Tussock Ridge Farm Tours

This was an exceptional experience that we highly recommend. Not only do you have the opportunity to see the breathtaking landscapes of the region, but you also get to learn about the important role of farming in NZ, sustainable farming practices, wind-powered energy, and the animals that call Tussock Ridge home. Ward is a wealth of information and extremely charismatic, and it was amazing to being able to get the tour from the expert who runs the farm. His passion and love for the farm is evident at every turn, both in how he talks about the land and as you see it for yourself, and makes this tour unforgettably special. This was the highlight of our time in Wellington, and we encourage other visitors to go on this must-do tour!

Awesome tour and unforgettable memories! Our guide, Ward, showed us around his farm and the turbines in his jeep. Very authentic sharings of his experiences as a farmer, the animals and preserving environment. Anyone visiting Wellington should definitely not miss this!

Ward is a terrific tour operator and took us on a fun and unique experience. He is extremely down-to-earth and kept an eye out on the forecast prior to the tour, suggesting alternative days to ensure its smooth running. We fed eels, wild horses and enjoyed close contact with sheep. His wife also kindly baked us delicious blueberry muffins. Thanks for accommodating us and ensuring we had a great time - we learnt a lot!

We went on this tour yesterday. WOW. Ward is so nice and smart. One of the best tours we have ever done. Learned so much about conserving the land. We fed eels sheep and horses. Beautiful countryside. Don’t miss it. And Alex his wife made the best blueberry muffins for us that we ate at their cute cabin with incredible seaside views. Thanks Ward for memories we will cherish

This was a magnificent experience! We choose to drive out ourselves and meet Ward at their farm. This gave us a good discount. We were taken onto a road that was made to build and service 23 wind turbines. As we were driven around, Ward had a wealth ok knowledge on the wind turbines and farming in general. Our first stop was to visit a heard of horses from the Kaimanawa Ranges. We got to feed and pat the horses. We were then taken to stand directly beneath one of the wind turbines, that is an experience in itself. From there we went to a wee cabin that had a direct view of the South Island. Actually from the North Island, the best view of the South Island I've ever seen. We got to feed and pat sheep and actually enter the same area they were and let them run around us as we entered the cabin where we we given hot drinks, fresh baked blueberry muffins and NZ cheese on crackers. We sat in a small cabin enjoyed the view while the sheep ran around. Ward was an extremely knowledgeable tour guide. We had the benefit of having his young daughter join us as she wad opening and closing the gates. It was great to have a child not stuck to her phone or computer. After this we returned to our starting point, Where we got to feed eels 2 of them were 50 and 60 years of age. For people who have been raised in the cith or overseas an absolute gem of a tour. For the current price I think it was very fair. If you're looking for a place away from the hustle and bustle it's close enough to Wellington Central and only a 30 minute drive. This is as Kiwi as it gets. Thank you Tussock Ridge!

Absolutely fantastic, very friendly relaxing experience, Ward is a genuine guy and Alex his wife supplies amazing muffins, a lovely couple, i throughly recommend this experience, i am kiwi, bought up in a countty NZ town, I found it very interesting. I would absolutely recommend this tour to anybody.

Ward the farmer was so warm and friendly and open to talk about everything I felt like the 3 hours we spent together I got to know all about New Zealand and everything that makes her tick and experienced all the beauty and the animals all-at-once. it was a true cultural immersion ❤️

Honestly this shouldn’t even be called a tour……because it’s an experience! An AMAZING one, in fact. It’s something city dwellers (like us) would never properly encounter from the confines of our 65” flatscreen. Don’t go with the expectation of visiting a petting zoo although you will definitely pet plenty of animals (or they will nuzzle you even if you don’t).Ward, the “guide” and farm owner was absolutely hospitable and friendly. He made us feel right at home and there were times I forgot I was on a “tour” but instead I felt like I was in a farm stay. He’s also super knowledgeable and informative, answering every question we threw his way without cringing even once (we asked a lot of questions).The best part is he basically brings you through the vastness of his 1000 acre farm (it’s like a “behind the scenes” of New Zealand’s economic anchor) and you get up and personal with a number of animals. We had the privilege of feeding his 1 week old calf with a bottle of milk (that calf might not be a baby anymore if someone is reading this review years later), played with his dogs, and even had a really enjoyable afternoon with his sheep-dog (not a dog- it’s their pet sheep that behaves like a dog and his name is Mr. Bumpy).The stories he has to tell about the wild horses (which he brings you to feed) are heartbreaking yet inspiring. You can really feel his passion for his horses from the way he talks about them, and you leave feeling a sense of sobriety and a tinge of sadness.The wind turbines are certainly a sight to behold. Especially if you go on a good day and the turbines are spinning at full tilt. Caveat: a good day where they are spinning at max speed is also a day you might lose your hat.. or hair. So do be prepared!When you hear Ward say he’s bringing you to his cabin by the sea far from sight, sound, and cell reception….. don’t worry! He’s not going to send you to the meat works (we’re still here aren’t we?). One of the best parts of our experience was just hanging out with Ward by the cliff side near the sea with his wife’s AMAZINGGGGG home made muffins, tea, milk, and crackers, just chatting and asking him questions. You could, of course, play with their 10-15 pet sheep that will be constantly attempting to gently breach the gate of his cabin, but that’s really up to you!All-in-all, a 10/10 experience. At the time of this writing, they don’t have a lot of reviews on Google/Maps, but they have ton of them on TripAdvisor so do check them out!