Historic NZ farm up for sale

Mt Cook Station spans 2600ha in South Canterbury's McKenzie country. Photo / Supplied

One of New Zealand's most historic farms is for sale for the first time in 151 years.

Mt Cook Station, which spans 2600ha in South Canterbury's McKenzie country, has been owned by the descendants of the Burnett family since 1864.

The iconic property bordering Lake Pukaki is able to be bought as a whole or split into a 1312ha Mt Cook Station block, a 1366ha Cox's Down's block, or the 36ha House block.

The sale includes the main six-bedroom homestead. Photo / Supplied

It includes a main six-bedroom homestead, a farm manager's home, two sleepouts, rustic shearers' quarters, a barn and various farm work sheds.

In recent years the station has stocked more than 1500 Saxon merino ewes, hoggets and rams and has more than 68km of fencing across the property.

It also features the Alps to the Ocean Cycle Trail which runs along the western side of station.

The high country sheep station was first settled by Scottish migrants Andrew and Catherine Burnett.

One of Andrew and Catherine's children, Thomas Burnett, took over the property and worked on the land before he became a local MP.

Mt Cook Station has been owned by the descendants of the Burnett family since 1864. Photo / Supplied

On his death Mr Burnett's son, Donald Mt Cook Burnett, took over the reins and worked on the land for the next six decades before he died in 2010 aged 95.

Mr Burnett was still working on the property right up until he tragically died after slipping on ice in a paddock.

The South Canterbury property is being sold by tender which closes mid-February.