IT was the working improvements that sold John Harper on Warragai.

John and his wife Louise shifted to the 720ha property in the picturesque Wymah Valley in 1989.

They had previously farmed at Bonnie Doon and liked Warragai for its position - just 2km from Lake Hume.

"I liked the working facilities, especially the undercover sheep yards, the shearing shed and cattle yards," John said.

Located 52km north of Albury, Warragai offers a balance of creek flats running to steeper hills.

A feature is the majestic paddock trees, complemented by shelter belts planted over the past 20 years. Another highlight is the secure water, with the farm sitting in a 800mm rainfall zone.

"We have ample water here, pumping from springs to a tank, 220,000 litres of rainwater storage and large spring-fed dams," John said.

Over the past 20 years, John and Louise have run up to 5000 Merino (averaging 19 micron) and first cross ewes. They are joined to Merino and Border Leicester rams with the progeny sold at 18-22kg dressed at Wagga Wagga.

Today, the couple run almost 3000 sheep and also have 60 autumn calving Angus breeders.

Weaner calves are sold in the Wodonga January calf sales at an average of 280kg liveweight.

John uses 12ha of lucerne pasture to graze the livestock and cut up to 70 tonnes of hay each year.

"The pasture on the flat country is improved with ryegrass, phalaris and clovers," he said. "The higher country is predominantly native grasses which provides summer grazing.

"We apply single super at 100kg/ha almost every year and the higher country has been supered aerially.

"There are two laneways for stock movements and we have subdivided and refenced some paddocks."

John has also limed several paddocks at 2.5t/ha and was a member of the Triple P pastures program in 2001-2002.

A crack horseman, John had a prominent role as a stockman in the Australian film, Snowy River II.

He spent a month filming around Mansfield in autumn 1987. As an eventer, John represented Australia at the Interpacific Pony Club Championships in Canada in the 1960s.

Louise enjoys the social side to the pretty Wymah Valley, hosting ladies' tennis each week at Warragai.

She has maintained a beautifully landscaped garden, which features large mature trees, a ha-ha wall, rose garden, rock walling and birdlife.

The trees include white cedar, spruce, apple, ornamental pear, gingko, oak, plane and liquid amber. The garden also includes a full-size tennis court.

Originally built in the 1940s, the home has four bedrooms, a sunroom, office, two bathrooms, formal lounge-dining with an open fire place and wood heater.

Working improvements include a five stand shearing shed with steel and timber yards, two machinery sheds and two hay sheds.

The steel and timber cattle yards have a covered work area.

John and Louise have decided to retire from farming into Albury-Wodonga.