Itinerary

SDSU Agricultural Students Study Tour to New Zealand

May 2013

Tuesday 7 May Arrive Auckland                                            

****  Arrive at Auckland, New Zealand Enjoy an orientation tour of Auckland and the city sights

****  Visit the Auckland Museum.

****  Visit the Observation Deck in Sky Tower followed by dinner at the Fortuna Restaurant.

Overnight Auckland

Wednesday 8 May Auckland 

****  Meet with Keith Vallabh, Chair Fresh Vegetable Product Group, Horticulture New Zealand for an overview of the vegetable industry and to visit growers.

****  Gallagher Animal Management Systems produce electric fence, weighing and EID systems and is a division of Gallagher Group, another privately owned company. 




****  Milfos is a privately owned New Zealand company which offers complete milking and herd management solutions for Rotary or Herringbone dairy systems and exports to more than 20 countries. 

Overnight Hamilton

Thursday 9 May Hamilton - Rotorua              

****  Morrinsville. A rural town where it will be possible to visit a farm merchandise store.

****  Visit Grant Wills and Karen Preston who milk 635 cows on 235 ha near Matamata.   

****  Lunch in Matamata.

****  Overview of the New Zealand Forest Industry with Gerard Horgan, Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry for Primary Industries.

****  Skyline Gondola and Dinner at Skyline Restaurant.

Overnight Rotorua

Friday 10 May Rotorua                         

****  Visit the Agrodome

****  Te Puia – the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve and the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute

****  Tumunui Maori Lands Trust. 

****  “Maori Hangi” traditional feast and cultural experience.

Overnight Rotorua. 

Saturday 11 May Rotorua - Napier   

****  Visit Kairuru Polled Hereford Stud.  Kevin & Jane McDonald

****  Visit Huka Falls and Taupo.  

****  Trelinnoe Farm.  Bruce Willis, President of Federated Farmers

****  Visit apple orchards, kiwifruit and stonefruit orchards in Hawkes Bay with Horticulturalist, Win Heuser.

Overnight Napier. 

Sunday 12 May Napier – Palmerston North                 

****  Hastings Farmers Market

****  Visit Maranoa.  Meet with owner, John Spiers. The main enterprise is breeding deer but Friesian bulls are also farmed.

****  Visit a hill country property managed by John and Jane Heald and where composite breeds of cattle (Red Stabilisers) and sheep (Highlander and Primera) are managed in an innovative breeding program.         

Overnight Palmerston North.

 Monday 13 May Palmerston North – Wellington                    

****  Meet with Professor Nicola Shadbolt at Massey University. Nicola is an expert in farm business management and is also a director of Fonterra.

                          

****  Travel south to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. 

****   Beef + Lamb New Zealand for an overview of the sheep and beef industries.  Rob Davison, Executive Director, Economic Service.

****  Ministry for Primary Industries to discuss role of MAF and current issues facing agriculture.  Erin Maher, Analyst, Trade Policy.

****  Te Papa Museum and Parliament, Mt Victoria.

Overnight Wellington.

Tuesday 14 May, Wellington – Christchurch                

****  Ferry from Wellington across the Cook Strait to the South Island. 

****  Intercity coach from Picton to Christchurch.     

Overnight Christchurch

Wednesday 15 May Christchurch – Ashburton          

****  Visit Nevele R Stud which is a well known Standardbred Stud.

****  Visit David & Hillary Ward’s mixed cropping farm (wheat, barley, oats, peas, potatoes etc).

****  Visit Ted & Sue Rollinson’s dairy farm and meet with their sharemilker, Tom Hannigan.  

Overnight Ashburton 

Thursday 16 May Ashburton – Twizel           

****  Visit Haldon Station, a High Country Station where Hereford cattle, fine wool Merino sheep and Red deer are bred. Paddy & Barbara Boyd.

****  Continue to Twizel via Tekapo.  

Overnight Twizel

Friday 17 May Twizel – Queenstown          

****  Travel to Queenstown via the Lindis Pass, Cromwell and the Kawerau Gorge.

****  Afternoon for leisure activities.

Overnight Queenstown  

Saturday 18 May Queenstown – Otautau     

****  Morning for leisure activities.

****  Depart Queenstown. Drive to Otautau to meet farmstay hosts mid afternoon.  Transfer by private car to host’s properties.

Overnight Farmstay

Sunday 19 May Otautau – Oamaru                                    

****  Robert & Maryanne Kane’s sheep and beef farm plus dairy farm.  A composite breed of sheep is run as well as Hereford and Angus studs.  

****  Depart for Oamaru via Dunedin.

****  Excursion to see Little Blue Penguins come ashore.

Overnight Oamaru

Monday 20 May Oamaru – Christchurch – Depart        

****  Visit Mitchell/Webster Partnership, an intensive cropping farm which specializes in the production of sunflower and canary seed and where a variety of crops are grown- feed wheat, barley, ryegrass, hybrid rape, potatoes, lucerne, fodder beet plus maize and grass silage.

****  Visit John & Joanne Van Polanen’s 680 cow irrigated dairy farm with a lower order sharemilker plus two support farms.

****  Arrive Selwyn District Council, Rolleston.  Listen to public submissions finishing at 5.00pm and then meet with Mayor Kelvin Coe and Councilors.