The farm show, nursery and tractor tour
A working-farm visit listed at two and a half hours: a stage show with sheep and dogs, a nursery of baby animals, a guided tractor-trailer tour and farm tastings. It is a daytime outing.
Worth it with kids?
Is the Rotorua farm show worth it with kids?
The short answer
Yes, for most families. In about two and a half hours children watch a stage show with sheep, dogs and a live shearing, hold baby animals in a nursery, and ride a tractor-trailer round the paddocks, hand-feeding animals on the way. Reviewers score it 4.8 across 311 ratings, and the ticket page names all ages and fitness levels. It is a daytime outing on a working farm, with food and drink bought separately.
Is
What it is
A working farm of 350 acres at 141 Western Road in Ngongotahā, about ten minutes' drive from central Rotorua. The visit runs in a fixed order: a farm show with a cast of animals, a nursery of baby animals, a guided tour on an all-weather tractor-trailer, then tastings of farm honey and kiwifruit. Agrodome, which runs the farm, says it has welcomed visitors since 1971.
Is not
What it isn't
Not a petting zoo you roam at your own pace, because the show and the tour run in sequence and a guide leads the tour. Not an evening show. Not a ticket with transport: you drive, or take a bus or taxi. And not a performance you watch from a safe distance if you sit in the front row, where reviewers say guests get picked for the stage and splashed.
Suits
Who it suits
Families with children of almost any age, grandparents who want something gentle, and visitors who want a day outdoors after the geothermal parks. Toddlers tend to enjoy the nursery more than the show's patter, and older children warm up when the sheepdogs work. Skip it if you dislike farm smells, audience participation or standing close to animals.
The farm in four facts
- Where
- 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā, about 10 minutes' drive from central Rotorua.
- The farm
- A working farm of 350 acres.
- Format
- A farm show, the nursery, a guided tractor-trailer tour and tastings, listed at 2.5 hours.
- When
- A daytime visit, not an evening show.
On the farm
What the farm puts in front of you
These are the parts of the visit in the order the booking page gives them, with the extra detail Agrodome adds on its own pages. Read them as the shape of the day, not as a promise that a given animal or act will appear.
- 01 The show About 45 minutes
A cast of farm animals
The stage show is built around a line-up of sheep, a live shearing demonstration, working dogs and a short history of New Zealand farming, told with humour and audience participation. Agrodome says guests may be invited up to feed lambs or hand-milk a cow.
- 02 The breeds
Sheep, breed by breed
Agrodome says the show introduces its sheep breeds one at a time. Wikipedia's account of sheep farming in New Zealand names Romney, Corriedale, Perendale and Coopworth among the breeds farmed there, and says Romney make up nearly two thirds of the national flock.
- 03 Shearing
A fleece comes off, live
The booking page lists live sheep shearing as part of the show. Agrodome says the farm was founded in 1971 by a world champion shearer and a local farmer, after a sheep show made for the 1970 World Expo in Osaka proved popular.
- 04 The dogs About 15 minutes more
Sheepdogs at work
Dogs work on the stage and, according to Agrodome, in a short dog-trial demonstration outdoors after the show. Wikipedia says the first sheepdog trials were held in New Zealand in the 1860s, and that the Huntaway, a loud-barking driving dog, is a New Zealand breed.
- 05 The nursery
The Farmyard Nursery
After the show you can visit the nursery, where the farm keeps its baby animals. Agrodome says they are available for cuddles and photos all year, so what you meet depends on the season.
- 06 The tour About an hour
Through the paddocks on a tractor-trailer
A guide drives an all-weather trailer through orchards and paddocks. You can hop off to meet animals and hand-feed sheep, alpacas and more; Agrodome names deer, llamas, ostrich and pigs as well. A few reviewers wanted clearer commentary on the ride, so listen early and ask the guide.
- 07 Tastings
Farm honey and kiwifruit
The visit ends with tastings of farm honey and kiwifruit. Wikipedia says the fruit began to be sold as kiwifruit in 1959, when a New Zealand exporter dropped the older name Chinese gooseberry.
