Add the spectacular backdrop of the Tasman Sea with a feed of snapper readily available and it's a dairying scenario that is hard to beat.
That’s why Neil Sinclair from Bayleys in the North enthused about a 148ha farm with that scenario, which milks two-thirds of its herd through winter to achieve an average production of 116,460kg milksolids (MS).
He has it for sale by auction, along with five other dairy farms for sale around the Kaipara region, and reckoned it was pretty hard to beat for those who wanted to add the coastal lifestyle alongside dairying.
Sitting 12km southwest of Dargaville overlooking the 100km stretch of Ripiro Beach, it's a top-performing dairy farm with proven production, spreading over easy contour on that Redhill loam.
"You can drive all round that farm in winter and you could even farm it in your slippers if you wanted. Redhill loam runs for about 40km down the Poutu Peninsula and is probably the most sought-after soil type in Kaipara and Northland.
"And there's shellfish along the coast and some of the biggest snapper in the north. They do a lot of surf-casting there, so you can go down to the beach after milking and have some nice big snapper on your table a couple of hours later."
On the dairying side, the farm has a near-new 40-aside herringbone dairy, with top limestone races providing easy access to well-fenced paddocks that benefit from a good water supply.
Also for sale separately is a neighbouring 39ha support block, while a 39ha lease block that has been used in conjunction with the farm is available.
The farm has been run under management and they have taken pride in achieving its three-year average of 116,460kg MS despite a couple of drought years. To achieve its production, 12 tonnes of palm kernel are fed each month and maize grown on 7ha of the milking platform. Between 130 and 170t drymatter of grass silage is made each year, while chicory and turnips grown on the farm are followed by a regrassing programme.
Effluent from the dairy is irrigated through a travelling irrigation system to 12 paddocks and each year between 90 and 100 units of nitrogen are applied.
Added to this are two three-bedroom homes on the farm, a large implement shed and calf rearing facilities. The farm can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/189740.
Another Redhill soil farm for sale on the same peninsula spreads over 314ha and produced 236,000kg MS last season from a split-calving herd of 670 cows. The milking platform is about 240ha with the balance in grazing and pines.
"It impresses as a farm in that it is both a sound investment and capable of production increases."
The farm can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/189612.
Nearby at Te Kopuru is a 146ha farm for sale producing almost 100,000kg MS from 360 cows with minimal inputs. Sinclair said it was a low-cost operation with high-fertility soils on flat land.
"It's naturally highly fertile land that can really grow grass, maize, or crops. On the vendors' own admission, 'we are pushing no boundaries'."
The vendors are leaving the industry. The property can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/187755.
North of Dargaville in a warm, western valley is a 190ha dairy farm with a good balance of flats and easy rolling country that produced 138,068kg MS last season from 415 cows.
Good infrastructure and near-new races, water lines and effluent system on the solid-performing farm make it ideal for first-time buyers, investors, or those wanting to move up to a larger scale, Sinclair said.
The farm can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/189741.
In the stunning Aranga Valley, a 325ha dual-purpose farm is being sold by retiring vendors. The dairy part of the operation covers 173ha and 143ha of that is effective, while the beef unit covers 150ha. On the dairy side, 300 cows produced 91,181kg MS in a drought year and Sinclair said it was a very easy-to-run farm with low-cost inputs.
Five titles make up the farm which sits a few kilometres from Ripiro Beach and close to the fresh water Kai-Iwi Lakes. Two homes on the farm include an appealing 1900s kauri villa and a three-bedroom workers' cottage. It can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/188760.
A short distance from Ruawai sits a 91ha farm for sale with a three-year average of 74,923kg MS from 200 cows. It's a farm Sinclair described as a genuine first farm with all the base elements in place and suitable to be run as a grass-only operation. It can be viewed at www.bayleys.co.nz/189691.
Sinclair said the farms showed the diversity of the region, from high-input systems to grass-only, to suit a range of operators. Kaipara farms average 720kg MS/ha and 330kg MS/cow which might be lower than many other regions, but the median price paid for farms in the region was $16,500/ha.
"Any shortfalls up here are made up with inputs, so you've got options. We're seeing more and more dairy farms putting in safety valves for those drier times to extend their milking seasons."
For more information on any of the farms contact Sinclair on 0800 293 620 or 027 293 6201.
