For more than 30 years, the Wallis family’s connection to a small Te Puke kiwifruit orchard has been shaped by practical decisions rather than sentiment. While three generations are now linked to the property, what really connects them is a shared belief in knowing their strengths, planning for the long term and trusting the right people to do what they do best.
When Murray and Anne Wallis bought the 3.2-hectare No. 2 Road orchard in 1992, after years of farming near Te Awamutu, they were stepping into an industry they knew little about.
The timing wasn’t easy.
“The first year wasn’t too bad,” Murray recalls. “But the second year during pollination, it rained every day. The flowers rotted and fell off. We got half a crop if we were lucky.”
To make ends meet, Anne returned to nursing while Murray worked in a local packhouse through the quieter months. Around the orchard, they concentrated on the jobs they could do themselves and brought in experienced contractors for specialist work such as pruning and spraying.
Anne still remembers those early days vividly. “The rows in the orchard seemed very long when you were pruning and thinning. I kept getting told, ‘Don’t look back behind you, keep looking forward.’”
As the years passed, Murray and Anne realised there was little value in trying to do everything themselves. Around 20 years ago, they became one of GroPlus’ first orchard management clients in Te Puke while also packing their fruit with Mpac.
GroPlus took care of the contractors, compliance and day-to-day orchard management, leaving Murray to focus on maintenance around the property until it was time to step back.
By then, their middle son Ian and his wife Sandra were dairy farming near Taumarunui. With their children approaching high school age, they decided to return to the Bay of Plenty and bought the orchard off Ian’s parents in May 2026.
“We wanted a solid investment. I can’t keep dairy farming forever,” Ian says. “We wanted something that would be a bit easier on our bodies. It ticked a lot of boxes — somewhere to live, close to good schools and amenities, and close to the grandparents.
“Both Sandra and I are from farming families. We were brought up through some very tight economic times. We saw the pressures our parents faced and how they came through them, so we want to make smart financial investments like they did.
“Mum and Dad worked out long ago they were better to engage people who knew what they were doing, to do it properly and on time. Sandra and I currently fall into that boat, 100 per cent. If Mpac and GroPlus can manage the orchard and keep improving things, that’s a win-win. If it ain’t broke, don’t tinker.”
GroPlus is now helping Ian build his own knowledge of the industry. “It’s a bit like coaching. They don’t overload you, but we’re learning the how, what, why, where and when of it all, so we can keep an eye on the quality of the work they’re doing.”
While the couple plan to sell their dairy farm in the near future, Ian has no desire to take over day-to-day running of the orchard himself.
“I’m six foot two, so crawling around under kiwifruit vines with my bald head isn’t really my cup of tea.” Today, Murray and Anne are enjoying a quieter life in Te Puke, while Ian and Sandra begin building the orchard’s next chapter. The same steady judgement has guided each generation, leaving the orchard – and the Wallis family – well placed for whatever comes next.