Farming Education
A Family Activity

Farming education becomes a fun family activity in Auckland’s Regional Parks. Living and visiting Auckland covers quite well the fact that New Zealand’s main export goods are dairy and meat products. On working farms around Auckland visitors get in contact with a variety of farm works and animals.

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Ambury Regional Park

This Park is fifteen minutes south of Auckland City located. Its views stretch over Manukau Heads and the Waitakere Ranges in the distance.

The park has walks following a bird life rich coast, pre-bookable camping opportunity and a picnic area.

On the farm itself is something to see or do all year round. Come together with all farm animals except during the lambing season between July and August. After this time go and help with lamb feeding. Between June and November cows are milked and their calves are feed.

The highlight is a festival held once a year in October. Every stand displays or invites to activities related to farming. Become spectator, student or maker.

Wood sculpturing, sack race, boot throw, horse ride, guessing the weight of a bull, sheep shearing and many more stands promise an eventful day out. It’s fun for the whole family.



The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park has three working farms to visit. One is in Bethells, Anawhata and the Karamatura Farm. The latter one we visited on Waitangi day, the 6th February.

Karamatura Farm

A small farm nestled in the picturesque setting of Huia Bay. The children had fun watching sheep shearing, suckling piglets and a tractor ride. They learned about water pumps and how old fashioned grain mills work.

One of the hands on activities was to make butter out of cream.

After succeeding to make butter the result was rinsed with water. Through an old flour sac the excess liquid was drained.

Finally two products were gained. One was naturally the butter and the second was buttermilk. In former times buttermilk was used to bake scones.

Everyone was welcome to try a buttered piece of baguette with homemade jam. This was just delicious.

Combine your farming education day with a picnic in Huia Bay or at Karamatura stream.

It is a wonderful spot close by that has the opportunity for pre-booked camping, waterholes to swim in, an abseiling area and is starting point of Karamatura Loop Walk.








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