The newly completed subdivision at Pukaki looks due south to the Benmore Range, with Twizel to the right. Hangars have since been built and only six sections remain on the market.
Two prime sections at Pukaki Airport have been purchased by Australian listed skydive and adventure tourism company Skydive the Beach Group.
Pukaki Airport Board chairman Derek Kirke says the recently completed deal had required the board to purchase back a previously sold section and resell it, plus the adjoining section, to meet the company’s requirements.
“This is a major coup for the board to secure this investment from one of the fastest growing Australasian adventure companies,” he says.
“The board has been seeking a high-value operation at Pukaki airfield for some time and we are very pleased to have secured this investment from such a high-performing skydive operator.
“Their foray into New Zealand has been in the Queenstown-Lakes area, and we have always believed Pukaki would be a good fit for a skydive operator because of its weather conditions and scenery. This was proved when a skydive company operated for a time at Pukaki in 2005.”
Skydive the Beach Group was founded in 1999 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2015. It has rapidly increased its operations through acquisition and currently has 18 skydive locations in Australia and three in New Zealand.
Skydive the Beach’s managing director Anthony Boucaut says the location of the side-by-side sections at the southern end of the airfield was ideal for a skydiving operation and the company is pleased with the opportunity to assist its future growth and expansion.
The sale of these two sections, at the southern end of the airfield development, means the board now has only six sections remaining on the market after developing 55 lots with private title. It is one of the few aerodromes in New Zealand offering private title and where owners can build a house and hangar.
Pukaki Airport is owned by the Mackenzie District Council, with operation and development delegated to the Pukaki Airport Board. The development has enabled all costs to the council, including the airport land purchase, to be repaid in full.
- Report by John King, photography by Pukaki Airport