Iconic Tirau sheep, ram for sale

Tirau's corrugated iron sheep and ram is for sale and agent Blair Hutcheson said interest has been good.

Interest has been good in the sale of Tirau's first corrugated iron animals, the sheep and ram buildings.

Bayleys agent Blair Hutcheson told Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning that interest in the sale of the buildings that put the Waikato town on the map had been good.

The iconic buildings were established by Nancy and John Drake, who created the sheep as a wool shop in 1994.

"They started out with a barn, and John thought they needed something to catch people's attention," Hutcheson said.

Blair Hutcheson talks to Mike Hosking about the sale

The sheep and ram are located on the corner of State Highway 1 on Tirau's Main Road and the tender is due to close on November 9.

The giant crafted animals sit on a 2103sq m site, alongside a large corrugated dog - a trio of popular attractions in the small Waikato town, 50km to the southeast of Hamilton.

Currently the dog is leased by the South Waikato District Council which uses it as an information centre and public bathroom for the next six years.

"[The Drake couple] started off the corrugated iron theme of the town," Hutcheson said.

The Drakes were now "overdue for retirement". Their daughter Lucy had been running the store for many years but had moved on to other interests, he said.

"John would really like a local, someone from within the country to pruchase it. I haven't had any offshore interest yet, but that's certainly a possibility," Hutcheson said.