Gold Under the Manuka An illustrated history of Mangaorapa Station in Porangahau, Hawke's Bay. ? Spanning several generations, the innovative Mouat family were all about hard work and determination to succeed. ? In the 1940s the station was a large unbroken block, covered in native manuka and kanuka and thought to be unproductive land. The Mouat family purchased it after the sale of their successful transport company. ? But Billy Mouat and his sons Don and Max saw something that no one else could see. They worked tirelessly for years on the property, transforming it into a progressive agricultural enterprise, encompassing 7000 acres. ? The development revolutionised many farming practices in NZ and employed 40 staff at its height. ? It became one of the country's most productive cropping, sheep and cattle-breeding operations specialising in quality export meat and wool, and eventually wine. The property even housed a primary school at one point.