There is a very good chance a piece of Central Otago history will be bought by a North Islander.
Hyde Railway Station owners Richard and Robyn Hay are talking to several groups keen to buy the 116-year-old landmark on the Otago Central Rail Trail.
All were based in the North Island, Mrs Hay said yesterday.
It was too early to say what a prospective buyer might do with the little kauri station, but it was clear the couple were not about to sell "just to anyone".
"We have a figure in mind, they have a figure in mind, but it is such an awkward thing to value," Mrs Hay said.
"There is an emotional aspect to this, too. It will really come down to getting the right buyer. It's not for sale just at any price."
Their online tender sale generated plenty of interest.
"Something like 99%" of the inquiries were from North Islanders who had ridden the rail trail or who had personal memories of the area.
"It's been amazing. We've heard from so many people with so many wonderful stories that after all this is over, I might have enough to write a book," she said.
The Hays have owned the station since Mr Hay, then a 23-year-old Dunedin joiner, bought it from the Railways Corporation in 1990.
It had not been manned for 20 years before the last passenger train passed through in 1990.
The Otago Central Rail Trail Trust declined to make an offer, but it hoped the station's new owner would be as keen on its history as the Hays.
