GIVEN recent heavy rain, the scheduled April 16 auction of a substantial aggregation in the Arcadia Valley was postponed for two weeks.
Extensive rain prevented agents from showing prospective buyers on to the collection of three Queensland properties “Rainbow”, “Leeora Downs” and “Lotus Vale”
This is, however, “a good problem to have”, believes co-selling agent Peter Etheridge, of Peter Etheridge Properties, Tamworth.
The auction of the Arcadia Valley aggregation is now set to take place at the end of the month, on April 30.
The total holding of more than 12,000 hectares is listed for sale with Peter Etheridge, as well as Geoff Warriner, CBRE Brisbane.
Mr Etheridge summed up the appeal of the offering in just two words: “Arcadia Valley”.
He said the very location was its standout feature.
“For the past 20 to 30 years, the Arcadia Valley has been regarded as excellent cattle country,” he said.
Added to that, he said the location of these three properties offered strategic benefits, given their proximity to Roma saleyards, as well as to feedlots and processors.
“It is a very good staking point for someone who wants to get access to these markets,” Mr Etheridge said.
The properties are currently owned by John and Kate McLoughlin.
Mr McLoughlin said “Leeora Downs” was the first of many pastoral properties the family have owned in Queensland and the Northern Territory over the past 50 years.
He said his father, Vince McLoughlin, drew the property in the Lands Department Brigalow Develoment Scheme ballot in 1963.
“After many tough years developing the block, a very good herd of predominantly Santa Gertrudis cows was established and more property was purchased,” he said.
He said the period from 2004 to 2005 brought about a new direction when they purchased the Scott Creek Station aggregation, west of Katherine in the Northern Territory.
He said the plan was to utilise the northern properties, then truck the progeny down to Arcadia Valley and then also to “Rainbow” at Rolleston after its purchase from R.M. Williams in 2004.
One of the reasons behind the sale was the decision to concentrate on live export from the north.
“During the 2012-13 year, ‘Leeora’, ‘Lotus Vale’ and ‘Rainbow’ collectively turned off in excess of 10,000 head of grown cattle at various weights and proved its worth as a very productive holding and fattening staging point into the feedlots, processing plants and sale yards in the south east of the State,” he said.
The properties are about 500km north-west of Brisbane.
“Leeora Downs” offers 3560ha, “Lotus Vale” 3499ha and the largest of the three, “Rainbow”, covers 5122ha.
All together, the combined carrying capacity of the properties is 6000 head.
“Leeora Downs” offers a good cover of buffel grass and some native pastures, as well as four dams.
Improvements include a four bedroom and three-bedroom house, machinery shed, and a new set of steel cattle yards.
“Lotus Vale” also has buffel grass, as well as 11 dams and frontage to the Browne River.
Improvements extend to a three-bedroom house, three-bedroom self contained quarters, and cattle yards with a new steel single loading ramp.
“Rainbow” has soft wood scrub country and buffel grass, a large six-bedroom homestead, another three-bedroom house, 15 dams, timber cattle yards, horse stables and a hay and machinery shed.
Contact Peter Etheridge, 0411 655 565; or Geoff Warriner, 0408 687 880.
Click here to visit the Domain Rural website.