The order and the animals can change with the season and the day. The booking page and your voucher are the reference. The sheep, dog and kiwifruit background comes from Wikipedia and is about the animals, not about this farm.
How the visit runs
How the visit runs
Your voucher carries the start time and the check-in steps, so none are given here. This is the order a family meets things in.
- 1 Book
Choose a date
Open the calendar, pick a date and look at the start time printed on your voucher. The farm runs its shows on set times through the day, and which one you hold depends on the option you choose.
- 2 Arrive
Park and check in
There is free parking on the farm, and no pickup from hotels, so you make your own way. Agrodome says a city bus from Rotorua also serves the farm.
- 3 Watch
The farm show
Sheep, dogs, shearing and farm history on a stage, with the audience pulled in. Agrodome puts the show at about 45 minutes, followed by a short dog demonstration outside.
- 4 Meet
The nursery, then the tour
The baby animals come first, then the guided tractor-trailer tour of orchards and paddocks, which Agrodome puts at about an hour. Animals are fed by hand on the way.
- 5 After
Tastings and lunch
Farm honey and kiwifruit close the ticket. Food and drink are not included, and Agrodome says there is a café on the farm for lunch.
Farm show or kiwi hatchery
The farm show and the kiwi hatchery, side by side
| Question | The farm show | The kiwi hatchery |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Show, nursery, tractor tour and tastings in one ticket | A kiwi encounter at a conservation hatchery |
| Where | 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā | On the same farm, according to Agrodome |
| Animals | Sheep, dogs, baby animals, alpacas and more | Kiwi chicks and adult kiwi |
| Length | Listed at 2.5 hours | Listed at about an hour |
| Youngest visitors | All ages, per the booking page | Agrodome says no infants inside; check the age rule |
| Best for | A lively, hands-on half day | A shorter, quieter look at kiwi and their care |
Ticket details
What a ticket gets you
Seven points to check before you commit to a day.
- Format
- A farm visit in four parts: the farm show, the Farmyard Nursery, a guided tractor-trailer tour with animal feeding, and honey and kiwifruit tastings.
- Where
- A working farm of 350 acres at 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā, about ten minutes' drive from central Rotorua.
- Length
- Listed at two and a half hours. Agrodome suggests allowing at least that.
- Included
- Farm entry, the show, the guided tour on an all-weather vehicle, the nursery, animal feeding, and the honey and kiwifruit tastings.
- Not included
- Food and drink, which you can buy at the café on the farm. There is no pickup from hotels; parking on the farm is free.
- Language
- A live guide in English. The booking page itself can be read in other languages.
- Booking terms
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, and the booking page offers reserve now, pay later. Your checkout screen shows the terms that apply.
Photographs
The stage, the flock and the land around Ngongotahā
Two photographs come from the Agrodome farm show stage and two from other New Zealand sheep farms, and the alt text says which. The two wide bands show the countryside above Ngongotahā and a sunset in Rotorua. None shows a particular day of the show.
Other Rotorua days for a family
The farm show, and three more ways to fill a Rotorua day
The first card is the farm visit this site covers. The second is the other big animal visit in Rotorua, the kiwi hatchery. The last two are active half days in the forest and along the old rail line.
A kiwi encounter at the National Kiwi Hatchery
The other family animal visit in Rotorua, listed at about an hour. Kiwi are the subject, not sheep. Agrodome says the hatchery now stands on its own farm, so the two can share a day.
Redwoods high ropes and glowworms
An active two-hour outing among the redwoods, listed with high ropes and ziplines and a glowworm finish. It suits older children and teenagers rather than toddlers.
Self-drive rail car with an audio guide
A two-hour ride in a small rail car that you drive yourself, listed with an audio guide and starting in Ngongotahā. A quieter way to see the countryside.
More things to book in Rotorua
Practical notes
Reaching the farm, dressing for it and the costs outside the ticket
The address
The farm is at 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā. Wikipedia places Ngongotahā about 10 km north-west of the Rotorua city centre, and the booking page puts the farm about ten minutes' drive away.
