NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Companies / Banking and finance

$40 million Pakatoa Island no longer for sale: owner John Ramsey

Anne Gibson
By Anne Gibson
Property Editor·NZ Herald·
11 Jan, 2024 11:21 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Pakatoa Island: On the market for years at $40 million but no longer being advertised for sale. Photo / Barfoot & Thompson

Pakatoa Island: On the market for years at $40 million but no longer being advertised for sale. Photo / Barfoot & Thompson

It sparkles in the Hauraki Gulf in these warm days, its beaches golden under the sun, but you can’t land on this 24-hectare paradise because it’s privately owned - and likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

The owner of Pakatoa Island, advertised for sale since 2006, says it is now no longer available.

Meat industry entrepreneur John Ramsey is in the rare position of having one of the few privately owned islands in the gulf.

Pakatoa, once a Salvation Army-run retreat for alcoholics, is surrounded by islands in the Crown estate, under Department of Conservation control.

Advertising of the island began about 2006, when $20m was initially sought. In more recent years, that climbed to $40m.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bayleys’ 2018 marketing said: “One of the only privately owned islands in New Zealand is still for sale and able to be purchased by a private owner, syndicate, corporate entity or hotel group. Let your mind get carried away with the thought of what you could do with this beautiful piece of real estate.”

The island is 75 minutes by ferry, or 15 minutes by helicopter, Bayleys said .

It has three white sandy beaches, a wharf capable of landing commercial ferries and many existing buildings “held in a time warp but ready for new life”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But the island no longer appears in the lineup of New Zealand’s most expensive property.

Ramsey today said he had pulled all advertising for the island about two years ago because there was no point continuing.

“I decided to keep it. It’s no good putting the money in the bank. One day, I will sell it. But I don’t want the money for anything because I’ve got nothing to invest it in.”

John Ramsey bought Pakatoa for $4.25 million in 1994 and lived there with his family when it was still a functioning hotel.
John Ramsey bought Pakatoa for $4.25 million in 1994 and lived there with his family when it was still a functioning hotel.

Ramsey bought Pakatoa for $4.25m in 1994 and lived there with his family when it was still a functioning hotel.

He made his money from his international lamb and mutton exporter business Crusader Meats of Benneydale, 35km southeast of Te Kuiti.

But don’t think Ramsey lounges around on his island during the summer break.

He’s still doing today what he’s done for years: working as a farmer. He was busy on his Clevedon farm yesterday, dagging ewes and spraying them for flies “because the flies are bad with all this muggy weather”.

His business owns five substantial farms, including properties at Clevedon, Glenbrook, Benneydale and a deer farm in the Rotorua area.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Some of the many buildings on Pakatoa Island.
Some of the many buildings on Pakatoa Island.

His business says: “Supplying top quality lamb, mutton, venison, goat, pelts and wool to the discerning global market continues to be the focus for family-owned Crusader Meats.”

Products are exported to Europe, Britain, the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the Pacific area.

Ramsey - Francis John Ramsey, according to Companies Office records - lives at Maraetai. F J Ramsey owns the highly productive Crusader business. That company is in turn owned by Ramsey and Lila Bernice Ramsey.

As for his island, Ramsey said about 15 family members had holidayed on Pakatoa around Christmas time, “some of them coming and going, going to the other half”.

So did he ever get anyone interested lately, when it was advertised?

“Yes, one guy but he pulled out at the last minute. Oh well, better off just keeping it at the moment,” he said - before returning to the ewes.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Banking and finance

Premium
Property

'No recovery yet': Auckland apartment market flounders

27 May 11:00 PM
Premium
Banking and finance

NZ's top finance professionals: Deals of the year revealed

22 May 05:00 PM
Banking and finance

Andrew Barclay to leave Goldman Sachs NZ

20 May 03:24 AM

‘No regrets’ for Rotorua Retiree

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Banking and finance

Premium
'No recovery yet': Auckland apartment market flounders

'No recovery yet': Auckland apartment market flounders

27 May 11:00 PM

Build-to-rent was boosted by a new project, a trend noted in the latest research.

Premium
NZ's top finance professionals: Deals of the year revealed

NZ's top finance professionals: Deals of the year revealed

22 May 05:00 PM
Andrew Barclay to leave Goldman Sachs NZ

Andrew Barclay to leave Goldman Sachs NZ

20 May 03:24 AM
Premium
Opinion: Nicola Willis should challenge the RBNZ on prudential rules

Opinion: Nicola Willis should challenge the RBNZ on prudential rules

13 May 12:00 AM
Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design
sponsored

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP