traditional districts Expansion of the kiwifruit sector, and the associated land use change, is a growing trend in the rural property market, potentially impacting on various North Island districts. Stan Robb of ...

This autumn’sProperty Expressis just released showcasing rural properties on the market. The magazine offers a variety of rural properties from around New Zealand along with interesting property stories and market commentary on the ...

Contemporary Marlborough earth goddess delivers refinement, luxury and tranquility. One of Marlborough’s finest modern homes is for sale. Bhudevi is situated in Rapaura, 10 kilometres north west of Blenheim in the heart of the country’s ...

If you’re looking to bring rural style into your life, then you may find a stunning property here just a click away. This magazine has it all – pages of great lifestyle and residential properties across the country and interesting articles on rural ...

Several sheep and beef farms have sold in the past few months with a lift in prices suggesting that confidence in the sector remains strong. Regions where significant sheep and beef property activity has taken place recently include west Waikato, the King ...

This edition of the Rural Property Pulse highlights that the market for property in the primary production sector is currently operating on two tiers: for dairy, purchasers are cautious and activity is light; in all other sectors, buyers and sellers are active at ...

Our autumn edition of Rural Property Pulse is now available offering insightful articles on the wool, horticulture and livestock sectors along with looking at the current trends influencing the rural real estate market. Sourced from our PGG Wrightson Real ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more on The Country.

Cromwell’s new lifestyle village proving a great asset for Central Otago A Central Otago development, aiming to fill a gap in the region for an age appropriate community, has been met by an eager local market. Cromwell’s Golden View Lifestyle ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more on The Country.

The Country's Jamie Mackay and our General Manager Peter Newbold talk through their monthly overview of the rural real estate market. >Read more on The Country.

Here is our closer look at the different sectors within rural real estate, from across the country. Sheep and Beef Plenty of sheep and beef properties were offered for spring sale. One notable result was a 353 hectare Clydevale, South Otago property ...

Nelson/Marlborough After a kind spring, Nelson and Marlborough farms were looking good, and those offered to the market had the advantage of excellent presentation. In common with other regions, spring in Tasman featured some high quality rural property listings ...

Northland High quality Northland spring rural property listings included a 357 hectare Ararua farm milking 420 cows and also suited to finishing beef; and a 319 hectare coastal Mangakura dairy unit averaging 230,000 kilograms of milk solids per annum. As in other ...

Weather is the main determinant of a good season for horticulture, particularly as enthusiasm in New Zealand’s main export markets continues to grow. As late winter transitioned into early spring there was plenty of moisture, followed by a period of warm ...

Late spring brought challenges for wool growers, as the market softened across the board and fine, medium and strong wools all underwent reductions in demand and therefore in price. Demand fell away largely due to the international situation, specifically the ...

Land use change has been a constant in the history of New Zealand agriculture and is the motivation for many rural property transactions. In recent years, significant land use change has occurred in Waikato, Northland and the Bay of Plenty. As some dairy farmers ...

Spring conditions encouraging, though dairy wariness checks livestock market Most districts experienced good spring growing conditions, and although NIWA has predicted a dry summer, that looks unlikely to commence early, so pasture production should continue ...

Recently published Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) statistics confirm what we are seeing in the marketplace: it has been a cautious and subdued spring rural property market. Several factors are contributing, with dairy sector uncertainty the most ...

Our Summer 2018 Issue of Rural Property Pulse is now available. Produced quarterly for nationwide distribution, this publication contains relevant and up-to-date information on rural real estate. The summer Rural Property Pulse explores the factors ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay had an important question for this month's rural property report - what's happening to dairy prices in the south? >Read more on The Country.

On the southern fringe of North Canterbury wine country, and in the lee of the Teviot range, which creates its own microclimate untouched by the easterly, Glasnevin is genuinely rural, though within easy reach of all the amenities. A 16.6 hectare block with a ...

An historic 118ha dairy farm on the outskirts of Cambridge, which has been in the same family for four generations, has sold at auction for $9 million. Martin Lee of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Cambridge listed the property for sale. He said the November 15 ...

Looking for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in a flavoursome fruit which can be enjoyed as it is or added to your meals? Here’s an introduction to tamarillos from the New Zealand Tamarillo Growers Association. The tamarillo is a su ...

Wendy and David Millichamp on Lilies Lilies are an elegant flower which many people associate with Christmas. Wendy and David Millichamp offer some advice on how to help your lilies flourish this spring and summer. As well, they introduce two new lily ...

A large Central Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farm is one of the first significant local rural properties to sell this season. Tahuna, a Waipawa intensive cropping farm held by publicly owned property investment and farming company Rural Equities, was sold by ...

In 2010 Sue and Richard Wills bought a 1.9 hectare block in Tauriko, Bay of Plenty. It had two horse paddocks and a small avocado orchard. Previously they had bought and done up a series of old houses. This time their children were determined for them to ...

