Family Friendly Farm Stays: Otago (2023)

The highly rated Hunter’s Moon Farm Stay near Dunedin, South Island NZ, has very spacious B&B rooms on a 26 acre farm with nice views over Taieri Plain. The farm has sheep, alpacas, hens and a few very cute miniature horses. THE ACCOMMODATION: There is a choice of two King Rooms and a Queen Suite. All of them are really spacious, modern and clean. Both the King Rooms have a king size bed but with the Superior King Room having that bit more space plus a sofa. The Queen Suite is larger still, with two double bedrooms, plenty of seating space and a very nice little private balcony with views over the plains and the mountains beyond. All the rooms come with en-suite bathrooms, air-con, satellite TV and there is WiFi throughout the building. There is plenty of common space around, a sociable shared lounge in the farmhouse, a terrace outside and a nicely tended garden area. You’ll find the owners very friendly and hospitable too, and they serve up a great breakfast in the morning. THE FARM: The farm has 26 acres in total, most of it farmland but with some small areas of bush and trees. They keep alpacas and sheep mainly but also some free range hens. The farm is pretty popular with children and they have plenty of opportunity to feed the sheep and alpacas, bring the horses for a walk and even collect some eggs from the hens for breakfast. As mentioned there are some lovely views from the farm and the farmhouse, and there is some forest area around too which can be nice to explore. It might be quite close to Dunedin City and much closer still to the town of Mosgiel, but it is a very much rural, countryside, retreat. THE LOCATION: The farm is just over a mile from Wingatui Railway Station and about three miles from Mosgiel town centre, where you’ll find plenty of shops and services without having to deal with the hassle of going into Dunedin centre. It’s also less than a mile to the well known Otago Racing Club/Mosgiel Racecourse. The centre of Dunedin takes about 20 READ MORE

Criffel Station offers a fabulous farmstay experience in Wanaka, Otago, South Island New Zealand, where you can choose to stay in self catering cottages or glamping teepees on their huge, 2000 hectacre, farm with herds of red deer, alpacas and sheep. This part of Otago is wildly beautiful, serene and peaceful and the views from the farm are stunning, including views over the famous Lake Wanaka itself. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have two self catering traditional cottages and a range of glamping tents to choose from. The cottages have three bedrooms, one double and two twin, and can sleep up to six people. They are modern and comfortable inside, with a good sized lounge area and a well equipped kitchen, but still retain a nice old fashioned charm. One (the Shearer’s Cottage) has a private porch outside, and with each cottage you’ll find plenty of space to be enjoyed in the gardens and the large farm. The glamping tents are teepee style and can fit up to six people. They are spacious, airy and comfortable and have seats inside as well as outside, where you’ll also find a barbecue area with picnic tables and hammocks. THE FARM: The farm is an interesting place; it’s a deer farm which has a large herd of European red deer, a fairly unusual sight in New Zealand. From their herd they produce quality venison, and they also keeps bees, alpacas and sheep. It’s also extremely large and is a wonderful place to explore. The owners are enthusiastic about farming and about the natural environment and they can organize informative farm tours for you where you’ll also get a chance to feed the animals, take photos etc.. There is also an on site farm shop from where you can buy some of their own food products to take home. THE LOCATION: The farmstay is just outside Wanaka, around six miles from the town centre in fact, and the farm has great views over Lake Wanaka itself. For those in the know, Wanaka is quite special, and sees a lot of tourists and outdoor adventure types. It is beside the South Island Alps and the Mount Aspiring National READ MORE