IT'S not every day a property comes up for sale offering 1.5 kilometres of direct beach frontage - nor one with the capability to run both cattle and sea kelp enterprises.
Yet that's exactly what is on offer in the listing of "Glasshouse Rocks Estate", a 60-hectare (150-acre) grazing property at Narooma which has been a much loved home and farm for one family for the past seven decades.
Operated by Scott Long and his partner Philippa Morton, the property had been purchased by Mr Long's grandfather, Norman Chapman, about 70 years ago, and at one point had covered about 220ac (about 90ha) in total.
Norman Chapman had used the property to grow corn, as well as run pigs, sheep and chickens.
More recently, the property has run Angus cattle, with numbers usually around 25 to 30 head.
Mr Long and Ms Morton have been running the property since 2004, carrying out a range of improvements to existing fencing, and also introducing electric fencing.
They have also continued with the sea kelp business established by Mr Long's mother Betty in the 1960s.
Betty Long had operated the business for 40 years, while Scott and Philippa have continued collecting seaweed directly from the ocean and creating Golden Kelp Meal, a highly nutritional product which has attracted a loyal following of customers.
"The cattle and the kelp have kept us very busy," Mr Long said.
Long and Morton are selling to wind down and possibly relocate north to Port Macquarie.
Ms Morton said it would be very hard to say goodbye to the property.
She said there had been interest from some people in purchasing the sea kelp business as well.
At this stage the property itself is for sale, with a decision yet to be made as to the sale of the business, Sea Health Products.
"Glasshouse Rocks Estate" has been listed for sale through David Nolan, Webster Nolan Real Estate, Sydney, with expressions of interest closing on May 21.
Price expectations for the property are in the vicinity of $8 million to $12m.
Mr Long said one of the best aspects to the property was its sheer isolation.
"The thing I love about it is that it is very rare to have 1.5 kilometres of beach frontage; I love the seclusion, and I'm going to miss the sound of the waves breaking," he said.
The property is situated immediately south of the Narooma township.
The property has clay soil types while pasture varieties are mostly kikuyu; "as we are so close to the ocean, there is a lot of sea spray and so we need to have a hardy pasture variety," Mr Long said.
"Glasshouse Rocks Estate" includes two houses, the first an original homestead built in the 1940s by Norman Chapman, and with five bedrooms.
The second home has four bedrooms and is currently used by Long and Morton - both are of weatherboard construction and are situated close to the beach.
The original homestead is used by family - who are also co-owners of the property - as a holiday house.
Average annual rainfall is 900 millimetres.
About 40ha (100ac) of the property is designated for grazing with the remainder consisting of natural forest.
Infrastructure includes a set of timber cattle yards with crush, while there are also three dams for livestock.
Contact David Nolan, (02) 8394 8875.
Nick Heydon
The Land's property editor.
The Land's property editor.
