A more than 44,000-acre alpine property in New Zealand known as “Halfway Bay Station” has just been sold for $18 million, a new record for the country. The property features over 4 miles of lake frontage and over 14 miles of frontage along the Lochy river, a world-renowned fly fishing spot. Surrounded by mountains, valleys, and an ecosystem that is largely untampered with, the expansive property has not been sold on the open market in over four decades.
New Zealand-born mining tycoon Chris Ellison and Australian billionaire Tim Roberts bought Halfway Bay Station four years ago in a private sale for an undisclosed amount. Matt Finnigan of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, which brokered the transaction, says the owners found themselves stuck in Australia and had not been able to visit as often as they liked, so decided to sell the property. It was initially expected to bring as much as $30 million (USD), though the selling agent did note that the actual sale price of $18 million was more than Ellison and Roberts paid.
For those not familiar, “station” basically means “farm” in the lands down under. This particular station encompasses predominantly pasture land that has traditionally grazed cattle and sheep. It also includes a homestead, farm manager’s house, staff accommodation, woolshed, various implement sheds, a marina and jetty, workshop, and remote shepherd huts. It’s also very, very remote, accessible only by air or boat and completely “off-the-grid” with its own hydro-power generation and mountain water sources. However, the property does have access to high-speed internet!
The farm was purchased by New Zealand-based Medeor Limited, which is part of New Zealand Regeneration Investment Group, an organization that says it invests in regenerative agriculture. Austin Mortimer, Medeor’s managing director, said the company would continue to graze livestock at the station and will use regenerative farming management practices to manage the land. The company will continue to employ a local station manager and shepherd to manage the farm. (Sources: Sothebys, Bloomberg, NXHerald)