Embracing farm life: Niche Travel Choices in New Zealand

Choosing farm-stay accommodations can help you reach out to the locals, participate in their events, and enjoy a few days of a lifetime experience of typical New Zealand rural life. You can learn sheep shearing, cattle rearing, tending to aquaculture salmon, eels, prawns, and such or even tend to the alpacas. This article takes you deep into the homes of the hospitable ranches, farms, orchards, and landscapes with details of how to get there and the costs involved in the hope that you will also involve yourself in this agrarian move on your next vacation. So here goes!

The Agrodome is located at #141 of Western Road in Ngongotaha of Rotorua-3010, New Zealand. The 350-acre working farm is a model example of farming experience, animal interaction, tour and demonstration of wool farming. Just 10 minutes away from Rotorua for the past 40 years, they have been welcoming visitors to their farm and homestead. The world-renowned farm is home to the Woollen Mill and Shearing Museum and the amazing story of the Bowen brothers who pioneered this industry of taking the wool from the back of the sheep to covering your back with it.

The tour of the farm is open all through the year except for public holidays and open from 8 in the mornings to 5 in the evenings. The costs of exploring only the farm are 33$ for adults, 18$ for children between 5 and 15, 84$ for the family package including 3 children for the 1-hour farm show. Packages are also present for including the farm tour and a combination package that includes taking in the Rainbow Springs too. The farm tours start at 9.30 am, 11 am and 2.30 pm and include the farmland nursery tour. Also, on the site are the Woolen Mill with the fine 1906 Platt blend carding machine and the entire process of wool processing.

The Fairlie Farmstay is located at Nixons Road in Fairlie-7987 of New Zealand. This farm stay aggregate has a working alpaca farm with sheep and Llamas in the paddocks run by Jill Allan. The Gem Alpacas Tours are generally 1 hour long and weather dependent. The farm allows you to meet the baby Llamas or alpacas known as a cria. Since they use a tank system, they advise people to use the toilets in the township before and after their visits. In winter the tours take place at 11 am 1 pm and 3 pm daily. During the summers there are four hours a day at 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm and cost lower than 25 $ per adult, and 15 $ per child between 5 and 15, as against the 40 to 45$ fee at other farms. You can call them between 9 and 5 in the evening to make your reservations on 03*685*8689. Watch out for trees and spitting or kicking alpacas. Overnight camping is not allowed, and security cameras watch their space day and night. Car parking is provided though for free during the tour times.

The places close to visit are the Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook National Park, Tekapo Springs, Mount John, Lake Alexandrina, The Mount John Walkway, Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue.

Meet the friendly New Zealand alpacas at Shamarra Alpacas, which is located at #328 on Wainui Main Road-RD2 in French Farm at Akaroa-7582. The working New Zealand alpaca farm is famed for its alpaca fleece, and the tours provide for great scenery overlooking the Akaroa Harbour while you interact with the people friendly quirky alpacas. Their tours last an hour and are scheduled for 10 am, 12 noon, and two sessions at 2 and 4 pm. The costs are 50$ per adult and 30$ per child between 4 and 15 years of age. Younger children are welcomed free and under supervision of parents to prevent accidents. You can buy yourself ponchos, knitwear, blankets, beanies, sweaters, and scarves of 100% dye-free wool from alpacas manufactured and created onsite. After the tour cookies and beverages are for free. Why wait? Book your tour in advance and interact with the alpaca stars of Instagram like Austin, Rising Sun, Mikado, Equador, Dominator, and their mates.

Near Taupo and the geothermal waters is an innovative aquaculture farm called the Huka Prawn Park. The aquaculture techniques used here grow the prawns in geothermally heated water. Walkthrough their nursery and understand all about prawns, their feeding, breeding, catching and more. New boating lake with the 30-year old unchallenged leader in prawn farming now also has a new lake for boating equipped with pedal boats, water trikes, paddleboards, and more to help improve your experience with the prawns, trout and other saltwater fishes. The adventure trails and interactive children's activities keep them entertained and happy while they learn. Have a fun-filled day at the only prawn park in New Zealand. They are located at Karetoto Road in Wairakei-3377 of New Zealand. They charge 29.50$ for adults, 16$ for children, 22$ for students and seniors, and 75$ for families with up to 5 children below 15 years.

