Tree Frog nursery site set to woo investors

Former Tree Frog Nursery property features glasshouses as well as several ponds and the Rangitopuni stream running down the back. Photo / Supplied

The large former Tree Frog Nursery property fronting State Highway 17 in Dairy Flat, 30km north of Auckland City, is up for sale with the option of operating another nursery or horticultural business on part of it or simply using it as a lifestyle block.

Nigel McNeill, of Bayleys Auckland, is marketing the property with Rosemary Wakemen of Bayleys North Shore Commercial, on behalf of the New Zealand Communities Growth Trust.

The property is up for sale by tender closing on September 9.

The 4.29ha property was run as a nursery until about nine months ago and McNeill says future business possibilities include establishing another nursery commercial operation, a horticulture unit or leasing part of the site as outside storage space for large vehicles.

The entrance of the property has more than 260m of frontage on to what was previously State Highway 1 running from Albany north to Orewa and Whangarei, but is now State Highway 17, giving a business operation high profile to passing traffic.

McNeill says the site would be great as a horticulture property because of all the infrastructure that has been added and upgraded in recent years for intensive nursery purposes.

This includes a glasshouse and three shade houses totalling 2262sq m; 12 large water tanks and associated pumping and reticulation facilities; an earth dam for water retention and use in irrigation; and a 4000sq m metalled hardstand area close to the shade house complex.

"This large area, which has been used by the former nursery for car parking and outdoor display, would be ideal for a transport operator wanting to store trucks, buses, caravans or other heavy vehicles or equipment," McNeill says.

"There are very few places in the Dairy Flat or Silverdale region that offer such a large storage space like this."

McNeill says the 60-year-old cottage and two garages, that have been used as offices, could be converted back to a home for a new owner as somewhere to live while building another house. The 114sq m garage has a laundry, bathroom and further office space and there is a separate 50sq m office complex.

"This sort of infrastructure would make it an ideal proposition for someone who simply wants to live in a nice location close to Auckland and leverage some income off their property, especially passive income.

"Dairy Flat is a very popular location for people wanting their own piece of rural bliss because it is so close to Auckland and the Whangaparaoa beaches."

McNeill says the block is picturesque with a rolling contour, grazing paddocks and several ponds and the Rangitopuni stream on the rear boundary of the site - there are plenty of platforms with the potential for a new home with good views.

The property is only 1km from the historic Dairy Flat School, 10km from Albany and about 6km from Silverdale.

Dairy Flat School, with a current roll of 230 students, was established in 1878. Old accounts of the district show that the school had a predecessor, called Pukeatua School, with a roll of 20 pupils.