Andrew Dowling on worm management in calves Weaning can be a time of significant change for calves, potentially causing rumen and intestinal upset, resulting in weight loss and scouring. To help avoid this implementing a progressive weaning ...

A large, picturesque coastal Port Waikato property, with a thriving farming operation and a suite of recreational attractions, is for sale for the first time in 60 years. Adrian van Mil of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Pukekohe, is selling 540 hectare Puriri Heights ...

A small Clevedon dry stock farm is for sale, with huge views across the Hauraki Gulf. Located at Wairoa Bay, 41 kilometres east of Otahuhu, the 40 hectare coastal property is listed for sale by Jim Scorrar, of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Pukekohe. He says it has an ...

Andrew Twidle on rearing honey bee queens, whether it's for re-queening your own hives or for some extra pocket money in the spring. The term queen rearing refers to when a new queen is raised within a hive. In nature this occurs three ways: emergency ...

One very special property is going under the hammer at the New Zealand Agricultural Show this week. Lake Raupo is a stunning property, very well farmed and in tremendous heart. It is situated on Glenmark Drive, which has always had tremendous appeal to a lot ...

Conservation focus enables high country win-win Pete and Sue Turnbull enjoy standing in the cool shade of the ancient red and black beech and totara that dominates the pristine stand of remnant bush on their North Canterbury sheep and beef farm, 146 kilometres ...

Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince's recipes for zero waste toiletries With the increasingly critical message to reduce waste, a couple of young Kiwis founded The Rubbish Trip and came up with some easy, waste free recipes for our toiletries ...

A Canterbury alpine village is one of the region’s carefully guarded weekend holiday secrets, says the property salesperson who has overseen several recent transactions at the locality. Karen Hennessy of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay catches up with Peter Newbold, General Manager Pgg Wrightson Real Estate, on the state of the rural real estate market.

Ten years ago Dianne and Stuart Duncan lived in Parnell, Auckland.Although they were happy in the city they called home for 40 years,having both grown up in small towns they fancied a change of pace.After looking around at what ...

Mike Billinghurst with an introduction to fencing your lifestyle property. An essential component to any small block, fencing offers security andboundary definition along with allowing you to control grass growth,choosing when stock can go on and off ...

Last remaining Awatere sheep and beef property set to sell for grapes Commercial viticulture began in Marlborough in 1973 with the first plantings on what is now the Brancott Estate, just south of Blenheim. Within ten years, production in the Wairau Valley was ...

A widely-admired Waikato sheep and cattle farm is for sale. PGG Wrightson Waikato Real Estate Manager John Sisley is presenting 286 hectare Grassy Downs to the market for Neville and Carole Woodcock. John Sisley says the farm’s aesthetic appeal, exceptional ...

An Opouriao Valley, Whakatane dairy farm, in the same family for 122 years, is for sale. Stewart, Malcolm and Neil Reid took over the farm in 1960. Fifty-eight years later they have brought in Phil Goldsmith of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Whakatane to market the ...

One of the original Canterbury runs, comprising 10,800 hectares, Culverden Estate, in North Canterbury, was balloted by the government in 29 parcels in 1908. Alfred Fisher was a young single man from England. His name came out for one of the larger lots ...

Our newest publication, showcasing spring rural and lifestyle property listings in the South Island. View the latest issue: Contact us todayfor a printed or downloadable version. ◰Read more in our Latest Nationwide ...

Several factors are working in favour of farmers at present, particularly those in the sheep and beef sector. Processors are paying $8 per kilogram for lambs, the beef schedule has remained firm for months, foreign exchange is tipping in favour of primary ...

Sheep and Beef Activity in the property market for sheep and beef farms was buoyant through the winter, with the quantity of transactions equalling, or in some cases exceeding, sales for the same period last year. Although statistics suggest prices have firmed ...

Kilkishen Farm is an approximately 166 hectare Marlborough grazing property, the final substantial farm in the lower Awatere Valley yet to grow grapes. Approximately 130 hectares are suitable for viticulture, and the present owners recently secured resource ...

In the late 1990s, Scott Cato found himself the ideal waterfront property, clad in bush and jutting into Raglan Harbour. Inspired by its peace, fertility and dramatic sunsets he developed a vision for a dwelling to complement this idyllic spot. Now, after many ...

Within their various sectors, growers approach spring in a positive frame of mind. In Hawke’s Bay and Nelson, the pipfruit sector had an extended harvest, which meant packing was prolonged, with packhouses operating longer than they generally plan for ...

If you’re looking to bring rural style into your life, then you may find a stunning property here just a click away. This magazine has it all – pages of great lifestyle and residential properties across the country and interesting articles on rural ...

A 154 hectare Menzies Ferry, Edendale farm is for sale offering purchasers easy access to the rewards of organic dairy production in Southland, says Andrew Patterson of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Invercargill, who is marketing the farm. “This property has ...

