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Moanaroa Station

"It’s a big help to Barbara and I, it’s a great help to maintaining the buildings to a high standard."

Dan Ramsden, Owner
Moanaroa Farm

Our Customer

The picturesque coastal farm station of Moanaroa is located at the mouth of the emerald green Akitio River in New Zealand. Family owned for 110 years, this remote breeding property sits among some of the oldest farms in the North Island. It is home to New Zealand’s second oldest breed of small Scottish cattle, the Angus stud.

Project Description

Moanaroa station has several buildings of historical significance, with the homestead and woolshed dating back to 1883. The woolshed was built by former owners Murray, Roberts and Co.

Run by Dan and Barbara Ramsden, this rugged property is over two hours’ drive from Programmed’s Palmerston North branch.

One of the biggest challenges for the Ramsden family was the difficulty in finding tradesmen willing to travel long distances to their remote location. Moanaroa was historically far beyond the reach of rail access, with coastal shipping the only trade and communications link for a hundred years. These days, the best access is by car.

Programmed’s contract to paint and maintain all the buildings in the Moanaroa property means the team comes out every year, and are prepared to stay until the job is completed.

The Ramsdens’ daughter, Fiona, runs the also family-owned Ware Ware property as a bed and breakfast and hosts Programmed tradesmen in very comfortable quarters when they are maintaining that property.

Because of their location, Moanaroa is exposed to harsh southerly winds and fierce winter storms, making it impossible to work during the winter. The station owners have even been trapped by flooding on several occasions. The maintenance programme is therefore restricted to a four-month window during the summer.

However, the remoteness of this location makes the job tricky even today. There are no shops or supply stores on the way to Moanaroa, and the Programmed team has to bring all the supplies they will need with them. Otherwise, if anything breaks down, they may have to wait up to a day to get in spare parts.

Project Solution and Outcome

One of the recent jobs Programmed completed was repainting and converting the old shearer’s quarters into a multi-use farm space. After making some repairs prior to painting, we decorated both the exterior and some of the interior surfaces. Our team also uses specially formulated paint products made for New Zealand conditions.

The rugged terrain, pine tree pollen, salty air and wet winter conditions causes quite a build-up of dirt and grime, and our Programmed team, without fail, come every year to wash down the buildings thoroughly and ensure the property is always presented at its best.

“It’s a big help to Barbara and I, it’s a great help to maintaining the buildings to a high standard.” – Dan Ramsden, Owner, Moanaroa Farm

Services we delivered
  • Painting
  • Property & Building Maintenance
  • Property Services

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