Matakana park offers major investment potential

The Matakana Country Park, a long-established anchor of the Matakana Coast tourism corridor, has been released to the market, presenting one of North Auckland’s largest and most versatile mixed-use investment opportunities, Bayleys brokers say.

Bayleys Commercial in the North associate director Henry Napier, together with colleagues Mike Houlker and Ben Clare, is inviting expressions of interest, closing at 4pm on Wednesday 10th December (unless sold prior), for the landmark 13.096ha (more or less) freehold landholding, spanning six titles at 1151 Leigh Road, Matakana.

A cornerstone destination for hospitality, recreation and events, the Park occupies a strategic position between Matakana Village and Omaha Beach – less than an hour north of Auckland – and benefits from year-round visitation buoyed by the region’s expanding residential catchment.

The property fronts Leigh Road, the area’s main arterial link to Warkworth and State Highway 1, with connectivity further strengthened by the Matakana Link Road, and recent upgrades to the Pūhoi-Warkworth motorway corridor.

Napier says the combination of scale, income diversity and future flexibility positions the Park as a rare and compelling asset in a market where investors are increasingly seeking destinations aligned with long-term regional growth.

“Matakana has evolved beyond a weekend getaway into a fully-fledged lifestyle hub. Permanent populations are rising, new housing continues to take shape across the Matakana-Omaha-Leigh triangle, and improved roading has expanded the commuter and visitor catchment.

“Assets that sit at that intersection of hospitality, leisure, community amenity, and tourism are increasingly attractive to investors seeking resilient income and development-ready land with clear pathways for future adaptation,” he adds.

The property supports 28 established tenancies across various sectors, including hospitality, retail, recreation, leisure, and services, generating approximately $954,748 net per annum plus GST.

Long-standing attractions, including horse-riding, go-karting, miniature train rides, obstacle courses, speciality retail, food and beverage offerings, deliver consistent local patronage and high seasonal footfall.

Additional income is generated from venue and event hire, supported by established infrastructure to host concerts, markets and large-format gatherings, including the electronic music and arts festival, Hidden Valley, which has taken place at the Park annually for the last 10 years.

Built improvements on-site comprise a collection of standalone and interconnected buildings, internal roading networks, landscaped open spaces and extensive parking, all contributing to its function as a cohesive destination environment.

Bayleys Commercial Manager Mike Houlker says a defining feature of the opportunity is its planning framework. “The property sits within the Matakana 2 Precinct Plan, which enables a broad range of commercial, recreational and accommodation activities. Existing consents and the underlying Rural – Mixed Rural zoning provide a clear platform for future expansion or redevelopment while ensuring the Park can continue to operate as a unified, multi-use entity.”

“This combination of scale and flexibility rarely comes to market in established visitor hubs. Increasingly, investors are looking at regional centres that demonstrate authentic character, strong population growth, and diversified economic drivers. Matakana Country Park aligns with all three. Its land, existing infrastructure, and broad consented activity range create significant pathways for both income optimisation and long-term masterplanning.”

The ability to acquire a fully operational, cash-flowing lifestyle destination with embedded brand equity – while having genuine development potential – is exceptionally uncommon in the North Auckland market, the brokers say.

“As regional infrastructure continues to improve, and lifestyle migration accelerates, the Matakana Country Park is positioned to benefit materially from both immediate income resilience and long-term value uplift.”