Milford Sound
At Southern Discoveries, we’re always looking for fresh ways to help our guests experience the best of Fiordland. Alongside our Milford Sound cruises, Fiordland Jet rides and Te Anau Glowworm Caves tours, we’re proud to offer visitors the chance to experience Woodstone Farm, a genuine, family-run working farm just five minutes from Te Anau.
If you want to slow down, meet the animals that built New Zealand’s rural backbone and see real Kiwi farming up close, a visit to Woodstone Farm is one of the most memorable additions you can make to your Fiordland trip.
About Woodstone Farm
Woodstone Farm is a working farm experience set on 615 Te Anau-Mossburn Highway, just outside Te Anau. It’s not a farmstay or accommodation. It’s a day-visit attraction where land, animals and people connect. The farm is home to sheep, alpacas, cows and chickens, along with seasonal gardens and mazes that make it a favourite with families, couples and independent travellers alike.
Whether you join a guided farm tour or choose a self-guided visit, Woodstone Farm offers the kind of hospitality you only find in small-town rural New Zealand. It’s honest, unhurried and warm. A welcome change of pace from the Milford Road.
Where to find us
Woodstone Farm Te Anau is just a five-minute drive from the township, so it’s easy to add to any Fiordland itinerary. Te Anau sits on the shores of New Zealand’s second-largest lake and is the natural base for exploring Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
From Queenstown, you’re about two hours south on State Highway 94, a great drive in its own right, winding through rolling farmland and past snow-capped peaks. There’s free parking on site, so reaching Woodstone Farm is simple whether you’re self-driving or arriving with one of our Coach & Cruise packages.
What to expect on a guided farm tour
Our recommended way to experience the farm is on a guided tour, led by the local farmers who know every paddock, every animal and every story. Tours run three times daily, at 9am, 10:45am and 3:15pm, so there’s plenty of flexibility to pair a tour with a Milford Sound cruise or a Fiordland Jet ride.
On a guided tour, you’ll:
- Meet the friendly farm animals, including sheep, alpacas, cows and chickens
- Watch a live sheep shearing demonstration, a true icon of New Zealand farming
- See the working dogs in action, rounding up the mob with real precision
- Enjoy a Kiwi-style morning or afternoon tea with the farmers
For many of our international guests, it’s the highlight of their South Island trip. A rare chance to see the country beyond the postcards and to experience the kind of hospitality that defines small-town New Zealand.
Self-guided visits
If you prefer to explore at your own pace, you’re welcome to drop in for a self-guided visit. There’s no need to book. Simply wander through the farm, take photos, meet the animals and explore the seasonal gardens and mazes. It’s a relaxed, family-friendly way to spend an hour or two before continuing your Fiordland trip.
Combine Woodstone Farm with the Fiordland Jet and save 15%
If you’d like something faster paced as well, our Fiordland Jet Combo is the ideal way to do both in a single day. Pair a Woodstone Farm visit with a Fiordland Jet ride across Lake Te Anau and up the Upper Waiau River, and you’ll save 15% on the combined price.
Our Fiordland Jet is one of the most exciting ways to experience Fiordland, with 360-degree spins, braided river channels and big scenery. Paired with the calm of a farm tour, it’s a great yin-and-yang day out for families, couples and groups.
Pair your farm visit with our other Fiordland experiences
Woodstone Farm works beautifully alongside the rest of our Fiordland lineup. Here are a few ideas to help you plan your trip.
### Add a Milford Sound cruise
The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is one of the most scenic in the country, winding through old beech forest, past mirror lakes and through the Homer Tunnel. Join us on a Nature Cruise for a relaxed exploration of the fiord, or step up to a Discover More Cruise for a visit to our Milford Sound Underwater Observatory, the only floating underwater observatory in New Zealand.
### Take a scenic flight
For a bucket-list day, our Scenic Flight & Cruise combines a flight over the mountains with a cruise on Milford Sound. A great way to see Fiordland from above and below.
When to visit Woodstone Farm
Te Anau and Fiordland are a genuine year-round destination. Summer (December to February) brings long daylight hours and warm afternoons, perfect for pairing a farm tour with a full day on the water. Autumn’s golden light (March to May) makes for great photos across the paddocks. Winter (June to August) offers quieter days, snow-dusted mountains and some of the clearest Fiordland skies of the year. Spring (September to November) sees new lambs and fresh waterfalls, with the whole landscape coming back to life.
Whatever the season, pack layers, sturdy shoes and insect repellent. Fiordland weather moves fast, and sandflies are part of the landscape.
Book your Woodstone Farm experience
A visit to Woodstone Farm is more than just a tick on your itinerary. It’s a chance to experience the real New Zealand, where land, animals and people still connect the way they always have. Whether you join a guided tour, drop in for a self-guided visit, or pair it with our Fiordland Jet Combo for 15% off, it’s one of the most rewarding ways to round out a Fiordland trip.
Ready to add a real farm day to your trip?
We’d love to share a day at Woodstone Farm with you on the way to Milford Sound. Our Coach, Farm Tour & Nature Cruise pairs a working farm visit, lunch on the lake and a full cruise on the fiord into one beautifully simple day. We promise it’ll be a highlight.
Book our Coach, Farm Tour & Nature Cruise
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