Highlighting quality properties listed for sale throughout New Zealand, this exclusive quarterly property magazine is published every spring and autumn showcasing farms nationwide. ◰ Read Our Cover Feature Property Story: Large coastal finishing ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay had an important question for this month's rural property report - what's happening to farm sales?

A large coastal property, on the shores of Raglan Harbour, finishing around 1100 head of cattle is for sale. Richard Thomson of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Hamilton is selling the 790 hectare Kauri Flat, Te Akau property, which he says has impeccable improvements ...

Fortunes for coarse crossbred wool growers and those growing fine wool continue to operate along completely different trajectories, with the latter enjoying much greater prosperity. During May and June the market for crossbred wool exhibited signs of improvement ...

Farmer investment in pasture development was a feature of the winter seed market. More grass to grass cultivation is occurring than in recent years, as farmers look to improve their pasture. Whereas, in the past five or so years, the emphasis has mainly been ...

Nelson/Marlborough Several Nelson and Marlborough properties sold well in winter, including a 500 hectare St Arnaud grazing block sold in April for $2.6 million; a well-established Murchison sheep and beef property sold in May above $3.5 million, and a 147 ...

South Island sheep and beef livestock transactions in recent months were generally low key, as is usually the case during winter. Mild climatic conditions through most regions and the lamb schedule rising to $8 per kilogram provided encouragement for farmers ...

Northland A mild, wet winter looks set to usher in a vibrant Northland spring selling season, with sheep and beef farms in healthy demand. Likewise, horticulture is thriving, and avocado, kumara and kiwifruit properties will attract purchasers. Meanwhile ...

Encouraging signs for spring rural property market, particularly in sheep and beef sector. Several indications point towards a bumper spring in rural real estate, particularly around sheep and beef farms. PGG Wrightson Real Estate General Manager, Peter Newbold ...

For farmers approaching spring, many factors provide grounds for optimism. Meat companies paying $8 per kilogram for lambs, the beef schedule holding firm, the weakening currency suggesting returns could stay positive for a while longer, and interest rates ...

Oamaru-based David Heffernan began selling North Otago farms for PGG Wrightson Real Estate in January 2017. After completing an excellent first full year in the role at the end of June, his skill as a salesperson was recognised this week with a major ...

PGG Wrightson Real Estate’s Tauranga branch has won the large rural office category at the 2018 Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) awards this week, the third successive year it has taken out this prestigious national title. Mike ...

PGG Wrightson Real Estate's National Sales Manager caught up with The Country's Jamie Mackay for an update on the rural real estate market. Meade discusses that there are still challenges around the environmental effects and lending into the dairy sector in ...

Whether you have a herd, a flock or a tribe of milking animals, (or even a single house cow, nanny goat or milking ewe), you will have milk available to drink, cook with or make cream, ice cream, butter, cheese and whey. Simple acidified curds like ricotta and ...

In the camel family, alpacas are a South American native. They are an ideal animal to keep on a lifestyle property or small block. Alpacas are intelligent, easy to manage and have a light environmental footprint. New Zealand has approximately 20,000 registered ...

Reviewing the 2017/18 year in rural property, the high level of sales activity during May and June is unusual, bucking traditional trends, and indicating increased listings on the market in late winter and early spring. Dairy Property Market ...

The Country's Jamie Mackay had an important question for this month's rural property report - are farms worth less now than they were this time a year ago? Read the The Country article about the interview here.

PGG Wrightson Wool, along with partner Bloch & Behrens, has delivered a flagship brand to highlight the superior characteristics of New Zealand wool. Providing full transparency within the supply chain, the Wool Integrity programme ensures wool is ...

Harvest progressed satisfactorily across most horticultural sectors through the autumn, as climatic conditions generally favoured growers. However, as has been widely publicised, a shortage of labour posed a real challenge in most growing regions. In Marlborough ...

Nelson/Marlborough Exceptional autumn weather at the top of the South Island meant farms were presented for sale in extremely good condition, while stock prices across the board continued to increase the desirability of pastoral property. However, demand exceeds ...

Fortunes for coarse crossbred wool growers improved during the autumn, largely driven by increased demand for New Zealand wool from several of China’s largest mills. Weakening of the New Zealand dollar against the United States dollar also aided the better ...

Those farmers directly affected by Mycoplasma bovis are in an unenviable position. Others have become increasingly aware of their vulnerability to the infection and will take whatever steps necessary to mitigate that risk. In regions where the disease was first ...

Northland Northland’s autumn rural property market was unremarkable. Although listings are readily available, including some excellent farms, purchasers and their financiers are reluctant to meet vendor price expectations. A 36.5 hectare Kaipara property ...

Excellent weather and plenty of grass kept the autumn livestock trade buoyant. Mycoplasma bovis impacted on the dairy livestock market, persuading existing buyers to purchase stock earlier than they would typically have done. Market activity increased and several ...

