Solid Performance Underpins Pukenui Appeal With Several Purchase Options

The desirable central Hawke’s Bay location of Pukenui Station offers future owners several farming and lifestyle options rarely found on properties of its scale, with potential to capitalise even further on the property’s finishing potential.

The 1,270ha property in the Ashley Clinton district generally enjoys safe summers, with rainfall exceeding 1,500mm a year a benefit from the property’s proximity to the Ruahine ranges. A 164-hectare title with hunting hut and woolshed or the 157ha Makaretu finishing block could be purchased separately.

With its medium- steep hill country contour spread between 400m to 600m, Pukenui also offers some highly cultivable 200ha of easy country providing ideal conditions for cropping and finishing youngstock bred on the steeper country.

Bayleys Havelock North rural salesperson Tony Rasmussen says Pukenui’s flexibility is further enhanced thanks to having access to 157ha on nearby Makaretu Road only three kilometres from Pukenui, providing an excellent balance of more cultivable easy to medium finishing contour country, giving Pukenui the capacity to finish all its own stock.

“The appeal of having Makaretu there is two-fold. It not only increases Pukenui’s capacity, but is in itself a nice smaller stand-alone cattle or deer property, complete with yards, reticulated water supply a two-bedroom cottage, woolshed and deer shed.”

Pukenui has come to the market after over a decade in family ownership, and has enjoyed careful re-investment back into its yard, fence, and raceway infrastructure, providing a solid “no surprises” opportunity for the new owner to start a new farming season running.

Pukenui is currently running 4,400 Perendale ewes alongside 120 Angus cows, 80 Angus rising two-year heifers and wintering 600 weaner steers from the end of June to early August. Depending on the season, Pukenui is also capable of finishing about 2,000 trade lambs.

Typically, the rising two steers are sold as stores at 450-500kg in mid-March, with weaner steers coming in from mid to late April.

“With over 4,000 Perendale ewes the sheep operation is in a good place. Pukenui achieved scanning results at 146 percent for the mixed-age ewes last year, which was a tough season, and 180 percent the year before that. Good shelter across the property also ensures good lamb survivability.”

The deer operation on the Makaretu property has included 100 red breeding hinds with lamb and cattle finishing alongside through summer-autumn.

Along with sound maintenance to the property’s infrastructure Pukenui has also enjoyed an excellent fertiliser history, including regular applications of 250kg per hectare of sulphur super phosphate, along with DAP and sulphur over the two properties.

Improvements on Pukenui include a five-stand woolshed and covered years, cattle yards with satellite sheep yards around the property, a three-bay implement shed and an all-weather airstrip with a 60-tonne fertiliser bin.

The property includes a 164ha title at the back that could also provide a valuable income option, offered as a hunting block complete with its own hut that could be tendered for separately.

“Of course, the proximity to the Ruahine ranges means this block provides some good game opportunities, and quite a unique added attraction to the farm,” says Rasmussen.

The jewel in the property’s improvements is the large, renovated homestead, with five bedrooms and extensive open lounge-living areas giving it a sense of spaciousness and modern style. Sitting on an elevated site with expansive gardens it is heated by two fires and includes two bathrooms and an office space.

“Pukenui offers a scale that is not that easy to find in the region, and with that brings the opportunity for a younger farmer to move up in farm size, or possibly for a family keen to secure a property that provides a platform for a family operation employing two generations.

“It has been well looked after, delivering solid, reliable returns in a desirable part of the district,” says Rasmussen.

The properties can be tendered for either together or separately, with tenders closing on Friday May 14. Click here for more information on the listing.

Interested parties can contact Tony Rasmussen +64 27 429 2253 or Andy Hunter +64 27 449 5827.

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