Two New Zealand icons have sold at auction today for $1.53 million.
The stars of countless tourist snaps and videos over the years - Tirau's corrugated-iron sheep and ram - were snapped up after 23 fast-paced bids.
Bayleys auctioneer Ryan Bradley told those in the Bayleys Tauranga auction room on Wednesday that they were trophy investments. He started off the bidding by inviting people to make a "baa or a bark".
The auction opened with a vendor bid of $1m, the property was announced on the market at $1.3m and the property finally sold for $1.53m as two phone buyers fought over it.
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The million-dollar landmarks are home to the Big Sheep Honey and Souvenir Shop, The Ram SPCA Opportunity Shop and the Big Dog Visitor Information Centre on Tirau’s main drag and are arguably the shining stars in what is known as the Corrugated Capital of the World.
The vendor bought the properties 10 years ago for $1m but was parting with them as part of a sell-off of his investment portfolio.
Bayleys agents Murray Madgwick and Brendon Bradley billed the properties - which have an RV of $1.39m - as an “extraordinary opportunity to secure one of New Zealand’s most iconic commercial investments”.
South Waikato District Council runs an information centre from the site. Photo / Supplied
The dog houses the information centre and has thousands of visitors going through its doors each year. Photo / Supplied
The SPCA opened its op shop in the ram in 2022 and described it as being the perfect fit with its animal welfare image. Photo / Supplied
“Widely regarded as one of the country’s most photographed roadside attractions, the property enjoys exceptional exposure in a strategic tourism location connecting Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua,” the agents wrote in their listing on OneRoof.
The dog building is owned by the South Waikato District council, which pays the vendor ground rent to occupy the northern part of the site for the Tīrau Visitor Information Centre, public toilets and car parks.
But as the auctioneer pointed out, "Who would want a dog anyway? It's a dog'
The land and buildings return a total net income of $115,000 a year, and according to the listing agents, “will be sold”.
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Brendon Bradley told OneRoof an investor had bought the property. He was unable to say where they were based but said it had attracted interest from all over the country including the South Island. Some people had also been interesting in buying the sheep to run a cafe from it as had been done previously but backed away after learning there were long tenancy agreements in place.
Confirmation that Burger King and Starbucks were opening in Tirau also gave people further confidence in investing in the gateway to the South Waikato, he said. "That was a real selling point."
Bradley said the vendor was pleased with the result, which exceeded expectations, especially in a cautious market. "There's a lot of volatility in the world. Not every auction do you get that number of bidders so it was the uniqueness of the property that attracted them."
The sheep building was built in 1994 by former owners Nancy and John Drake, who ran a wool and craft store from the site. The ram joined the sheep in 2005, prompting the rest of the town to join the fun with their own signs, structures and works of art made from corrugated iron.
Nancy told the New Zealand Herald in 2016 that it was a “gamble” to set up shop in Waikato, but it paid off immensely in the end.
Thousands of local and international visitors stop at the giant corrugated animals every year – whether to get travel advice, pick up a souvenir or thrift item or to pose for a photo.
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