Dig into Northland's tourism potential

The Gumdiggers Cafe has indoor and al-fresco dining. Photo / Supplied

The busy Gumdiggers Cafe, in the township of Matakohe opposite one of Northland's biggest tourist attractions, is on the market for sale as a going concern with land and building.

Gumdiggers shares a road frontage with the popular Kauri Museum, home to one of New Zealand's best displays of kauri-milling and gum-collection operations dating back to the 1800s.

Gumdiggers is viewed as the unofficial local meeting place by the 400 or so residents of Matakohe, which is on the upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour, about 45km south of Dargaville.

"The cafe is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the tens of thousands of tourists who visit the adjacent Kauri Museum," says Bruce Young, Bayleys Whangarei sales consultant.

"Having operated Gumdiggers successfully for six years, the owners are now offering it to the market as a package that includes the 129sq m cafe building, 209sq m of freehold land and the popular food and beverage business. An adjoining three-bedroom home which is currently renting for $220 a week is also included."

Young says the cafe is handy to several historic buildings housing artefacts and displays linked with the Kauri Museum, including the town's settler period church and post office.

"As a successful hospitality business, Gumdiggers has the fortune to have target markets stretching across several sectors.

"First, there is a loyal local population base. Secondly, there is constant passing traffic driving between Dargaville and the State Highway 1 intersection at Maungaturoto. And thirdly, there is the important tourism. [The Kauri Museum] ... attracts around 85,000 visitors annually," Young says.

Aside from the museum, Matakohe is also home to the Coates Memorial Church, built in tribute to the first New Zealand-born Prime Minister, Gordon Joseph Coates, who was born and raised in Matakohe.

Gumdiggers Cafe is licensed but it also has a BYO liquor policy, says Young. "It serves high-quality home-made food for morning and afternoon teas, lunches, and snacks, and is even occasionally used as a function venue.

"The business has been operated by the Cullen family for the past six years and has proven profitability.

"Operating seven days a week, staff levels fluctuate from three to six employees depending on the tourist season. The staff are all experienced. One member of the team has been at the cafe for more than 20 years."

The cafe has indoor and al-fresco dining in the garden courtyard, with enclosed verandah areas and sweeping views across lush pastures.

Supporting artistic Northlanders, Gumdiggers acts as a boutique retailer selling locally produced arts, crafts, produce and cosmetics.

"The business, building and adjacent home have a price tag of $730,000 (plus GST if any) with the Cullens prepared to consider providing some finance to an approved purchaser. They are also flexible as to a settlement date," Young says.

The cafe and home are zoned rural but with resource consent to operate as a licensed restaurant. The cafe is a gable roofed structure with about 60sq m of rear and front decking. The "eco-friendly" cafe is serviced by a 22,500 litre water tank and pump system.

A commercial-grade multi-function oven, commercial standard double stainless steel sink and benches and a high-grade dishwasher cater for food preparation.

The home is 120sq m, two-storey, with expansive decking and garage. The pitch-roofed house, with exposed rafters and timber sarking, was built about 20 years ago and has a 28,000-litre water tank and a pump system with a septic tank. Potential exists to create a separate title for the house.

Young says the Ministry of Tourism's latest visitor number research for the Northland region forecasts total visitor numbers will rise by 6.4 per cent by 2015, with international visitors increasing sharply.

"The opportunity to tap into this predicted international visitor base represents a real growth potential for venues such as Gumdiggers Cafe," Young says. "As one of the region's premier tourist attractions, the Matakohe Kauri Museum provides an opportunity for Gumdiggers to 'piggy back' on its neighbour's success."