Rotongaio Station

Rotongaio Station has been in the Nicholson family since 1997. The station carries around 7000 stock units throughout the year of which 5000 are Perendale sheep and 2000 being a mix of pure Angus and Angus Hereford cross-breed cattle.

Over the last two decades the family has been working through a development program to improve the land and its waterways. The program has included improvements such as:

• Building and restoring fences
• Drainage
• Building new wetlands and water tanks
• Pasture development
• Native and exotic plantations
• Improving waterways through silt traps and ponds
• Plantings in unstable land areas
• Vermin control program
• Eradication of gorse, blackberry and thistles

This program has opened up more land for effective, safer and sustainable farming practices. The family and their team are currently investigating ways to raise funds for future programmes and are working closely with the local Iwi and the Department of Conservation for the next phase of development.