New Zealand Holiday – Forestry & Farming
Your New Zealand holiday – keep it green
Pinus Radiata, generally referred to just as Pine - the mainstay of New Zealand's commercial forestry industry. Mountainous areas once unproductive have turned out to be excellent land for pine forests, which grow to maturity in less than 30 years.
All that glitters is green…
Farming and forestry are the main producers in the New Zealand economy, with tourism and technology rapidly closing the gap. New Zealand is one of the world’s major producers of pine trees for construction timber and paper pulp, and for many years the Kaiangaroa Pine forest was the largest manmade forest in the world. Visitor centres provide a relaxed opportunity to learn more about the local forestry industry while on your New Zealand holiday. Great visitor resources are situated at the Whakarewarewa Forest and are managed by Redwoods. You can visit their website here.
Not to be outdone by its forestry cousin, the New Zealand dairy farming industry is an even more massive player on the world scene. Fonterra, the dairy cooperative company which is collectively owned by over 11,000 farmers, is New Zealand’s largest International company, with annual revenue approaching NZ$20 billion, and control over 30% of the world’s dairy exports. One particular part of New Zealand, the Waikato Region, produces some of the world’s highest rates of dairy product-per-hectare, and at a very high quality standard. Technology-intensive farming and cutting edge research initiatives have New Zealand dairy products among the very best in the world. DairyInsight has information on events and information related to the New Zealand dairy industry. Click here to visit their site.
Sheep farming is popular in most of New Zealand's rural areas, with the sheep population hitting a peak of around 100 million units in the late 1980's. New Zealand sheep shearers traditionally and currently hold the men's and women's world records for number of sheep shorn in a 9 hour shift. International rivalry over these records is fierce.
Oh yes – we have sheep…
Sheep farming has also played a major part in the New Zealand lifestyle and economy for many years. In some mountainous areas of the South Island, sheep farming is one of the industries able to make productive use of the difficult terrain, and New Zealand wool exports and products are among the finest in the world.
The world famous Agrodome in Rotorua is a showcase of rural and farming life, and incorporates a stage-show devoted to sheep and sheep farming in New Zealand. A highly entertaining and educational attraction for the whole family and no comprehensive New Zealand holiday would be complete without a visit here. You can view details of their location and performances at their website by clicking here.
Many international visitors include some time living and working in a hands-on role on a real farm as part of their New Zealand holiday. MarvinFarms provides a great service where visitors can apply for such roles to gain experience within the New Zealand farming sector. If this is what you’re looking for, click here to visit their website.