Here is our closer look at the different sectors within rural real estate, from across the country. Sheep and Beef Demand for sheep and beef farms remained strong through the autumn, as near perfect weather and continuing firm returns for red meat ...

Over the last eight years, PGG Wrightson-owned brand, Corson Maize Seed has developed a product portfolio of maize hybrids. In March 2018, the business added the Pacific Seeds range of maize hybrids to its portfolio. Pacific Seeds’ inclusion gives New ...

Demand for rural property always balances several variables. How these weigh up determines what momentum the market will generate at any given time. Activity in the autumn market has been strong, right through into late May, which will also flow through into ...

Lynne and Murray Dalziell have had many different addresses over the last 40 years, as well as accumulating stamps from around 40 different countries on their passports. Their adventurous spirit and quest for new experiences have landed them in Cambridge ...

When the new government was sworn inlast year, one of its first priorities was totighten policy around foreign ownership ofNew Zealand property. This issue has created doubt and a gapbetween buyers and sellers on the perceivedvalue ...

Richard Barge on growing hemp as a crop Industrial hemp can be made into everything from super foods to sustainable fibres and grows well in New Zealand conditions. Hemp has applications in many industries, including food and medicine, paper, textiles ...

Richard Ashford on spinning your own yarn If you have sheep, alpacas or goats, spinning their fleece is a truly hands-on way to make something beautiful from your land. Whether it’s to make the best use of fibre from your animals, to relax to the soothing ...

A wet spring and warm summer, with plenty ofsunshine, advanced the maturity of berry andsummer fruits, bringing the harvest forward. Ascrops ripened well in advance of what wouldnormally be expected, there was plenty of fruitavailable ...

Coarse crossbred wool growers have hadsome encouragement recently, albeit therecovering prices are coming off a low base.Signs of improvement are perceptible, thoughslight, especially given the strength of the NewZealand dollar versus ...

One of New Zealand’s most diverse regions by land use, Tasman has virtuallyevery type of rural property, from hill country manuka blocks to dairy farms,and from vineyards to hops to pipfruit to aquaculture to forestry, not to mention some of the ...

Here is Barry’s recipe for making a medium sweet mead with alcohol content of 13-14%: Equipment - 1 gallon jar with bubbler, funnel, 2kg honey, 1 gallon of water, 1 teaspoon wine nutrient, 1 packet white wine yeast, juice from 2 lemons, 1 campden ...

Barry Bunn on making honey mead Enjoy a chilled glass of mead with its sweet, unique floral flavours Mead, the old English word for honey wine, is a tasty, lesser known way of enjoying honey. The honey’s subtle floral hints and flavours offers a sweet ...

In 2003, Min Cookson, of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Darfield, helped Tony and Robyn Chaston to move from their large sheep, beef, and deer farm in Windwhistle, Central Canterbury, to a four hectare lifestyle property in Ladbrooks, just beyond the south-west edge ...

Abundant grass due to an unusually moist summer has given many farmers plentyof options, and they are making decisions in the livestock market accordingly. Across most of the North Island, the plentifulfeed has caused a slowdown in the supplyof ...

Penny Mason and James Wallace are independently practicing Waikato healthcare professionals. As Penny explains, they moved from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, via Australia, in 2006. “While studying midwifery in Australia, I attended a workshop in the ...

Sheep and Beef Demand for sheep and beef farms was strongduring the summer, the sector benefitingfrom favourable climatic conditions, plenty offeed and continuing buoyant product prices.Confidence is high, reflected in the ...

Well-known North Canterbury wool buyers, Brian and Christine Logan, recently sold the 94 hectare Hawarden property they raised their family on, lived on and farmed since 1982. Brian Logan says the property, Glenford, located 39 kilometres north of Amberley and 84 ...

An introduction to Orpington Hens Orpingtons are an attractive hen whose gentle, quiet, child friendly nature make them a great addition to your lifestyle block. They are a heavy, dual purpose breed who are good layers, with pullets producing around 300 eggs in ...

Kate Marshall for NZ Gardener on pruning your stonefruit trees As you head out in the winter cold to tackle the garden, take heart from the fact pruning your stonefruit trees will result in a healthy tree producing good fruit yields. To prune stonefruit trees ...

Moving to a larger, more remote block has given the Wakeford family of Hawke’s Bay the opportunity to pursue their hobbies on a grander scale. Aaron and Ange, plus 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, already had a taste for lifestyle property, having lived on ...

Proprietary seed company, Agricom, has commercially released Ecotain environmental plantain. In September 2017, Agricom announcedresearch findings that showed the natural,environmentally friendly forage cultivar cansignificantly reduce nitrogen ...

Andrew Dowling on supplementary feed for your livestock over winter. It is essential to keep your animals healthy and strong throughout the year as it enables them to manage stressful times such as winter. One important way of ensuring your animal’s health ...

