Investors are being sought for the opportunity to acquire proportional ownership in a high country station in the picturesque Cardrona Valley.
Branch Creek Station, located at 1624 Cardrona Valley Road, is a large, highly accessible 6,336ha high country station that is less than 20km from the resort town of Wānaka and 51km from Queenstown. The Queenstown Airport is 40km away.
The property has been in the ownership of the Anderson family for four generations and the family includes the current farm managers, Isabella Anderson and Glen Curtis, who intend to remain as part owners. Their daughter Jess Curtis runs the award-winning Branch Creek Honey from the property.
The station, which has significant natural resources, benefits from its outstanding landscapes and its long-term value is underpinned by its amenity value. Future recreational opportunities at the property such as hunting and tramping and other outdoor pursuits like skiing add appeal to this offering.
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The potential to develop private hunting and safari opportunities is immense. Branch Creek has established trophy-level hunting animals amongst wild populations of both red and fallow deer that are thriving already, creating the chance to operate a free-range hunting operation.
Both high-end and more budget friendly visitor accommodation options could also be developed. There is a wide variety of terrain and access to land that currently does not have public access for private hiking or tramping, creating another avenue to explore in the future.
The location is ideal for visitor accommodation being so close to Wānaka and Queenstown.
Ruth Hodges and Craig Myles from Colliers, alongside Lead Advisor NZAB, have been appointed to seek expressions of interest for proportional ownership in Branch Creek Station.
The Branch Creek property was first acquired by Anderson s great grandfather in 1921 after returning from World War I. After expanding the property, it was briefly sold out of the family before being reacquired in 1961.
In 2005, Anderson and Glen Curtis began an extensive development of the property to increase its carrying capacity and efficiency. The works included irrigation improvements, new fencing, and the establishment of large areas of ongoing winter feed cropping areas.
Last year, following a significant process with the Queenstown Lakes District Council, consent was granted for a three-lot subdivision that includes three building platforms.
The station operates a relatively traditional farming structure that centres around a livestock breeding system that is focused on fine wool production alongside a beef cattle herd. There are significant upside opportunities with further investment.
Hodges, Director of Colliers Rural & Agribusiness in Otago and Southland, says this is a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity.
"Prospective investors have a rare chance to secure a proportional ownership stake in Branch Creek Station that combines farming, a consented subdivision, and recreational opportunities, offering significant investment potential for agritourism and outdoor enterprise development," Hodges says.
"The current owners have significant high country farming experience and are widely engaged in the local community. They are supported by an experienced advisory team to ensure they make informed strategic decisions."
The station adjoins the popular Cardrona ski area and spans across three distinct valley systems.
Myles, Director at Colliers Wānaka, says the views of the farm are some of the best in the Cardrona Valley, which has become a tourism hotspot on its own.
"The surrounding area has some of New Zealand s most postcard-worthy views and Wānaka continues to attract domestic and international visitor interest. Queenstown and its sought-after tourist attractions, including bungy jumping, jet boating, and skydiving are readily accessible from the subject property," Myles says.
"Investment in the station has the potential to create multiple revenue streams."
- Supplied by Colliers
