Northland goldmine sits in a kauri swamp

Here's a business opportunity with a difference - the gumdiggers' village at Gumdiggers' Park is one of Northland's tourist attractions. Photo / Supplied

One of Northland's popular tourist attractions, the Gumdiggers' Park kauri swamp on the Awanui Peninsula, a 20-minute drive north from Kaitaia, is on the market.

"Gumdiggers' Park is firmly established on the Northland tourism map, alongside other 'must-see' attractions, like 90 Mile Beach, Cape Reinga lighthouse, the giant kauri Tane Mahuta and the Bay of Islands' Hole in the Rock," says Mike Peterson, business sales consultant at Bayleys Auckland, who is marketing the property by tenders closing on June 19.

The park sits on top of 40,000 to 150,000-year-old buried kauri forests exposed by gum diggers. Information spots along a park walkway and an audio visual presentation describe cataclysmic events that could have caused the destruction of the ancient kauri forests.

A recreated gumdiggers' village, with historic equipment and shelters, displays the forgotten gumdiggers' culture that, along with the gold rushes, marked one of the biggest industrial booms in New Zealand's history.

"This is a business and property with great potential," Peterson says. "Half a dozen tour buses a day stop here, running from both the Bay of Islands and Kaitaia, along with numerous independent travellers.

"Business increased by about 20 per cent in the past year when 22,000 tourists visited Gumdiggers' Park."

Peterson says the sealing of the final 20km stretch of road to and from Cape Reinga was recently completed and this had made the greater Northland tourist route and the Gumdiggers' attraction far more accessible to visitors. "At the same time, word-of-mouth reputation has seen awareness of Gumdiggers' Park grow considerably."

The business sits on 27.6ha of freehold rural production zoned land just off SH1 on the main route to Cape Reinga.

The property includes a building housing a gumdiggers' museum and a small shop displaying an array of gumdigging and kauri milling antiquities and salvaged gum pieces. Kauri timber and kauri gum (copal) crafts are sold onsite and there is also a gecko lizard house. A one-bedroom flat is attached to the building.

Peterson says the business has been successfully operating for seven years, but "due to a change in the owners' personal circumstances", is for sale.

"While Gumdiggers' Park had been initially established around showcasing the region's rich kauri and gumdigging history, there are a number avenues to expand the visitor base into a raft of new tourism-related activities.

"It's all about offering more choice and reasons for visitors to stay. By extending the scope of activities available within the park and the adjacent vacant land, there is substantial potential to increase the 'stay-time' of visitors, and per-head spend levels as a consequence."

Peterson says Gumdiggers' owners already have plans in place for a diverse new selection of activities to increase revenue, including:

* Developing a range of accommodation facilities for overnight stays - from campervan parking and camping amenities, through to budget cabins.

* Extending the museum and establishing a cafe on site.

* Kayak tours among New Zealand's largest mangrove reserve and canoe trips from a boundary river to the Rangaunu Harbour.

* Creating a rope climbing and confidence-building course among 4.8ha of mature pine trees.

* Planting avocado and olive orchards.

"You could say Gumdiggers' is a gold mine in a kauri swamp," Peterson said. "This is the type of business that would really appeal to a couple or individuals with a bent towards New Zealand's history, a liking for imparting information to other people and an interest in the environment. They would also be attracted by the laid-back Northland lifestyle."