DISCIPLINE 04 of 08 · FACTULTY-LED TOURS
AGRICULTURE - LIVESTOCK
Sheep, beef & deer farming
at the top of its game
New Zealand runs more sheep and beef cattle per person than almost any other nation on earth - and does it on some of the world's most spectacular high-country stations. For livestock students, this is the industry at its most efficient, most innovative, and most breathtaking.
7-21
DAYS
10-45
STUDENTS
NZ
BOTH ISLANDS
100%
CUSTON BUILT
WHY NEW ZEALAND
Livestock farming on a world stage
New Zealand has approximately six sheep for every person - one of the highest ratios in the world - and a beef and sheep industry that exports to over 100 countries. The industry is built on efficient, low-input, pasture-based systems that produce some of the world's most sought-after red meat, from Canterbury's iconic merino wool to Southland's prime lamb and the Hawke's Bay beef operations that supply high-end markets across Asia, Europe, and North America.
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What makes NZ livestock farming so compelling for students is the sheer diversity on offer - from vast South Island high-country merino stations stretching across thousands of hectares to intensive lowland finishing operations, deer farms producing velvet antler for Asian markets, and world-leading meat processing facilities that handle the full journey from farm to export. Students see the entire supply chain in a single tour.
"New Zealand livestock farming is the industry at its most dramatic - high-country merino stations that stretch to the horizon, world-class processing, and farmers who are among the most innovative in the world."
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Six sheep per person - NZ's sheep and beef industry exports to over 100 countries, generating NZ$10B+ annually​
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Iconic high-country stations - merino sheep farming on some of the world's most spectacular landscapes in Canterbury and Otago
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Full supply chain access - from breeding and pasture management through to processing, grading, and export
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Deer farming leadership - NZ is the world's largest producer of farmed venison and the dominant supplier of velvet antler globally
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything managed for your faculty
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Custom itinerary co-designed with your faculty around specific learning outcomes
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All transport, accommodation and meals fully managed
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High-country station, lowland farm and deer farm visits arranged
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Farmer, stock agent, veterinarian and processor speaker sessions
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Dedicated Dreamspoke guide throughout the entire programme
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Beef + Lamb NZ, Deer Industry NZ and Lincoln University visits included
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Meat processing and wool handling facility access arranged
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24/7 on-ground support from arrival to departure
KEY SITES
Where we take your students
Every livestock itinerary is built around your faculty's specific learning objectives - sheep, beef, deer or a combination. These are our most visited and educationally rich sites across both islands.
01
Canterbury · High-country merino
Canterbury & Mackenzie Basin High-Country Stations
Among the most iconic farming landscapes in the world - vast merino sheep stations running across the tussock grasslands and rocky terrain of the Canterbury and Mackenzie high country. Students meet station managers running complex operations across thousands of hectares, observe mustering, shearing, and wool handling, and learn about the unique challenges of high-altitude livestock farming.
02
Southland & Otago · Prime lamb & beef
Southland & Otago Sheep and Beef Farms
New Zealand's most productive lowland sheep and beef country - Southland and Otago produce some of the finest prime lamb in the world, destined for high-end markets in the UK, Europe, and North America. Students visit intensive finishing operations, attend livestock sales at regional saleyards, and observe pasture management systems that maximise production from some of NZ's most fertile flat land.
03
South Island · Meat processing
Silver Fern Farms - Meat Processing Facility
New Zealand's largest red meat exporter - Silver Fern Farms processes sheep, beef, and venison for markets across the globe. A full facility tour shows students the complete journey from liveweight livestock to chilled export product, including grading, boning, packaging, and cold chain logistics. One of the most memorable and educational visits on any livestock programme.
04
Canterbury · Deer farming
South Island Deer Farms
New Zealand is the world's leading producer of farmed venison and the dominant global supplier of velvet antler - a multi-million dollar export to Asian health markets. Students visit deer farms operating at scale, observe velvet antler harvesting processes, and meet farmers managing a species that was only domesticated in New Zealand in the 1970s.
05
Hawke's Bay · Beef farming
Hawke's Bay Beef Operations
New Zealand's premier beef country - Hawke's Bay's rolling hill country runs some of the country's most productive beef breeding and finishing operations. Students visit farms focused on breed selection, nutrition management, and the production of premium beef for high-value export markets, including Angus, Hereford, and crossbred cattle systems.
06
Lincoln · Academic research
Lincoln University & AgResearch
New Zealand's specialist land-based university with world-class livestock and pastoral science research. Faculty meetings, farm visits, and presentations from leading NZ animal scientists - alongside AgResearch's work on animal productivity, genetics, and sustainable pastoral systems.
SAMPLE PROGRAMME
What a livestock tour looks like
This is a sample outline only - every real programme is designed from scratch around your faculty's specific learning objectives, student level, and available dates. Shearing season (October–February) and lambing (July–September) offer particularly rich on-farm experiences.
SAMPLE PROGRAMME - 10 DAYS - BOTH ISLANDS
New Zealand Livestock Immersion - High Country to Export
Day 1
Christchurch arrival & industry overview
Welcome briefing, introduction to NZ sheep, beef and deer industries, Beef + Lamb NZ industry presentation
Day 2
Canterbury high-country merino station
Full-day visit to a working high-country station - mustering, wool handling, station management, landscape ecology overview
Day 3
Mackenzie Basin & Aoraki
​Second high-country station visit, Mackenzie Basin landscape, Aoraki/Mount Cook scenic stop, overnight Queenstown
Day 4
Otago & Central Otago farming
Lowland sheep and beef finishing farm, livestock handling facilities, saleyards visit if timing permits
Day 5
South Island deer farm
Deer farm visit - velvet antler production, herd management, venison supply chain overview, farmer Q&A
Day 6
Southland - prime lamb operations
Southland sheep and beef farm, prime lamb finishing systems, pasture management, overnight Invercargill
Day 7
Silver Fern Farms - meat processing
Full processing facility tour, slaughter floor, boning room, grading, packaging and cold chain export logistics
Day 8
Lincoln University & AgResearch
Faculty meetings, livestock research farm, animal science presentations, pastoral systems research overview
Day 9
Hawke's Bay - beef country
Hawke's Bay beef breeding and finishing operations, hill country management, breed comparison visit
Day 10
Wellington & departure
Final group debrief, Wellington city time, departure from Wellington or return to Christchurch
* Shearing season (October–February) and lambing (July–September) offer particularly immersive on-farm experiences. North Island-only versions focusing on Hawke's Bay and Waikato beef are also available. Programmes can be extended to include a wool industry focus.