Farmstay in Geraldine - January 2010

During our earlier trip to New Zealand (in 2004), Eric and I stayed on a sheep farm for one night. We enjoyed that experience a lot and thought E would as well. Hence we treated him to a week in the country last January.

We stayed at Farmer Dave's Wellspring Deer Farm in Geraldine in his Aoraki Country Cottage.

Geraldine was discovered in the 1840s but, as the story goes, it was not until 1854 that Samuel Hewlings built the first bark hut in Talbot Street. Originally called Talbot Forest, Geraldine was renamed Fitzgerald in 1857 after the first superintendent of Canterbury, the Irishman, Edward Fitzgerald. The name was finally changed to Geraldine, which was the Fitzgerald’s family name in Ireland.

Today Geraldine is in the heart of a prosperous farming area with sheep, cattle, deer, dairy cows, cropping and fruit growing in abundance. According to recent consensus, almost 2400 people live in the town and its surrounding areas. The town must have one of the most perfect settings of any small New Zealand town. Nestled at the foot of rolling downlands and bisected by the tranquil Waihi River, Geraldine is where the countryside literally comes to town.

Our farm stay experience included:

the farm tour,



























where we got up close to the deer,





















cow-milking,









calf-petting,







horse-trekking,



























exploring Geraldine downtown - enjoying the walks, the playground, the small shops with locally made products(including the internationally recognised Barkers fruit shop), and the town's museum,













































kayaking,











fun, games, and dinner at the camp fire...


















with marshmallows for dessert.









Farmer Dave was a superb host and so were his wife and all their children. E talked about all we had done and seen in Geraldine for days after we returned home!