Rural pub positioned to tap into tourist market

The last watering hole before you reach the eastern side of Lake Waikaremoana, the Frasertown Tavern, is up for sale and the vendors are promoting its strategic location that makes it well positioned to piggyback off the growing number of visitors to the area.

Situated just west of Wairoa, on the boundary of the Poverty Bay and northern Hawke's Bay regions, the land, buildings and business are being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Gisborne.

Salesperson Simon Bousfield said country pubs linked to locations with high tourist visitor numbers had prospered over the past decade.

"Locations such as the Duke of Marlborough in Russell, the Puketapu Tavern just out of Napier, the Theatre Royal Hotel in Kumara on the West Coast, and of course the legendary Cardrona Hotel near Wanaka, have all become destinations intricately associated with nearby ecotourism activities such as mountain track walking or trail cycling."

As New Zealand's established walks - such as Milford Track, the Routeburn Track, and more recently the Tongariro Crossing - had become more mainstream, new and lesser-frequented destinations had come to the fore, he said.

"Among those is the Lake Waikaremoana array of hiking tracks.

"The destination also benefits from the pristine waters within the lake - making it suitable for non-motorised boating activities such as kayaking and trout fishing."

The pub had two bars - one used daily by locals and passing tourists, and the other a function venue, and subject to council building consents had the potential for at least two accommodation units to be added to currently underused garaging space, Mr Bousfield said.

There was also the potential to cater to the mobile home and campervan sector of the tourism market.

"While motorhome/freedom camping vehicles do have their own inbuilt cooking amenities, tourism activity analysis has shown that when linked to the likes of a pub, the occupants of those vehicles preferred to spend time getting to know the locals over a beer or wine rather than remaining within the vehicle confines - thereby driving additional food and beverage revenues back to the business."

The property sat on 3694sq m of land and included a three-bedroom owner/manager's residence.

At the moment the land was used to host an array of country pub events and functions, said Mr Bousfield.

"From the local wood chopping finals through to the station for the annual pig hunting weigh-in - the sort of events which cement country pubs into the communities which they serve."

Tenders close on April 20.