Farming across Aotearoa
From Te Tai Tokerau to Murihiku: what each region is known for, in plain English. Pick a farming type to narrow it down.
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
NorthlandTe Tai Tokerau
Warm, wet and subtropical, with rolling hill country, beef and dairy farms, and a growing horticulture sector.
Known for
- Beef cattle and dairy on rolling hill country
- Kūmara around Dargaville and the Kaipara
- Avocados and subtropical fruit
- Large plantation forests
Main centres: Whangārei, Kaikohe, Dargaville, Kaitāia
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
AucklandTāmaki Makaurau
The country’s biggest city still has working farmland on its edges, from market gardens to lifestyle blocks.
Known for
- Vegetable growing on the volcanic soils around Pukekohe
- Lifestyle blocks and small holdings
- Dairy and drystock farms in the north and south
Main centres: Pukekohe, Warkworth, Helensville
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Waikato
Flat to rolling, well-watered country that is often called the heartland of New Zealand dairying.
Known for
- Pasture-based dairy farming
- Thoroughbred horse studs around Cambridge and Matamata
- The National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek, held each June
- Sheep and beef on the western and southern hills
Main centres: Hamilton (Kirikiriroa), Te Awamutu, Matamata, Morrinsville
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Bay of PlentyTe Moana-a-Toi
Sunny coastal plains and volcanic plateau country, famous for orchards and forests.
Known for
- Kiwifruit orchards, especially around Te Puke
- Avocados
- Dairy farms on the Rangitāiki Plains and around Rotorua
- Plantation forestry on the central plateau
Main centres: Tauranga, Te Puke, Whakatāne, Rotorua
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
GisborneTe Tairāwhiti
Among the first places in the world to see the sun each day, with steep hill country and fertile river flats.
Known for
- Sheep and beef on steep East Coast hill country
- Citrus, maize and vegetables on the Poverty Bay flats
- Chardonnay grapes
- Plantation forestry
Main centres: Gisborne (Tūranganui-a-Kiwa), Tolaga Bay, Ruatoria
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Hawke’s BayTe Matau-a-Māui
A dry, sunny east coast region with rich plains for fruit and wine and big hill-country stations.
Known for
- Apple and pear orchards on the Heretaunga Plains
- Wine grapes, including the Gimblett Gravels
- Sheep and beef stations inland
- Vegetable and seed crops
Main centres: Napier, Hastings, Waipukurau, Wairoa
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Taranaki
High rainfall and rich volcanic soils around Taranaki Maunga make this classic dairy country.
Known for
- Dairy farms on the ring plain around the maunga
- Sheep and beef in the eastern hill country
Main centres: New Plymouth (Ngāmotu), Hāwera, Stratford
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Manawatū-Whanganui
From the central plateau to the coast: hill-country sheep and beef, dairy on the plains and mixed cropping.
Known for
- Sheep and beef on the Rangitīkei and Whanganui hill country
- Dairy on the Manawatū plains
- Regular livestock sales at Feilding
- Agricultural research and study in Palmerston North
Main centres: Palmerston North (Te Papaioea), Whanganui, Feilding, Taihape
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Te Ika-a-Māui · North Island
Wellington & WairarapaTe Whanganui-a-Tara · Wairarapa
Beyond the capital, the Wairarapa is long-established sheep and beef country with a well-known wine area.
Known for
- Sheep and beef farms in the Wairarapa
- Pinot noir around Martinborough
- Dairy on the Wairarapa plains
Main centres: Masterton (Whakaoriori), Carterton, Martinborough
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
Tasman & NelsonTe Tai-o-Aorere & Whakatū
Sunny top-of-the-south country known for fruit, hops and forestry.
Known for
- Apple orchards and berry fruit around Motueka and the Waimea Plains
- Hop gardens
- Dairy in Golden Bay
- Plantation forestry
Main centres: Nelson, Richmond, Motueka, Tākaka
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
MarlboroughTe Tauihu-o-te-waka
Dry, sunny valleys best known for sauvignon blanc, backed by rugged high-country stations.
Known for
- Sauvignon blanc vineyards in the Wairau and Awatere valleys
- Merino and sheep and beef high-country stations
- Mussel farming in the Marlborough Sounds
Main centres: Blenheim (Waiharakeke), Picton, Seddon
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
West CoastTe Tai Poutini
A long, wet strip between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea, with dairy farms on the river flats.
Known for
- Dairy farming on the coastal and river flats
- High rainfall pasture growth
- Native bush and forestry
Main centres: Greymouth (Māwhera), Westport, Hokitika
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
CanterburyWaitaha
The largest region, stretching from the Canterbury Plains to the high country of the Southern Alps.
Known for
- Arable crops, grain and seed growing on the Canterbury Plains
- Irrigated dairy farms
- Merino sheep in the high country and Mackenzie Basin
- Deer farms
- Wine in North Canterbury and Waipara
Main centres: Christchurch (Ōtautahi), Ashburton, Timaru, Rangiora
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
OtagoŌtākou
Hot, dry summers and cold winters inland; rolling pasture towards the coast.
Known for
- Fine merino wool from Central Otago high country
- Cherries, apricots and other stonefruit around Cromwell and Alexandra
- Pinot noir in Central Otago
- Sheep, beef and dairy in North and South Otago
Main centres: Dunedin (Ōtepoti), Alexandra, Cromwell, Oamaru, Balclutha
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Te Waipounamu · South Island
SouthlandMurihiku
Cool, reliable rainfall and fertile plains that grow a lot of grass: prime sheep and dairy country.
Known for
- Sheep farming on the Southland Plains
- Dairy farms
- Deer farming
- Winter crops for stock feed
Main centres: Invercargill (Waihōpai), Gore, Winton, Te Anau
No region matches both filters. Try "All types" or "Both islands".
Handy tools for your kind of farm
- Dairy: Feed budget calculator
- Sheep & beef: Livestock sale value
- Arable & cropping: Seeding rate calculator
- Horticulture & fruit: Spray tank mix
- Who to call: farm help directory
A general guide only. Regions farm far more than we can list here, and conditions change from farm to farm. Got a correction or something we should add? Tell us.