- A 742ha coastal property in Porirua, dubbed “the greatest place on earth”, has sold after attracting international interest.
- Bayleys confirmed the sale online after drawing initial interest from expats in the US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
- The property, owned by the Stevenson family for 70 years, had an RV of $10m.
A massive spread on Wellington’s far western coast, dubbed “the greatest place on earth”, has found a new owner after attracting initial interest from overseas buyers looking to spend north of its RV of $10 million.
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Bayleys announced the sale of the 742ha coastal spread on its website. The sale price has not yet been disclosed.
Bayleys listing agent Ben Atwill, who was marketing it with colleagues Andrew Smith and Mark Hourigan, told OneRoof last month that international interest in Pikarere Farm had been “overwhelming”.
“We have been slightly surprised by the level of inquiry. But it’s buyers like that – you go, ‘Wow, this is a particular fish ...’.”
He said those showing interest were all expats, including those living in the United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. There had also been some interest from private equity firms.
The main residence at Pikarere Farm was designed by renowned Wellington architect Bernard Johns in 1954. Photo / Supplied
Owner Dan Stevenson, pictured on the hill, moved to Pikarere Farm when he was 10 years old and is still blown away by the scenery. Photo / Supplied
A farm manager oversees the sheep and beef operation. Photo / Supplied
“I think it’s a slice of New Zealand that we all remember. It’s such a commanding position.”
Pikarere Farm stretches along almost 6km of Wellington’s coast but is only a 30-minute drive from Wellington CBD. It also comes with its own beach and is a gated landholding.
“A lot of the conversations are around, ‘New Zealand is a peaceful retreat compared to what is happening around the world’. To be able to come home, close the gate, have that high level of privacy, security and somewhere to retreat,” Atwill told OneRoof.
The livestock operation run by the onsite farm manager was another drawcard. “The farm operation is a positive, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. People are just wanting to secure a slice of home that they can come back to at some point in time, and the farm operation will sort of wash up some objects, but other than that, it’s more about securing a house and a home in a phenomenal location with a lockable gate.”
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Pikarere Farm had been in the Stevenson family for 70 years. OneRoof talked to vendors Dan and Prue Stevenson when the property hit the market.
Dan told OneRoof that he was 10 years old when his father bought the chunk of land in 1950. “When we came here there was only one sheep-proof paddock, and it was about 800ha. So, we fenced it and broke it in.”
Stevenson’s father removed the run-down “ghost house” and replaced it with a three-bedroom home designed by renowned Wellington architect Bernard Johns in 1954.
The family had been unable to build bigger at the time because of building restrictions, but Stevenson’s father had purposely designed it so he could make additions.
When Dan and Prue took over the property, they finished the build, adding a significant extension, including a garage, a large bedroom and bathroom and an indoor swimming pool in the early 2000s.
The mural on the wall of the indoor swimming pool room is another interesting feature.
The large indoor swimming pool with an eye-catching mural was added in 2002 as part of a big extension to the main 1950s residence. Photo / Supplied
The main home has four bedrooms and seven living areas, and was extended in the 2000s. Photo / Supplied
Prue said she had a very different idea for the mural when she commissioned an artist with experience in painting ballet backdrops. “I wanted a safari scene or something with a giraffe down drinking from the pool, and she couldn’t do all that; she could only do nude figures, so that’s what we got,” she said.
The main 500sqm residence has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and seven living areas. Three other dwellings on the estate include two four-bedroom homes (including the farm manager’s home) and a two-bedroom cottage.
Dan said it had been a privilege to live in such a stunning elevated spot and would miss the view and all the action of a working farm. The vista includes Kāpiti Island, Mount Ruapehu, Mount Taranaki and the distant Marlborough Sounds. He noted that just before Christmas last year, he saw two orcas put on a show between Pikarere Farm and Mana Island.
His grandson called the farm “the greatest place on earth” when he visited from Auckland, and he agrees.
“Because he would be up at 7am to go hunting for the goats, and also on our southern boundary, there are deer, and the boys got a deer, and it was fantastic.”
Dan said he and Prue were now in their 80s and decided now was the time to downsize. “The day comes when living on a farm – it’s exciting, something happens every day if you keep your eyes and ears open – but you need to have the health and energy, and you know I’m 86.”
The whole family was sad to be selling, he said, but with two daughters living in Auckland and a son in Wellington, it wasn’t practical for anyone to take over.
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