JACK Smith's blue ribbon, basalt country property Bluff Downs is being offered through an expression of interest process, closing with Elders on August 9.
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Located 170km from Townsville and 110km from Charters Towers, the very well developed 39,025 hectare (96,432 acre) property is estimated to carry 8000 cattle (adult equivalents).
The property has been carefully planned during the past 40 years with high quality structural improvements aimed at maximising the management of the property.
Bluff Downs is principally a mix of rich, heavy red soils interspersed with basalt and black soils.
The property has undulating open black soil flats interspersed with spring fed black ti tree gullies and creeks.
The heavily grassed property has both native and introduced pasture species.
Species include angleton grass, black spear grass, Flinders grass, forest Mitchel, Indian couch, urachloa, buffel grass, creeping blue grass, seca stylos and butterfly pea.
Timbers consist of mainly broad and narrow leaf ironbark, bloodwood and poplar gum.
The northern end of Bluff Downs has up to 4000ha of alluvial soils and forest country running up onto a granite range, red yellowjack tableland and native grasses and seca stylos.
Permanent water is available from the Basalt River, Allingham Creek, Three Mile horse paddock spring, W spring and Spring Creek.
There are also some 35 bores across the properties, half of which are solar powered. The balance of the bores are powered by gensets/windmills. Two are connected to rural power.
A key feature to Bluff Downs is the underground water supply, which has the potential for irrigation.
The property is divided into 27 paddocks, a number of smaller holding paddocks, laneways and a number of wire rope coolers around waters. Fencing comprises of extensive heavy steel end assemblies and gate ways. The property is boundary fenced with steel posts and three barb wire fencing for the most part.
Bluff Downs has a historic, 476 square metre homestead, homestay/quarters, quarters, and two cottages.
Other structural improvements include four sets of cattle yards, a 10,000 tonne molasses setup, commodity shed, hay shed, truck shed, tyre shed, workshop, coldroom, and stables and yards.
Contact Dick Allpass, 0417 070 418, or Gerard Abbey, 0412 908 248, Elders.