In 1928, Eric and Mabel Lambert shifted from Wellington to Putauaki, beneath Mt Edgecumbe, a journey of over 500 kilometres. A short time before they left the capital city behind, a polio epidemic had taken one of their sons. Eric had been an accountant for a ...

Ian Collie and his wife, Claire, moved to Te Anau in 1987. Prior to that, they had farmed in Wilden, West Otago, which was Ian’s family’s base. They were not happy with what happened to agriculture in that era and were ready for a change, as Ian ...

Nelson and Marlborough As in much of the rest of the country, demandfor Nelson and Marlborough dairy propertieswas subdued during the summer, with vendorexpectations exceeding what purchasers wereprepared to pay. How quickly this gap ...

Northland Although quiet at the start of summer,Northland’s rural property market picked upsomewhat post-Christmas. Values of dairyfarm transactions were consistent with similarproperties sold last season, and interest wasshown ...

After 164 years and four generations, the last remaining farming member of the McLean family is moving on from Waipu. Having started their association with the district in 1853, when John and Dolina McLean, originally from near Loch Ness in Scotland, brought ...

After moving north from Taranaki in the mid-1990s, Julie Geange and husband, Neal, were set on finding a property that would enable them to combine their love of farming with a reliable income independent of the ups and downs of agriculture. Although they had ...

Couple moves south after Hawke’s Bay property sells for the first time in 158 years Until late last year, Richard Paterson and his partner, Trudy Burgess, farmed 848 hectare Olrig Station, a renowned Hawke’s Bay rural property that had been in ...

Kath Irvine on harvesting apples Autumn is here so it’s time to harvest your apples. Fresh, crisp and delicious straight from the tree, here’s tips on timing when to pick and how to store your apples. Like all fruits, different apple varieties ...

PGG Wrightson Real Estate support the Dairy Business of the Year Competition by providing valuations on the top farms shortlisted throughout New Zealand for the competition awards. PGG Wrightson Real Estate are proud to support the competition as it not ...

As you will see in this edition of the Rural Property Pulse, this summer’s market for rural property featured various highlights. Demand for sheep and beef farms, viticulture and horticulture properties ranges from steady to spectacular. In most instances ...

In autumn 2001, Robert Goulter stood on a high point on Springer’s Block in the Howard Valley for the first time. He was overwhelmed by the peace and natural beauty of the property, which is located near the Nelson Lakes National Park in the heart of the St ...

Growing up in the 1930s, Ian Lankshear planned to join the family business, which was one of Wellington’s leading printers. Then World War II intervened. Like many others, Ian’s life changed course. He went to the United Kingdom to serve in the Royal ...

Nelson and Marlborough Along with the rest of the country, Nelson and Marlborough were wet in the early spring. However, the subsequent upside of good growth over rode the earlier inconvenience of inclement weather. Spring demand for rural property was strong ...

Northland A significant number of Northland dairy farms were offered for spring sale. Although completed transactions were at comparable values to last year, with plenty of alternatives, purchasers are taking time before committing to buy. As Northland dairy ...

Ian Glasson was appointed as PGG Wrightson’s Chief Executive Officer on 1 November 2017. Based in Singapore from March 2013, Ian was CEO of Zuellig Agriculture and Gold Coin, which was subsequently spun out of the Zuellig Group of businesses. Gold Coin ...

Although listings in many rural property sectors and throughout most of the country rose in the spring, these have not yet translated to sales. Cold, wet conditions early in the season delayed many spring marketing campaigns. Couple that with the general ...

A desirable lifestyle town with community spirit. Born, bred, educated and now with a well-established career in the Winton area, Kelvin Moylan is a confirmed Southlander. He markets residential and lifestyle property for PGG Wrightson Real Estate. For Kelvin ...

Les Anstis on Riparian Planting If your property hosts a waterway, there are many good reasons to plant natives along its banks. Riparian planting, alongside waterways, makes a positive contribution to environmental health. Effective planting improves water ...

Amazing harmonious combination of character and contemporary When Vikki and Ferg Dardis first set eyes on one of old Cromwell’s original homes, they overlooked its dilapidated condition, seeing instead its potential, and refusing to be discouraged by ...

Apopular, delicious drink packed with health benefits, and it’s super-easy to make yourself This naturally fermented, effervescent drink originated in China 2000 years ago. High in antioxidants, it is a natural probiotic, which makes kombucha tasty ...

The Kents finally move on from quake trauma Sharyn and David Kent bought their two storey, four-bedroom 1950s dream home in North New Brighton, on the east side of Christchurch, in 1988. They lived there happily, bringing up their two children, Nicholas and ...

Geoff Langford on growing strawberries and raspberries. In suitable climatic conditions, growing some of New Zealand’s favourite berries can be a worthwhile project for small-block farmers. With any berry operation, the key is to have a clear view around ...

