No.8 Farm Tours Tauranga

Join a No.8 Farm Tour to experience the rural life of New Zealand. Full and half day trips visit real working farms, offering an insight into the lives of New Zealand farming families.

Climb aboard a 4WD for fun, informative tours of a variety of farms including sheep, deer and dairy.

Walk over a typical New Zealand farm, through a shearing shed, watch sheep being shorn, witness NZ farm dogs at work, get up close to farm animals, view the afternoon’s milking take place, feed deer and learn how the New Zealand deer industry has become the world’s largest exporter of venison.

All tours include a historical insight into the colourful past of the Bay of Plenty region.

Activity Options

Afternoon Tour

• Visit three New Zealand farms types – the Stone’s 400 acre commercial deer farm, the McDonald’s 800 acre working sheep and cattle farm and the Anderton’s modern dairy shed.

• Take a walk over NZ farmland, get up close to farm animals & meet people working the land.

• Aratoa Deer Farm – insight into the NZ deer farming history and venison & velvet processing.

• Grand View Sheep & Cattle Farm – insight into working & living on a sheep & beef farm, enjoy a traditional NZ “smoko,” walk through a woolshed, watch sheep being shorn, see farm dogs at work.

• Dairy Farm – Observe the afternoon milking session and meet the sharemilker, who will answer any questions visitors may have and provide an insight into running a dairy farm.

* Departs 12.30 pm and returns to Tauranga at 5.00 pm.

Town & Country Tour

• Sample organic honey at Mossops Honey Shop, view the beautiful McLaren Falls, stop for lunch at the Kaimai Cafe, gain an insight into Maori & colonial history and visit 3 farm types – a 400 acre commercial deer farm, an 800 acre sheep & cattle farm & a large dairy farm during milking.

• Firstly travel through the Mount Maunganui seaside resort and Tauranga city; here you will:
  • Learn of the early Maori and colonial history
  • See the stunning ‘golden sand’ beaches and harbour
  • View the Tauranga CBD
  • Take a stroll through the Tauranga Historic Village
  • Sample New Zealand’s organic honey at Mossop’s Honey Shop
  • Spend some time at “the Bay’s hidden treasure” McLaren falls
  • Have a walk through New Zealand native forest and listen to the birds
  • Spot glow worms and view the Cherry Bay falls
  • Stop for lunch at the Kaimai Café in a stunning rural setting where you can shop for arts and crafts next door in the “Woolshed Craft Shop”

• The afternoon then offers 3 exciting farm visits where you will be provided an insight into:
  • Aratoa Deer Farm: NZ deer farming history and venison and velvet processing
  • Grand View Farm: Insight into working and living on a 800 acre sheep and beef farm
  • Enjoy a NZ “smoko, ” take a walk through a typical woolshed and watch sheep being shorn
  • Dairy Farm: Observe the afternoon milking session – 600 cows in under two hours

* Departs Tauranga 10.00 am and finishes at 4.00 pm.

Have A Go Shearing

• It’s said that to shear 300 sheep in a day is the equivalent of running an entire marathon. Well we won’t get you to knock out 300, but how about shearing a couple yourself?

• You’ll meet Rod McDonald, an experienced shearer at his shearing shed and he’ll guide you through the process of catching, holding and shearing the fleece from one of his sheep.

• You will get to wear a pair of authentic NZ shearing moccasins, topped off with your own black singlet, and we can also teach you how to give a sniff and nod of the head just like they do for real.

• You will get great photos and accomplish something most people have never done! Shearing a New Zealand sheep.

* Duration: approximately 1 hour.

Location

Bethlehem, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.