Precious Land – Historic South Island station hits the global market

Strong global enquiry is anticipated in the sale of one of New Zealand’s finest high-country stations, which featured in the New York Times this week.

Listed by New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agents Matt Finnigan and Russell Reddell, the extraordinary 22,120 ha station is an iconic slice of the South Island, with a rich history that dates back to 1861.

Finnigan says the station is often referred to an island in the alps, due to its isolated location in the Southern Alps at the confluence of the Wilberforce, Rakaia and Mathias rivers.

“This majestic property is not only a large-scale and successful farming operation, it is an ultra-private alpine retreat in a spectacular high-country setting,” he says. “It’s the ultimate legacy property – a pristine part of NZ to be passed from generation to generation.”

The ecological and environmental attributes of Mt Algidus Station are phenomenal; it comprises 65km of river frontage, hundreds of hectares of native bush, spring-fed wetlands and waterways, and many hectares of pure, remote wilderness, serviced by backcountry huts.

The exquisite owners’ residence, Mt Algidus Station Manor, is a luxurious interpretation of Normandy’s manor houses, designed by NZ architect Charlie Nott. Built in 2010, the hand-cut Hinuera natural stone home features four spacious double bedrooms, each with its own ensuite and walk-in-wardrobe. The kitchen comprises opulent marble benchtops, while other assets of the home include multiple living areas, a library, drawing room, office, pool cabana, and a two-bedroom flat.

“This home was built to perfection, with the highest-quality design and materials used for every detail,” says Reddell. “It is a wonderful, private home base and somewhere to enjoy true solitude after a day working or exploring the exceptional wilderness of the station. This is a place where recreational attributes such as flyfishing for salmon and brown trout, hunting for wild red deer and chamois, and horse riding along the trails and river flats, are all in your own backyard.”

The separate Farmhouse serves as elegant guest accommodation, with three double bedrooms, living and dining areas, as well as an out-house bedroom and standalone bedsit. Other dwellings and infrastructure on the station include a woolshed and sheep yards, the old shearers’ quarters, and various modern dwellings for permanent and temporary staff.

Mt Algidus Station was made famous by the memories written by celebrated author Mona Anderson MBE, who moved to the station in the 1940s and lived there for 33 years, documenting her life on the farm and writing the best-selling books A River Rules My Life and The Good Logs of Algidus. It was also once inhabited by prominent Canterbury politician William Rolleston.

“It’s a very special, highly regarded property and we are expecting a high level of interest,” Finnigan adds.

Mt Algidus Station will be sold via deadline sale at 4pm, March 11, 2026.

About New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty                  
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is a specialist agency that focuses on the sale of premium property through quality marketing and global networking. Founded in 2005 by Mark Harris and Julian Brown, the NZ branch of the global company has 28 offices nationwide – Northland, Auckland Britomart, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Remuera, Auckland South East, Waiheke Island, Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier, Ahuriri, Havelock North, Palmerston North, Masterton, Greytown, Kapiti, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Nelson, Marlborough, Wānaka, Arrowtown and its head office in Queenstown. It is part of Sotheby’s International Realty – the world’s leading luxury real estate company – with a global network of approximately 1,110 offices and more than 26,100 affiliated independent sales associates throughout 84 countries and territories. It is through this unparalleled luxury network that NZSIR is able to access and market properties on an international level. In 2022/2023 NZSIR was named Best International Real Estate Agency Asia Pacific (5-20 offices) at the International Property Awards and also won Best Property Agency/Consultancy New Zealand at the 2025 International Property Awards for the Asia Pacific region.     
www.nzsothebysrealty.com