Marie Torr grew up in northern Hawke’s Bay, moving to Napier in her teens. She now works in sales in the city. Having never given up on moving back to the country, in mid-2016, she sold her house and began looking for a rural property to build on. "It took ...

Tailor-made accommodation establishment Feeling they didn’t want to grow old in Auckland, Paul and Jan Henwood decided to leave the city in 2003. They bought a 1.37 hectare block of land just outside Cambridge with stunning 360 degree views over the ...

Heather Cole on saving tomato seed Tomato seeds are easy to save and well worth the effort, especially with hard-to-find heirloom varieties. Saving seeds ensures you have a year-to-year supply of treasured tomato plants – both to grow yourself and to share ...

Kate Marshall on summer care for fruit trees Act now to maximise fruit crops and keep your trees healthy through the dry season and beyond. For almost all fruit trees, flowering, pollination, and fruit-set is well and truly complete. Now mulching, feeding and ...

John Earney on how to keep pigs for fun and food All small-block farmers should consider keeping pigs, as they thrive in smaller spaces and produce excellent quality meat. Pigs are the fastest way to grow meat in the large livestock group. Heritage pigs are ...

Jacqui Knight on how to attract butterflies to your block These beautiful insects, often described as ‘flying flowers,’ are also useful pollinators and signal a healthy environment. Butterflies can bring colour and drama to your landscape all year ...

Ticks all the boxes for great lifestyle Traditionally famous for onions, Pukekohe’s proximity to Auckland makes it an eye-wateringly desirable locality for a country lifestyle. Mark Needham of PGG Wrightson Real Estate specialises in marketing farms ...

Jessi Morgan on pest prevention. A predator-free New Zealand by 2050 is an ambitious, though worthwhile goal, which we can all do our bit to achieve. If your lifestyle block is near a bush reserve or the coast, you’re likely to host unwelcome guests ...

With the lucrative Asian market set to grow, avocados are a great investment for those in the right region. Avocados are New Zealand’s third largest fresh fruit export, after kiwifruit and apples. It is an exciting time for this thriving industry ...

From Texas ranch country to the Kaimai Ranges From Texas ranch country to the Kaimai Ranges, overlooking Katikati and the Bay of Plenty, is a journey the Craft family has made, and one they are each delighted with. Logan and Barbara Craft, with daughters Sara ...

Kaisla Quinn on making Airbnb work for you Airbnb gives lifestyle block holders new access to the tourist market, especially if you can offer an interesting experience. Travellers no longer want to stay in average motels. However, great accommodation in rural ...

Northland As in many other parts of the country, Northland has been wet, contributing to a traditionally subdued winter ruralproperty market. One notable transaction was a 148 hectare west coast farm that sold in July between $20,000 and $22,000 per ...

Nelson and Marlborough While pruning was in full swing, sales of Marlborough vineyards were slow through winter. Demand for Nelson dairy farms remains enthusiastic, with interest from the North Island. A significant dairy transaction was confirmed during August ...

If you give us a calf, we’ll give you a pair of gumboots. It was a bizarre idea for a fundraising scheme. Two dairy farmers persuaded a reluctant IHC National Fundraising Committee to give it a go and the IHC Calf Scheme was launched in 1984. Wrightson ...

Known as an ideal first farm location, Galatea in the Bay of Plenty’s Whakatane district was first settled in the 1940s, when it was balloted to give returned soldiers a start in farming in gratitude for their war service. Phil Goldsmith of PGG Wrightson ...

Glenys Kennard had a bucket list of horse things she wanted to achieve. She has ticked off just about everything that was possible to have on the list. Then the crowning glory came in August when her star pacer, Lazarus, was named New Zealand ‘Harness ...

Robin and Lois Greer moved to Southland from the Waikato 25 years ago. Among the first generation of dairy farmers to make the shift south, they bought an 80 hectare farm at Tuturau, 20 kilometres south-east of Gore, their first property. Share-milking up to that ...

If a family that plays together stays together, a family that goes intobusiness together gains a deeper and wider understanding of each other. Geoff Morgan is managing director of well- known Marlborough commercial builder, T&D Construction. When local ...

Breeding daffodils commercially requires patience, and plenty of it. From the start of the process, cross-pollinating two daffodils with appealing characteristics to selling the first bulb of a new breed takes 12 years or more. Gordon and Cindy Coombes are ...

Most primary production sectors have faced a wet winter and early spring. However, this weather has also set up a potentially excellent growing season as the sun comes out and the temperature rises. For horticulturists, almost entirely across both islands ...

Although Nigel Tosswill was a townie from Lower Hutt, he grew up with a passion for farming. Working for AMP as a rural valuer, he developed a broad understanding of farming investment and opportunities. In lending to farmers, AMP was second only to State ...

