– Sam Whitelock and his wife, Hannah, have sold their 833ha Hawke’s Bay farm, Riverbank Station.
– The farm, bought for $8.5 million, features significant improvements and a $15.3m RV.
– The sale comes as farmers seek investment opportunities ahead of Fonterra’s $3.2 billion payout next year.
Former All Black Sam Whitelock and his wife, Hannah, have found a buyer for their Hawke’s Bay farm, Riverbank Station.
The 833ha property at 2152 Puketitiri Road was reported as sold this week by Bayleys agents Tony Rasmussen and James Macpherson.
OneRoof reached to Bayleys for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication.
The Whitelock bought Riverbank Station eight years ago for $8.5 million, and had been living and working there with their three children since last year.
The 833ha property in the Hawke’s Bay comes with three homes plus a shearers’ quarters. Photo / Supplied
The Whitelocks in 2018. Sam is an ambassador Farmstrong and recently talked about the importance of mental wellbeing for the industry. Photo / Getty Images
Whitelock, who made his mark on the rugby field with 153 All Black test matches to his credit, has strong links to the farming community. He grew up on a dairy farm in Manawatu and is the Farmstrong Ambassador.
The Whitelocks’ Hawke’s Bay endeavour is a breeding and finishing farm in Rissington, 27km west of Napier Airport. It has an RV of $15.3m and hit the market in September this year.
Rasmussen said in his listing that it would be difficult to find another Hawke’s Bay farm that matched Riverbank Station. “This is truly a trophy farm that has seen significant capital investment,” he said.
Discover more:
– Ex-All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry selling his spare waterfront apartment
– Brad Pitt’s West Auckland crib has finally sold – but who’s the buyer?
– Christian couple’s life-size ark finally sells after getting $1.5m price tag
Rasmussen said he expected the consent to irrigate 45ha using water from a storage dam would also be a massive drawcard for buyers.
Whitelock tidied up the existing infrastructure and made substantial improvements, including adding 40km of conventional fencing and a new set of steel cattle yards at the top of the farm.
The property comes with three homes plus a shearers’ quarters. The main homestead was originally built in the 1890s and features native timbers, sited on a terrace overlooking the Mangaone River. It comes with four large bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open plan farm kitchen and dining area, a separate lounge and dining room.
Bayleys listing agent Tony Rasmussen described the property as a trophy farm. Photo / Supplied
This week, the New Zealand Herald published an opinion column by Whitelock that warned of the dangers of burnout in the farming community.
“My wife Hannah and I juggle a busy family life with a range of on and off the farm jobs. It’s important to prioritise your wellbeing so you don’t burn out. Pressure is pressure whether you’re a grower or a rugby player,” Whitelock wrote.
The sale of Riverbank comes amid reports that New Zealand farmers have been calling real estate agents looking for property and investment opportunities ahead of their big Fonterra payout next year.
The sale of Fonterra’s consumer brands to a French company Lactalis will see $3.2 billion shared out among farmer shareholders, some of them reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars next year.
Jason Rutter, of PGG Wrightson’s Mosgiel/Dunedin regional office, told OneRoof last month that he expects there will be real estate sales across the board, with some buying more farmland or buying a neighbouring property.
“They’ll look at property in general. The well-located dairy farms in traditional dairy areas, they’ll be sought after,” he told OneRoof.
“There’s going to be interest in dairy support blocks, dairy support properties, and some farmers are going to look to buy other dairy units, dairy farms, dairy platforms.”