It’s the rare opportunity to own a little bit of Kiwi gold mining history.

Harcourts Wanaka is selling nine pieces of abandoned land situated in in the heart of Cardrona near the much visited historic hotel.

The land was originally owned by Chinese gold miners and other early settlers dating back to the 1860s.

At its peak in the early 1870s the resident population of Cardrona reached 1000 with a predominance of Chinese miners. Gold miners staked their claim on land, however, when the gold started to dry up many simply walked away.

There has been much effort to track down the descendants of the original owners. The Public Trust engaged specialist genealogical experts to trace descendants and worked with the Chinese and Cantonese communities.

However, their efforts have been unsuccessful and The Public Trust has finally decreed the land will be offered up for sale.

Harcourts Wanaka sales consultants Eamon and Riki Young say the land has essentially been abandoned for 140 years.

“It’s been a very interesting process. Some people over the years have tried to stake a claim on the land using squatters’ rights, others have used lawyers to argue their case for ownership. However, the Public Trust has given clear instructions this land must now be sold,” Eamon Young says.

In total there are nine plots of land varying in size from approximately 300 to 3000sqm. Eight of the sections are next door and opposite the Cardrona Hotel.

There are a variety of ways the land can be purchased, including individually, in small groupings or as an entire package.

Young says the location is key to Cardrona, being situated in an area zoned Rural Visitor. This zoning allows for visitor and commercial activities, subject to Queenstown Lakes District Council resource consent. This means there is the possibility of developing the land for business opportunities to take advantage of the huge tourism potential.

Cardrona is located 45 minutes from Queenstown and 20 minutes from Wanaka. The Cardrona ski field is popular with locals, national and international visitors, with its consistently good weather and reliable snow conditions.

In addition there are plans underway to link Wanaka to Cardrona with a cycleway, which will inevitably attract more tourists to the area.

Riki Young says it is an area moving ahead, and this is the opportunity for savvy investors to stake their claim.

The sections are all located on Cardrona Valley Road, and have spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and the mountain.

Offered for sale by tender, the sections are truly a piece of New Zealand history and this opportunity will never be available again. The tenders close on Friday 11 July at 4pm.