Sheep and Beef Listings of sheep and beef farms were in short supply through the winter, with little of note offered to the market and activity occurring only at low levels. While this is generally the case during winter, the appetite to engage in land ...

After one of the most challenging years imaginable, farmers growing maize are looking forward to better times in the coming season. After one of the most challenging years imaginable, farmers growing maize are looking forward to a better season. They can ...

Avocado orchards have recently changed hands at around $450,000 per hectare, close to prices currently paid for green kiwifruit. A highly productive three canopy hectare coastal Bay of Plenty avocado orchard, with 280 trees, sold for $2.05 million, 3 years after ...

Nelson and Marlborough Demand for Nelson dairy farms remains enthusiastic, including interest from the North Island. Rising Fonterra and Westland payouts bode well for the upcoming season, and some good Marlborough and Nelson dairy farms are set to list in the ...

Northland As in many other parts of the country, Northland has been wet, contributing to a traditionally subdued winter rural property market. One notable transaction was a 148 hectare west coast farm that sold in July between $20,000 and $22,000 per hectare ...

Adverse winter conditions around the country did not seriously hold dairy farmers back after excellent weather through autumn provided a solid base of ample feed. North Island feeder calf sales reported strong demand for good four-day-old Friesian feeder ...

Busy spring set to follow traditionally quiet winter rural property market. While it was a busy autumn, with plenty of farmland selling, market activity went quiet from June on, and we experienced a traditional winter. Farmers were preoccupied with calving and ...

Sheep and Beef Sheep and beef farms sold in low numbers during autumn, although prices remain static. A similar situation prevailed this time last year. With returns generally positive, particularly for beef, farmers are not inclined to sell and listings are ...

Fortunes for wool growers remain polarised. Although fine wool is internationally well sought after and delivering excellent returns to New Zealand farmers, crossbred wool prices continue to languish, with little to indicate that prospects will improve any time ...

Good autumn grass growth and positive markets led to vibrant trade in livestock throughout autumn. For dairy farmers, regular auctions throughout April and May helped provide solid market indicators on which to trade cows, particularly in the North Island ...

While climatic conditions provided some challenges for horticulturists during the autumn, eager export markets underpin a groundswell of optimism in the sector. For most crops, a cold, wet spring, including hail in some regions, meant it was never going ...

Nelson/Marlborough Favourable autumn grass kept the Nelson/Marlborough rural property market optimistic. Horticulture, meanwhile, is undergoing major growth in the region, with new plantings of apples, hops and grapes. Land values are increasing and, with blocks ...

Northland Rural property activity in Northland was strong during the autumn, especially in the Kaipara area. Several sales of smaller farms, priced between $1.5 and $2 million, were concluded. On a larger scale, a 430 hectare Kerikeri dairy farm also sold notably ...

Across the country, the rural property market is gradually climbing, with both the volume and value of sales edging up. Activity in the autumn market built towards a vibrant season’s end. In some parts of the country, stocks of farms for sale were exhausted ...

When Ken Marfell and his father, Dick, first leased Straits View Farm on the eastern boundary of Seddon in the Awatere Valley in 1956, Ken was 17 and every farm in the neighbourhood was in pasture as far as the eye could see.After leasing the 261 hectare property ...

In what is traditionally the rural property market’s busiest season, farmer confidence in the dairy sector will be the critical factor this spring.Some dairy farmers reacted directly to the Global Dairy Trade’s recent positive movement ...

Statistics showing record sales in the nationwide lifestyle property market only tell part of the story, says a national real estate leader. Statistics issued on Friday by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) show the number of lifestyle property ...

While the dairy sector has faced challenges lately and the volume of property transactions has dropped, dairy farms are still selling, albeit at a reduced volume. Seven Waikato dairy farms changed hands in the first two months of this year, compared to 21 sales ...

The Silos, a Raglan waterfront landmark that is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive homes is for sale.Described as a trophy property like no other in New Zealand, 88 Wallis Street comprises two cement silos on the Raglan Wharf. Disused after the Port of ...

What comes around, goes around. While local farmers deal with their own cashflow issues, in the next few days, on the other side of the world, the United Kingdom’s National Farmers Union is organising a march through London to raise awareness of the ...

Although there is no denying that dairying is facing tough times, quality rural properties in the Waikato, particularly those in sought-after locations with easy contour, are still selling for good money. An excellent recent example of that was the ...

Real estate sales is one of the few vocations which never go out of favour. No matter how the economy performs, the property market keeps on trading and for the right person, real estate sales can be secure, enjoyable and very rewarding. Applications are open to ...

A Clevedon dairy property, combining outstanding location, contour and potential for diversification, is for sale for the first time in 44 years. Located 32 kilometres southeast of the Auckland CBD, the 108 hectare farm is presently run ...

Although we have had a lively start to spring in the Waikato rural property market, purchasers are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. Despite plenty of interest and no shortage of offers for farms listed for sale, actual ...