Ever heard of lavender farming? Discover it at the Lavendyl Lavender Farm located at Postmans Road-RD-1of Kaikoura in New Zealand. Dylan's Country Cottages and Lavendyl Lavender Farm together form a great farm-stay package at Kaikoura on New Zealand’s South Island. Besides the fantastic lavender and thyme views, they use their products made from lavender like essential oil extract of lavender, skin and hair care products, bath products, massage cream, lavender honey, crafts, art and handmade crafts, preserves and more to draw in crowds from across the world.

Between September and November and again from March to April, they work from 10 am to 4 pm and from December to February from 9 am to 7 pm. Their room charges are between195 to 235$ for two people at the Kowhai and Mahoe cottages and include breakfast. Enjoy learning about native plants, oil distillation processes, stroll, walk around and interact with nature watching the onsite sheep, hens and cattle.

Who's excited at visiting the Ashburton farm of Millthorpe located at #12 of Longbeach Road of Tinwald in Ashburton-7773 of New Zealand. The place is just 2 km from the Millthorpe village and offers a getaway space into a calm farm stay. The over 50 acres property has a well-appointed and maintained garden with lots of old and rustic outbuildings, breathtaking views at sunrise and sunset, a working thyme and lavender farm, and a large variety of farm animals for company. The farm is just 10 minutes from the Orange Airport and a few minutes from Orange itself.

The Ashburton Farmstay is fully AC with a large dining and living area with a separate queen-sized bedroom, a semi-detached suite, and a queen futon with its bathroom. The cozy place is ideal for couples, families, and singles too. A self-contained kitchen is also available. The Millthorpe Garden Ramble is one of the best family farm events where you get to see and do a lot of farm-related activities while exploring the historic little village. They have plenty of cafes, restaurants, retail shops and lots of places to plan your next trip to.

Alpine Lavender Farm is located at #657 of Mt Cook Road at Ben Ohau of New Zealand-7999 and is open between November to March 31^st. Lavender is widely used as an essential oil with medicinal properties for soothing and calming tinctures, creams, lotions and for its essential oils. It is also used in soaps, spritzers, infusions, and bathing salts. The pleasant smell makes its essential oil very prized. At the Alpine Lavender Farm, you can expect to see a lot of lavender growing, being processed, distilled or worked into objects of art and beauty products. Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, and at 600m height, the farm has fantastic landscapes with the Ben Oahu mountain range, the glacial Lake Pukaki, and many hills that change color as the lavender blooms in the pristine New Zealand Aoraki environment. Just enjoy the simplicity and beauty of the place!

SheepWorld is located at #324 on SH-1 at Warkworth of New Zealand, about 65km to Auckland and 4 km from Warkworth. The farm is well connected by the Intercity bus service that runs a twice-daily bus from Auckland to Whangarei. Tickets can be bought on arrival, online, or in Auckland. The half-day tours are most popular, and you get access to the Sheep and dog show held daily at 11 am and 2 pm and the eel and emu feeding sessions at 1.15 pm, depending on the weather conditions at the farm. The tickets cost 34.50$ per adult, 12$ for children between 4 and 12, 29.50 $ for seniors, and 69$ for a family pass, including 2 children. What to expect? Sheep rearing of all breeds grazing and learning the processes of shearing, wool-collection, cleaning, knitting and more. Why not learn more about enjoying the sheep?

