- Wayne Keown bought 847 Lake Brunner Road for its Sphagnum moss, crucial to his business.
- The 350ha property near Moana includes access to Lake Kangaroo and Lady Lake.
- The property, listed with NZ Sotheby’s Joe Laing, has an RV of $2.36m, with higher price expectations.
Wayne Keown only bought 847 Lake Brunner Road because of the moss.
Start your property search
The 350ha property near Moana’s Lake Kangaroo and Lady Lake was covered in Sphagnum, and Keown and his partner just so happen to run a business in Westport harvesting and exporting the stuff.
Keown told OneRoof he door-knocked the Ashburton couple who owned the property and made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Because of limited access, the couple had not set foot on the property in almost a decade. “They couldn’t get in here,” Keown said. “It was destocked when we took over. You could see the fencing and gates and so forth, but basically, they hadn’t been here for seven years.
“I just went and offered above what the valuation was, but it was worth it to me for the moss.”
Lake Kangaroo is considered one of the best NZ lakes for water sports. Photo / Supplied
Keown spent a lot of time and money building a road to the property, which enabled him to harvest 14,000 large bags of Sphagnum from the bush area. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Keown and his partner exported large amounts to Japan, Taiwan and Korea to use with cymbidium orchids.
“There’s a good quid in it. There’s a lot of money that came into the coast from the moss. It’s quietened a bit down from what it was, but it was just rampant at the time, and it was good money. People probably wouldn’t believe the money.”
However, when Keown’s business premises in Greymouth burnt down almost 20 years ago, around the same time that demand for Sphagnum slowed, the couple called it quits and stopped trading. Since then, Keown has used the land as his private hunting block and “happy place”.
Discover more:
- Beachside frenzy: Cottage sells for $520,000 after 250 people crowd open homes
- Christchurch icon up for grabs as owners switch their focus to $150m tower
- People jump on them’: Luxury Christchurch apartments selling fast for big money
However, with retirement knocking at his door, he has decided to sell 847 Lake Brunner Road. “I would keep it myself, but my partner has half shares, and she’s probably got more sense than I do. I don’t use it enough, but I still love it here because it’s such a nice spot.”
The property, which comes with a hut, is set within the Rotomanu Inchbonnie district. “Rotomanu actually means lake of the birds, and that’s all you hear here really – bird song.”
The block comes with access to both Lake Kangaroo and Lady Lake, which connect to Lake Brunner. Keown said he had been told Lake Kangaroo was one of the best lakes in the country for water skiing.
A short paddle down the creek leads to the picturesque Lake Kangaroo. Photo / Supplied
“There was a guy – he was the president of the Canterbury Jetboaters Association – and he reckoned this was the best lake he had ever skied on anywhere and he’s been all around the world.”
The property is only 8km away from Moana, which in recent years has become a popular spot with holiday goers.
The town’s transformation as a summer destination has also seen house prices double in the last five years. It also recorded the biggest price growth (14%) in the country to $840,000 in the 12 months ending November 2025, according to OneRoof’s house price report.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Joe Laing has the listing for 847 Lake Brunner Road and said it was an “incredible property” – one of the last large undeveloped lakefront plots left in New Zealand.
Laing said it would be the perfect family legacy property, but he could also see it being carved up into lots, subject to council approval.
Laing said Moana was particularly popular with Christchurch residents, especially those who loved water sports and were happy to make the near-three-hour drive. “It’s the kind of place you go to get away from the city and get into nature, and you are surrounded by incredible scenery. Getting out doing your walks, doing your boating – the Kiwi backyard sort of place.”
Laing wasn’t aware of anything else on the market like it, which was why he said it was so difficult to price. The property has an RV of $2.36m, but price expectations are north of that.
“It’s really just going to come down to the buyer and what their perception of value is to where it will go,” he said.
He showed someone the property earlier in the week and had to switch his business suit for gumboots and Swanndri. “It’s one of the most unique viewings I’ve done at a property ... We were tramping through swamp and up hills and bushwhacking yesterday during the viewing.”
- 847 Lake Brunner Road, in Moana, Grey District, is for sale, deadline closing January 14
