The Farm

Cable Bay Farm is a 1000-hectare coastal, hill country property just 20 minutes north of Nelson. The family have farmed the original Cable Station site since the early 1930's. Ian's parents Fred & Tess Stuart took over the 200 acres Cable Station site after the Second World War and purchased further land when the Whakapuaka 1b block was divided (Ngati Tama land). Then in 1965 they purchased the Cain Estate part of the original Mackay property (the first farm in Nelson).

The property is marginal gorse clad, steep hill country but Ian was able to exploit the deer farming opportunity and also goats when those boom times were on. He no longer farms deer and goats. 2 decades ago 200 hectares of land was put into pine forest in a joint partnership venture. The change in land use to subdivision for lifestyle blocks in the Nelson North area has brought a few more people to Cable Bay.

In 2014 Ian retired, after farming the Cable Bay Farm for 4 decades, and has sold the stock to his son Sam.

Sam Stuart and his wife Anni are running the farm now in the 4th generation. Additional to sheep and beef they have added bees to their business to  make use of the native bush for delicious bush honey.

Natural landscape assets on the property

• The northerly coastal aspect of the property provides great scenery from MacKay's Bluff at the Glen to Ataata Point at the mouth of Cable Bay.
• There is a 2 1/2 - 3hr walkway through the property (one-way) administered by DOC that passes through a 120 hectare large native forrest on the farm. The family was approached by Lands & Survey regarding public access through the farm over 20 years ago. It seemed the way to go as in those days every weekend the phone was red-hot with requests from people wanting to walk the farm track from the Glen to Cable Bay. It has been a very popular walk, but it's closed annually for lambing and calving times.
• The beach has a boulder bank connecting to Pepin Island that forms part of the Delaware Cable Bay Estuary. This is very popular for kayaking and snorkeling.