10 | Morton Property Group: Mt Cardrona Station T T Kim Bowden A sense of community in the valley Stage one of The Homestead has also recently opened. Designed to be a focal point of the village, it’s a place for relaxation, recreation, and connection for residents. “What we’re creating is an alpine community. Ultimately, there’ll be over 500 dwellings between single houses, apartments and terraces.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Nestled high in the Cardrona Valley, Mt Cardrona Station is a master-planned alpine village now coming to life as its first residents settle in. Positioned in the Cardrona Valley between Wānaka and Queenstown, it offers high-country living within easy reach of two of the South Island’s most vibrant destinations. For co-owner and director Chris Morton, Mt Cardrona Station has always been more than a standard subdivision. “What we’re creating is an alpine community. Ultimately, there’ll be over 500 dwellings between single houses, apartments and terraces.” The first five stages of land release are complete, with close to 70 lots sold. Seventeen homes have been finished, another six are under construction, and owners started moving in last winter. Stage one of The Homestead has also recently opened. Designed to be a focal point of the village, it’s a place for relaxation, recreation, and connection for residents. “It has two good-size spas made by Stoke in Wānaka and an outdoor sauna where you can sit and look out across the views,” Chris says. “Inside, we’ve got a gym, a shared office space, a boardroom, and the members-only Club Club, which is a place where members can get together, bring their friends, and entertain.” The station itself spans more than 500 hectares of retired farmland and providing residents access has been a key priority for the developers. Last summer, they completed 30 kilometres of bike trails and another 10 kilometres of walking tracks. “The great thing about that is it gets people out on the land,” Chris says. “It’s easy to have a piece of land you’re adjacent to, but having good trails and walking tracks encourages you to get out there and enjoy the open space.” Here, environmental stewardships goes hand in hand with development. “We have recently joined the Southern Lakes Sanctuary,” Chris says. “We have traps across the station, and we regularly monitor those. The end result is removing pests and improving bird life.” Chris and his family purchased the land in 2006, beginning a long-term vision for the alpine village. Preparing the property for development required re-zoning and building new water and wastewater infrastructure, which now supports Mt Cardrona Station, the nearby Cardrona Village, and the ski field, improving water quality in the Cardrona River. For Chris, it has been rewarding watching Mt Cardrona Station transition from concept to community. “You can put a dream on paper and imagine how it might work, but what’s really pleased us is how people have bought into that vision,” he says. “Now it doesn’t feel like just us – we have enthusiastic owners who can’t wait to be here.” One recently settled-in resident captured the feeling perfectly: “I was sitting out on the deck in the crisp mountain air, in the complete tranquility, and I realised there was nowhere else I would rather be.” That sense of belonging, Chris says, is what transforms a subdivision into a village. “Community can be an overused word, but when you see people meeting each other, dropping by for a visit, or heading out for a ride together, that’s when you know it’s real. It’s still early days, but it all bodes well. We’re creating a place where like-minded people want to bring their families and share their time.” Fico Finance is here to help you find flexible funding fast. We lend nationwide, providing first and second mortgage secured funding for business, investment, construction and property development. 03 548 9932 | 10 Nile Street, Nelson 7010 | finn@fico.co.nz | bruce@fico.co.nz | scott@fico.co.nz | www.fico.co.nz • Residential Investment • Commercial & Industrial • Urgent Settlements • Development & Construction Some of our loan types and features: • Bridging & Rescues • No line fees, no early repayment costs Pricing from 8.45% p.a + fee
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