Landmark farm offered in Mid Canterbury

Farmers often wait many years for a chance to buy land in the renowned Mid Canterbury foothills, says Bayleys Country rural salesperson Mike Preston.

However, the wait is over with the auction on the 19th of November this year of Wakare, an impressive landmark rural holding, envied by many aspiring owners.

“It’s rare to list a farm like this in the Mid Canterbury foothills because the land is tightly held, often within families for generations. It makes this an exciting opportunity for new owners to buy an outstanding farm in one of the most sought-after locations in the region,” Preston says.

Set in the renowned Surrey Hills district, Wakare spans just over 1,465 hectares of well-balanced topography, ranging from around 450 to 850 metres above sea level, less than 50km from Ashburton and 120km from Christchurch.

Preston says the property presents an outstanding, large scale farming opportunity, combining productive farmland, extensive infrastructure and captivating mountain and rural vistas.

Current owners, Mike and Nicky Salvesen, are nearing retirement and downsizing their farming operation after 18 years of nurturing the property.

Under their guardianship, Wakare’s highly productive 400 hectares of flat to easy rolling country have been developed into an outstanding finishing operation with a reticulated water system, streams and gullies fenced off and thousands of native trees planted.

“The Salvesens continued the stock water development started by the previous owners. It’s very good water out of Limestone Creek on the property that goes into holding tanks which gravity feed water into troughs in each paddock,” Preston says.

The finishing area has an impressive lane network, and well-formed tracks providing efficient access from approximately 130 paddocks and 15 large hill blocks to stock handling facilities, the main yards, supplementary feed sheds and dwellings.

The Salvesens operate an environmentally sustainable finishing system using winter crop and new grasses to finish their weaner deer, sale lambs and surplus beef cattle each year. It is also where young bulls from the Salvesen’s successful Angus stud are grown out for sale as yearlings each October.

Balancing the front flats is just over 1,000 hectares of medium to steep foot hills, ideal breeding country for Wakare’s 500 mixed-age and rising two-year-old Red hinds, 380 Angus cows and 130 in-calf rising-two-year-old Angus heifers, plus their ewe flock of 1600 head and 450 ewe hogget replacements. The Salvesens also run a mob of 150 mixed-age velvet stags.

Preston says all the deer, sheep and most of the Angus herd are available for purchase to the incoming buyers. The Salvesens are only retaining a small number of Wakare Angus cows for their new smaller property near Methven.

The main homestead was completed in 2009 on the site of the original home and is set amongst established trees and gardens with expansive lawns. It offers magnificent northerly views encompassing the Taylor Range, Mount Somers and Mount Hutt.

The manager's residence was comprehensively renovated in 2023, including the addition of a further bedroom, while a modern three-bedroom farm cottage was completed in 2017.

A set of large Te Pari cattle yards and the main deer handling shed are sited at the front of the property, with excellent access through the network of lanes to both the flats and the hills behind. The four-stand woolshed and main covered sheep yards are also at the front of the property.

Other improvements include a five-bay hay and implement shed, three three-bay implement and vehicle sheds plus a workshop, a granary and feed shed.

Preston expects Wakare to appeal to larger-scale family operators as a standalone unit, but says dairy farming enterprises could also be looking for grazing units.

“Corporate farm businesses have tended to focus more on dairy in Mid-Canterbury but with 400ha of easy country at the front of the property, grazing dairy heifer replacements is another string to the bow for this property,” he says.

Preston says demand for dairy support and grazing country in Mid-Canterbury has been strengthening over the past year, setting a new benchmark for irrigated dairy support land.

“We’re starting to see a shift in interest among buyers to non-traditional grazing land and that will put this property on the map with more people,” he says.

Preston says new owners can confidently focus on getting to know the farm without the need for any significant new capital expenditure.

“The Salvesens are true guardians of the land. They have a big focus on the environment and sustainable farming practices, and it shows in their farm’s great reputation and success in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards,” he says.

After discussing selling options, Preston says Bayleys supported the Salvesens’ decision to offer Wakare for sale by auction.

“They are backing their product, and there’s already a lot of chat about it across Mid Canterbury because people know its reputation, its locality and the commitment of the owners to invest in the property and create what is their legacy farm.”