Elevated views and beach access set this former Pōrangahau farmhouse apart

Sam Meadows and Megan Wilson farm in Wallingford, Central Hawke’s Bay, breeding, finishing, and trading sheep and cattle.

In 2015 they bought a 650-hectare property, then in 2020 the opportunity arose to buy an extra 100 hectares from a neighbour. With the second acquisition they saw the prospect of reconfiguring their farm, which included building a new home on an elevated site, located on the more recently acquired block.

“Our original home was in one corner of the farm. We wanted to be able to observe and admire more of the farm from where we lived. Once we had bought the new block, we realised that building there, facing north, as the farm faces, was the obvious and logical way forward,” says Sam.

Subdividing off 1.127 hectares and selling their existing home was part of the plan. Gaining all the necessary consents took a while, though they finally achieved that in 2025, at which point Sam and Megan were ready to sell what had been the farmhouse, their home since 2015.

For several years in the local community, they have known and crossed paths with Janeane Strawbridge of PGG Wrighston Real Estate, Waipukurau. Janeane convened antenatal classes that the couple attended, while Sam undertook a large fencing contract for Janeane and her husband on their farm. Through those personal contacts, Sam and Megan opted to engage Janeane to undertake the marketing campaign.

“We had plenty of connections, so it made sense to go with Janeane,” says Megan.

Janeane, who brought in colleague Marlene Honings to assist in the search for a buyer, could see that a property a few minutes from the beach would attract interest.

“Subdivided off the farm, it’s now a lifestyle property, though remains firmly in a farming community, with the heart and scale of a farmer’s house,” says Janeane. 

Janeane and Marlene’s marketing campaign went smoothly, attracting plenty of genuine interest from people eager to be part of a traditional, strong rural community.

“Being on a hilltop, commanding beautiful 180-degree views of the sunrise and the sea created excellent appeal. We had plenty of people looking for proximity to the beach, just a few minutes away, for good diving and fishing, while Pōrangahau has a great country club, and the golf club is also nearby,” says Janeane.

Prospective buyers were generally couples in their 40s and 50s, mostly from wider Hawke’s Bay, with some looking for the next stage in life, possibly using the property initially as a weekend home, then shifting to it permanently. 

Sam and Megan were delighted when the property settled in mid-February, enabling them to proceed with their plans: initially living in a cottage on their farm, as ‘flatmates’ of their son who lives there permanently, then in a camper van they plan to buy, and ultimately in their new, as yet unbuilt long term home overlooking their extended farm.

View the sold listing > Click here.