CAMERON and Doreen Quartermaine's Cape York Peninsula cattle property Watson River Station is being offered with more than 2400 quality Brahman cattle.
Covering 89,000 hectares (219,923 acres), the pastoral holding is located 75km south east of Weipa and boasts an average annual rainfall of 1600mm (65 inches) thanks to a guaranteed wet season.
Watson River is well-grassed, undulating country. It has low, open bloodwood, box, ironwood, and gum ridges running into open melon gum flats. The main grasses are spear, kangaroo and native sorghum.
"For as long as we have lived here, we have never had to shift cattle off the property due to drought," Cameron Quartermaine said. "We are guaranteed a wet season every year."
There are also impressive trial plots of improved pasture including: glenn joint, setaria, humidicola, Indian couch, verano, jarra, stylo and Rhodes grass, and leucaena.
Watson River was purchased as a virgin block in 1985. The southern half of the property is behind wire and contains the 2400 quality Brahman cattle.
The property is exceptionally well watered. Watson River and Merkunga and Kurracoo creeks run through the property. The creeks have significant waterholes and flood over into lagoons adjacent to the waterways. There are also 27 dams.
A large dam has also been constructed to potentially irrigate a 28ha hay paddock and a weaner paddock. A further 240ha of country is also able to be developed.
Cattle are either sent south or have been exported through the deep-sea port of Weipa. The export facilities at Weipa have a holding capacity of about 2500 cattle.
Watson River also generates more than $100,000 a year from a carbon offset scheme. There are also opportunities in the budding domestic tourism industry.
Watson River Station is being sold through an expressions of interest process by Colliers International, closing on September 22.
Contact Bram Pollock, 0428 467 030, or Rawdon Briggs, 0428 651 144, Colliers International.