ADVERTORIAL
It’s not everyday a watergarden comes up on the market.
But when it does, it’s a rare invitation to own a piece of serenity.
It’s exactly what has happened with the Rapaura Watergardens at 586 Tapu Coroglen Rd, Thames, which is now up for sale after 31 years of family ownership.
Rapaura manager Sacha Sank said it was not an easy decision to make, but following the passing of his mother, Sally, in 2023, he felt it was time for new energy.
A new owner will now have the unique opportunity to guide and help write the next chapter in the story of these watergardens.
And it’s not just the gardens that come with the property. A 40-seat restaurant with a full commercial kitchen, three houses, a workshop, storerooms, chicken coop, stable, tunnel houses and garden storage are all part of the package. The property can hold weddings, music events and offers guest accommodation, which has received top reviews and was fully booked across the summer.
It’s clear Rapaura is a lifestyle business with unlimited potential – and comes fully stocked and furnished with everything from teaspoons to tractors. One key principle that’s remained with Rapaura since its origin in 1965 was from a saying on a sign in the garden about land and man.
“It says in any society, owning land is being a temporary caretaker and the fact is – you look after it and you leave it in a better state than you found it,” Sacha said. “And that’s what we’ve always felt here.
“It’s our philosophy for the garden”.
It should come as no surprise Rapaura was rated a 5-star Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust – and was the only one on the Coromandel. But it doesn’t stop there.
Rapaura is consistently rated number one out of 25 things to do in Thames, which Sacha said was “a great honour”, and featured in all major travel guides.
The meaning of Rapaura was the meeting of the spring waters, Sacha said.
“So you’ve got three creeks coming through the property and two of them join up on the property. So it’s [the] meeting of the spring waters there,” he said.
Sacha describes it as “the lifeblood”.
Just like the water flowed through the property, so did the energy, he said.
“So that’s a key aspect of it. All gardens have beauty but there’s also the energy as well.”
It could be an opportunity for a multi-generational family to step in and “make their mark”, or even a new venture for multiple families to purchase it together as a holiday home, Sacha said.
There’s certainly ample parking for vehicles and boats. One thing Sacha is certain about: “I always say it’s not a place to see. It’s actually a place just to sit, absorb and enjoy”.
For all enquiries about the Rapaura Watergardens property at 586 Tapu Coroglen Rd, Thames, please contact NZ Sotheby’s Realty agent Cary Ralph by Email: cary.ralph@waikatonzsir.com or phone 021 139 4000.
Click here or on the photo below to see the Rapaura Watergardens listing.
– By Davidda Hikatangata
