Sitting just below Station Peak Hill in north Otago, and set in tranquil park like surroundings, the grand old farm homestead built in the 1880’s now provides local travellers and overseas tourists with an exquisite taste of traditional rural New Zealand.
Views from the front door of the Waitaki River, Dansey’s Pass and ranges along with Campbell’s Park, complement the properties own majestic landscape.
With exponential growth in New Zealand’s tourism, the homestead was set up as accommodation in 2017, establishing a steady market from the North Island’s four-wheel drive tours as well as a growing international market primarily from the United States, UK and Europe.
Proximity to the Ocean to Alps cycle trail from Mount Cook to Oamaru has provided a source of travelers as has Waitaki itself – famous for the impressively dramatic Clay Cliffs.
Owned by the Pavletich family who has farmed the surrounding farmland for 100 years, the homestead has been lovingly restored, preserving the character and charm of a bygone age.
Once a sheep and beef station, the property, just 10 minutes from Kurow, commenced conversion to dairy some 14 years ago and is now home to 2200 cows milked off a long and narrow 621ha platform bordering the Waitaki River.
Stretching nine kilometres from top to bottom, the cows are milked through two sheds—one at the top and the other more central.
An irrigated support block of 53ha of fl at land, along with another 158ha of non-irrigated developed hill country sits at the bottom end of the farm, as does the homestead.
Peak milking just under 2200 cows this season, the farm is on target to achieve 460kgMS per cow and targets a million solids overall.
Situated at the far end of the farm, homestead guests are not disturbed by the 4.00am milking run but have the opportunity to take a tour of the working farm, and if the timing is right view a milking in progress or just take a tour of the shed.
While farming operations are managed by fourth generation Pavletich, Michael and his wife Olivia, the homestead accommodation is managed by Michael’s brother Matthew, wife Alex, and the bothers’ parents Julie and Kieran.
“The accommodation has been designed to give people that Kiwi farming experience,” says Michael. “The dairy industry as a whole is not over glorified in New Zealand. So it’s quite nice to let people in our gates so they can see how we do it first hand. We try to send them away with a positive impression on the place and dairy farming in general.”
Michael says that a busload of elderly travellers recently stopped by for an afternoon tea in the expansive grounds and there has been one wedding this season with another one scheduled.
Julie and Kieran Pavletich live in the homestead and always on hand to provide a hearty country welcome to weary guests.
Michael says his mother loves to provide guests with a real country style meal, using local wines to give that real Waitaki Valley/Station Peak experience.
“Mum and dad have also set up the footer/workers cottages behind the main Homestead, as self contained units, providing more accommodation options for our guests.”
Proud to be part of the intergenerational farming operation, Michael says that his goal is to be able pass the farm on to the next generation when that time comes.
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Homestead a taste of rural New Zealand