By car
Agrodome says Western Road runs off State Highway 5, and the booking page lists free parking on the farm. Most visitors drive, because the ticket has no transport.
By bus or taxi
Agrodome says a city bus from the Rotorua i-SITE stops at the farm and that taxis can reach it. Look up the current timetable before you rely on a bus.
What to wear
The trailers run in all weather. The booking page says to dress warmly in winter, with two to four layers, and to bring a rain jacket on wet days. If you sit in the front row of the show, spare clothes help.
Food and drink
Neither is in the ticket. Agrodome says there is a café on the farm, so lunch fits straight after the tour.
Access
Agrodome says the show is wheelchair accessible except on the stage, and that the tour has an accessible trailer you should arrange with the farm beforehand. It also lends sensory kits.
More reading
Six guides to a Rotorua farm day
- 01 Start here
Rotorua farm show with kids
Is the Rotorua farm show worth it with kids? What the Ngongotahā show, nursery and tractor tour involve, who it suits, and what costs extra. Read the guide → - 02 Compare
Farm show or kiwi hatchery?
A farm show or the kiwi hatchery: which Rotorua animal visit suits your family? Format, length, ages and how to combine them, with sources. Read the guide → - 03 Getting there
Getting to the farm in Ngongotahā
How to reach the Rotorua farm show at 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā: driving, the city bus, taxis, parking, access, and what is nearby. Read the guide → - 04 Background
Sheep breeds and the farm show
The sheep, dogs and shearing in a New Zealand farm show: how sheep reached the country, which breeds matter, and where sheepdog trials began. Read the guide → - 05 Practical
What to wear on the farm tour
What to wear and bring to the Rotorua farm show and tractor-trailer tour: layers, rain, shoes, the front-row splash zone, sensory kits and small children. Read the guide → - 06 Booking
Booking the Rotorua farm show
How to book the Rotorua farm show: what the ticket includes and leaves out, cancellation, language, access, and how it compares with booking direct. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions parents ask before booking
Is the Rotorua farm show worth it with kids?
For most families, yes. Sheep, dogs and live shearing on a stage, a nursery of baby animals and a tractor-trailer tour share one ticket. Reviewers give it 4.8 from 311 ratings, and the page lists all ages. This is a daytime outing and not an evening show.
How long does the visit take?
The page for this ticket gives two and a half hours. Agrodome puts the farm show at about 45 minutes, a dog demonstration at about 15 minutes more and the farm tour at about an hour, so allow the full time and a little extra for lunch.
Is there pickup from hotels?
No. You make your own way to the farm, which is about ten minutes' drive from central Rotorua, and parking on the farm is free. Agrodome says a city bus from Rotorua also stops there.
Will my child be picked for the stage?
Possibly. Reviewers say guests in the front row can be picked to go on stage and that the front row is a splash zone. Sit further back if your child would rather watch, and tell the host early if you would like to volunteer.
Is it only for small children?
No. The booking page says it suits all ages and fitness levels. Younger children tend to like the nursery and the animal feeding most, and older children and adults tend to enjoy the shearing and the sheepdogs.
What should we wear?
Dress for the weather outdoors. The trailers run in all weather, so the booking page advises two to four layers in winter and a rain jacket on wet days. You can hop off the trailer to meet animals, so wear shoes you do not mind getting dirty.
Is this site run by the farm?
No. This is an independent guide with no affiliation to the farm, its operator or its performers. You book through GetYourGuide; this site can earn a commission from a button, and your price stays the same.
Is it the same as the kiwi hatchery?
No, though Agrodome says the National Kiwi Hatchery now stands on its farm. The farm show is about sheep, dogs and farm life, listed at two and a half hours. The hatchery encounter is about kiwi, listed at about an hour, and is booked separately.
A working farm, a stage full of sheep and a tractor-trailer ride, ten minutes from Rotorua.
Check dates for the farm show ↗The booking calendar shows the price in your currency when you open it.