Duck Creek Olive Oil

Duck Creek Road Olive Oil is the small, owner-operated olive oil business of Sally and Derek Holland at 53 Duck Creek Road, Warkworth, in Auckland's Mahurangi district. The 2.68-hectare property lies near Mahurangi Harbour and about 7km from Matakana, Warkworth and Snells Beach. Although Duck Creek participates in the Oliveti Northland growers' association, Olives New Zealand classifies its oils and address in the Auckland region.

Grove and owners

The grove was established by the property's previous owners with 600 olive trees. A 2016 producer interview described it as a 12-year-old grove, placing the original planting at about 2004. The Hollands bought the property around 2012 after previously developing Glenora Estate on Waiheke Island, where they had planted an olive grove and Cabernet Franc vineyard. The Duck Creek planting comprises Leccino, Frantoio, Koroneiki, Albany Gold, J5 and Pendolino.

The grove occupies part of a northwest-facing, landscaped property bordered by native vegetation, orchard and gardens. Recent satellite imagery shows mature trees arranged in dispersed, curving rows across the sloping ground, consistent with a low-density boutique grove. It cannot establish how many of the original 600 trees remain productive, so 600 should be read as the original planting rather than a current live-tree count.

Sally and Derek have managed the grove themselves. In 2016 they said they did not employ harvest staff and instead they personally pruned, harvested, graded and packaged the oil. Their harvest could extend over roughly two months as different cultivars reached the condition they wanted.

Growing and processing

Duck Creek describe their grove as spray-free and managed according to organic principles, but it should not be confused with certified-organic production. The producers say they have been seeking organic certification. Their soil programme includes annual pruning, mulching the prunings beneath the trees and using organically certified soil products. Trees are pruned into an open shape to improve light penetration, airflow and wind pollination in Auckland's humid climate.

Harvesting uses battery-powered hand-held harvesters and a Pick-a-Pod catching net wrapped around each trunk. Leaves are blown clear and the fruit is inspected. Any damaged, diseased and bird-pecked olives are removed before processing. This selective method is particularly relevant in Mahurangi, where high rainfall and humidity can increase pressure from anthracnose and other fruit diseases impacting olive growers.

Duck Creek is single-estate, but it is not milled on-site. Their processing account says harvested fruit is sorted and delivered on the day of picking to a local professional processor, where it is washed, cold processed and bottled. Salumeria Fontana is the documented press house for Duck Creek's award-winning 2023 Frantoio, but it's not clear if they processed every release. Taken together with the off-site processing account, a 2026 property profile indicates that the suite adjoining the garage houses packaging and storage rather than an olive mill.

Scale, sales and continuity

Exact annual output has not been published. The 2025 Grove Blend was entered in the Olives New Zealand Boutique category, which requires a commercially available lot between 30 and 249 litres. Duck Creek describes their availability as limited and historically sold most oil through gift packs, selected delicatessens, restaurants and direct orders.

The current order page lists 250ml and 500ml gift-boxed bottles as well as bulk oil in 3, 5 and 10 litre containers. Orders are taken by email or telephone rather than through a live stock-controlled checkout, so it's hard to check stock availability on the web.

In 2026, with the Hollands in their seventies, the 53 Duck Creek Road property was offered for sale. In an interview about the sale, they said the olive oil business was not being separately priced as part of the property, although a buyer could continue the operation. The website and order page remain online, so production after any change of ownership is hopefully anticipated.

Recognition

Duck Creek has a long record in New Zealand judging. Its official chronology says its oils were certified through Olives New Zealand in every season from 2014 to 2024, and Olives New Zealand also lists the 2025 Frantoio/J5 Grove Blend as OliveMark-certified. Recent results include Bronze at the 2025 New Zealand Olive Oil Awards; Silver and Bronze for separate J5 and Frantoio batches in 2024; Silver at the 2023 national awards; and Gold, Best in Class and Best in Show at the 2023 Oliveti Awards.

Earlier highlights include consecutive Oliveti Best in Show titles in 2019 and 2020. The 2019 winner was a medium blend of J5 and Frantoio; two additional blends won Silver. In 2020, Duck Creek again won Gold, Best in Class and Best in Show. The producer's longer award chronology includes Oliveti medals from 2014 onward and national medals from 2018 onward.