Get to know the residents at Agrodome Farm Show. Photo / Adrian Hodge Photography
Get to know the residents at Agrodome Farm Show. Photo / Adrian Hodge Photography
Shelley Burnett is the Business Manager at Agrodome in Rotorua, and she personally knows Shaun the Sheep.
Agrodome offers visitors the opportunity to experience a world outside our increasingly online lives. Everyone can immerse themselves in hands-on farm activities, such as feeding sheep, milking cows, cuddlingalpacas or lambs, and jumping on a tractor ride. With more than 50 years of experience, Agrodome creates a remarkable connection between people, the land, and animals.
Try your hand at milking the cows at Agrodome Farm Show. Photo / Supplied
We guarantee that every visitor will leave Agrodome with newfound knowledge about farming, and a sense of belonging to our whānau for the day. Currently, the alpacas are stealing the spotlight, receiving plenty of cuddles. Visitors quickly discover alpacas have no concept of personal space, eagerly grabbing any food you might have.
Shaun the Sheep also joined our flock last year and has been a hit with families. We’ve introduced “Super Shaun”, a 3 metre-tall version, and during school holidays you’ll find Shaun and Bitzer the Dog making guest appearances, as well as episodes of Shaun’s best shows playing on the big screen. The latest installation is Shaun’s free augmented reality app, “Hide & Sheep”, where users can find Shaun hidden in various places around the farm, collect stamps, and snap a selfie with Shaun. There are more big plans with Shaun the Sheep to come...
Bottle feeding the animals milk at the Agrodome Farm Show. Photo / Adrian Hodge Photography
Since reopening after Covid, Agrodome has been on a mission to bring the farm to the plate. We’ve opened a restaurant and cafe that focuses on local produce. The coffee at Farmhouse Cafe uses fresh milk from a farm less than 20km away and the coffee beans are roasted in Mourea on the other side of Lake Rotorua.
For those who haven’t visited Agrodome in a while, a brand-new adventure playground has also been constructed (fully fenced so the kids can run wild).
Meet the Alpacas at the Agrodome Farm Show. Photo / Adrian Hodge Photography
In addition to Agrodome, the aMAZEme hedge maze offers the perfect opportunity to get delightfully lost in the countryside.
Whakarewarewa Forest is locally known as “The Redwoods”. Walk it, bike it, run it – there is something for everyone. And grab yourself a “manky” from the information centre (a map-hanky of all the forest trails). A portion of the forest is just for dogs, in case you have your furry friend with you.