Rainbow Springs Nature Park is located at #192 Fairy Springs Rd, Fairy Springs, Rotorua-3015 in New Zealand. Rainbow Springs is the proud home of the most successful Kiwi hatchery called the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. They have hatched over 1900 chicks to date! Kiwis are New Zealand’s iconic birds and part of the culture. Learn all about the kiwi, and it's breeding, hatching, husbandry programs and more right here at the Rainbow Springs farm stay. Enjoy the tour at 10$ extra to get a peek into the hatchery section. The tour lasts 30 minutes and is held hourly between 9 am and 4 pm. The Rainbow Springs Day Pass has to be purchased first and costs 40$ per adult, 20$ per child between 5 and 15, 36$ for seniors, and 99$ for families with 2 kids. The farm is open from 8.30 am daily. Call 0800*724*626 for reservations.

Would you like to wake up in rural New Zealand hearing the birds chirp, walking through the forest trails, discovering farm s, ranches, and more? You are welcome to Cambridge, which forms a hub for all this and more while being close to the airport. The views are inspiring, and you can enjoy the sights, get wet in the mountain streams, watch the glow worms, play with the cattle, hens and working dog, indulge in rowing at Karapiro just 8 minutes away or rent a cycle and practice for the cycling competition. From here you can also visit sights and places like the Waitomo Caves, Hamilton Gardens, Avantidrome, Lake Karapiro, Sanctuary Mountain, Rotorua, Te Awamutu, Tauranga, and Raglan.

The accommodation is a spacious rustic home of rammed earth walls set in perfect settings. The rooms cost 80 $ for a single room, 140$ for couple’s accommodation, 60 $ for every additional adult in the group with discounted rates for dependent children and families. Enjoy the complimentary breakfast and home-cooked farm-fresh food and meals as you interact with the hosts, other groups, and nature itself in a rural farm setting.

Walter Peak Farm is located at #1 of Mount Nicholas’s Beach Bay Road on Walter Peak in New Zealand- 9793. The tour begins with a cruise to the ranch aboard the TSS Earnslaw and is followed by an extensive walking tour. The tours happen daily and are all year round tours with tour duration of 3 and a half hours. They leave at 10 in the morning, 12 noon and 2 in the afternoon. From Jan 22^nd to the 2^nd of Feb, there is also a 4 pm tour. The tours cost 95 $ for adults. Kids travel free.

Walter Peak was started in 1860 and is home to 800 beef cows and 18,000 Perendale and merino sheep. Get a hands-on experience of shearing sheep, rounding them up using the well-trained sheepdogs Bess, Sue, and King and learn all there is to life on a high-country ranch.

In New Zealand, at Mt Nicholas, you don’t follow the flock. You follow the sheep instead. Get onto the cruise at Queenstown and head to this working sheep station to get a firsthand experience of life in the high country and its heart of merino wool. Did you know that the merino strong but soft wool comes off one of the toughest breeds of sheep of New Zealand? The sheep, unlike other animals, are well-adapted to the extremely harsh climate changes ranging from minus 7 to 35 degrees Celsius and grow a fleece that is light, strong, soft, and breathable when warm and insulates the body against cold in winter. The Mount Nicholas Farm is situated on Von Rd, of Mount Nicholas-9672 and is home to 29,000 merino sheep accommodated on a ranch of 100,000 acres amid the mountains with its glacier cover, snowfields, alpine lakes, birch forests and ice fjords on Lake Wakatipu. From here the wool leaves to the Icebreaker clothing company renowned globally for its woolen products. The farm is just a 20 minutes’ drive from the airport and needs prior registrations for the tours. The farm tours take place all year round, and their business hours are 11 am to 1.15 pm.

In parting, farms and rural living are a huge part of New Zealand’s way of life and economy. Both the South and North Islands are home to undulating farming views with sheep and cattle rearing being the mainstay of farming. However, you will also find specialty farms like farms for lavender, kiwis, prawns, eels, salmon, alpacas and more. Besides enjoying the fruits of these ranches, they contribute to the exports, dairy, and meat exports of New Zealand. Ever since refrigeration and shipping were modernized in 1882 New Zealanders are cashing in on not just concentrating on farming in a big way but also to open their farms and homes for farm stays to give tourists a unique experience of their sunny vineyards, orchards, farms, and farm-life experiences. Why wait? Just head down under to New Zealand for that dream farm vacation. Hope to see you soon in New Zealand!