Spring is traditionally a busy time in rural real estate, as we seek to bring together willing buyers and motivated sellers of farms. In some other regions, the reduced dairy payout has had an impact on the market. In our part of the ...

Canterbury’s rural property market is undergoing a quiet spring. At a time of year when activity would usually be at its peak, in most of the South Island, including our region, the reduced dairy payout has had an impact. Fewer farms ...

Auctions are the order of the day in the local rural property market. Those wishing to sell a farm are finding auction is an efficient, dependable way to bring out the best possible response. Creating a clear, transparent competition ...

Two strong farm sales in the Dannevirke area in late August showed the strength of the local sheep and beef market, says a rural property specialist. Ian Ross of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Dannevirke and Feilding, marketed ...

Sales activity in the viticulture property market is set to rise during the coming season and could reach the record peaks last seen in the sector around six years ago, says a regional real estate leader. Nelson/Marlborough Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson Real ...

Springbush, an award-winning Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farm, sold well at auction last month, with the hammer falling at $4.575 million. Doug Smith of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Hastings, marketed the 357 hectare Elsthorpe farm, located 38 kilometres east ...

A large coastal Northland dairy farm, offering scale and good infrastructure, is for sale by auction. Megan Browning of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Dargaville is bringing the 314 hectare property, situated 12 kilometres west of Dargaville ...

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit property continues to break records and has helped ensure the local rural real estate market is currently around the strongest in the country. A Paengaroa bare land block capable of development for kiwifruit, which sold for $90,000 per ...

Paul O’Sullivan submission for South Waikato News, August 2015Based on the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, dairy farm returns could be on the rise again, in which case any impact the current downturn has on the rural property market should be relatively ...

A series of South Waikato farms up for auction over the coming weeks should provide a clear indication of the strength of the dairy property market, says one of the region’s leading rural real estate salespeople. Despite recent challenges for the dairy ...

A Taupo dairy farm sold at auction on Friday for $2.97 million. Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau Real Estate Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Paul O’Sullivan, marketed the 187 hectare Tirohanga property, located 39 kilometres northwest of Taupo ...

A large South Waikato rural property sold at auction this week for $5.25 million, suggesting that confidence in local farming is holding firm against the recent dairy payout downgrades. Richard Leach of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Putaruru, marketed the 488 ...

Just two years into his real estate career, Northland local, Scott Tapp, has reached the top, out-pacing a number of seasoned veterans nationwide to win PGG Wrightson Real Estate's prestigious Rural Salesperson of the Year award. Scott, who is based in PGG ...

John Sisley column for Te Awamutu Courier, August 2015 In recent weeks, the outlook for dairy has not improved. What impact this has on the local market for rural property is difficult to say as, during the winter, sales drop away anyway. That said, open days ...

For approximately the past 18 months, since the horticulture industry came to grips with Psa, kiwifruit orchard prices have grown steadily. Early in the 2014/15 season, values surpassed the records set prior to the virus outbreak in November 2010 ...

Winter is generally a quiet time in rural property, as farmers prefer to buy or sell land in the spring when a farm is traditionally looking its best. Not surprisingly then, no significant South Waikato farms changed hands in the past month ...

“People are looking at the value long term, and with good properties there tends to be very little change in price. There are people out there who still want to get into the rural market” says Mr Newbold. While six months ago much of this was ...

Despite the fall in projected dairy returns, the market for farms remains strong, say the South Island’s foremost authorities on rural real estate.PGG Wrightson Real Estate salespeople report that South Island dairy farm transactions were down this autumn ...

Some observers seem surprised that, with projected dairy returns dropping, enthusiasm to invest in agriculture remains buoyant. However, if the South Waikato rural property market is an accurate gauge, many involved in dairying are in a positive ...

One of Central Otago's most admired high country stations, bounded by Lake Wanaka and Mt Aspiring National Park and with a storied history, is for sale.Mike Direen of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Alexandra, is marketing 12,770 hectare Mt Albert Station, Makarora ...

A large North Canterbury sheep and cattle-breeding property, subject to a substantial recent improvement programme, is for sale. Mason Hills, Waiau, a 2542 hectare pastoral farm with an established homestead, a spectacular alpine outlook and impressive ...

Suggestions that wealthy overseas interests are buying isolated New Zealand properties to use as 'secret boltholes' are not substantiated by recent sales of high country property, says a national rural real estate leader.General Manager of PGG Wrightson Real ...

A large North Canterbury dairy farm, believed to be Canterbury's highest priced rural property sale in 2014, illustrates the strength of demand for dairy land, despite the sector's falling payouts.Located 10 kilometres west of Culverden and 109 kilometres north of ...

A Yaldhurst lifestyle property sold recently for 62 per cent above its 2013 rateable valuation. Min Cookson of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, who marketed the one hectare School Road property, said the sale was the most remarkable she has seen in 17 years of real ...