Avocado orchard ripe for the picking

Avocado orchard ripe for the picking

One of the Far North’s biggest avocado orchards has been placed on the market for sale through a mortgagee tender process.

Clearwater Orchard at Ngataki on the Aupouri Peninsula is one of New Zealand’s most northerly avocado production units. The former 311 hectare dry stock farm is some 15 kilometres from the settlement of Pukenui which provides basic shops and services.

Just south of the orchard are the east coast beaches of Rarawa and Henderson Bay which are popular for surfing, fishing, and shellfish gathering. The Clearwater Orchard property is being marketed through Bayleys with a mortgagee tender closing on May 26.

Bayleys senior sales consultant Alan Broadbent said the Clearwater Orchard development began some four years ago – with land contouring and excavation of a large earth dam for irrigation. The dam subsequently created a 7.2 hectare lake capable in its current structure to provide summer irrigation to 232 hectares of avocado plantings.

“This is New Zealand’s northernmost avocado development – with the Houhora area becoming recognised for its climatic reliability, being able to produce earlier fruit than orchards further south at Whangarei and Katikati,” Mr Broadbent said.

“Two varieties of avocado – Haas and Reed - were initially planted in 2006 and 2007. Some 64 hectares had been planted, with between 130 – 140 further hectares available for contouring and planting.”

Mr Broadbent said that while the property benefitted from dammed water, additional expenditure was required to transfer the total irrigation reticulation into the new dam system and to complete the dam project to its full design capacity.

“However, that investment would deliver higher production crop yields from an orchard which currently has huge potential but is performing well below its true potential,” he said.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to develop a ‘young’ orchard to its full production potential by bringing new land into service using existing infrastructure.”

The property comes with a 211sqm four-bedroom 1970s homestead with substantial deck area overlooking a flat lawn area, and an adjoining 60sqm modern self-contained flat which provides suitable accommodation for orchard workers.

Additionally, the property has an older implement shed and woolshed constructed of timber faming with a concrete floor and suitable for storage. A newer 384sqm implement shed and 128sqm attached lean-to is used for storing orchard machinery - with one end fitted out as an office, storeroom, staff kitchen, and with toilet/shower amenities.

Artificial shelters have been constructed around the current avocado plantings - with radiata pine behind the netting. Additionally, elephant grass has been planted for trunk protection. The predominant soil type on the farm is a mix of free-draining Houhora sand and Tangitiki sand with some Te Kopuru sand in the sub-soil

Tenders for Clearwater Orchard close on May 26.

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