Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
5.0
#1 of 1 ranch in Oamaru
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Our rural farmstay/homestay is located a 10 minute drive from the Historic Victorian Precinct and Blue Penguin Colony in Oamaru, so you can experience the best of both worlds! For a memorable experience why not spend a night or two immersed in the culture of a small working farm and get to know the locals. There are 2 accommodation options. We offer hosted B&B accommodation in our family home with 1 bedroom available as well as a private bathroom. Our B&B option includes continental breakfast as well as a 4pm Farm Tour and is suitable for a couple. The Shepherds Rest is a shepherds hut situated away from the house. It's self catering, has an outdoor bathtub and is ideal as an adults only retreat. It does not include a farm tour or breakfast. We farm beef cattle on our 300 acre working farm as well as a few sheep, working dogs, alpacas, chickens & ducks, Kune Kune pig and 2 house cats. Mid August to early October we rear calves and lambs. We are the perfect base for sightseeing in and around historic Oamaru. We hope you visit soon!
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
We were domiciled in a tiny home sequestered off from the main house by a large hedge. We met out hosts briefly, but after a friendly chat never saw them again. The driveway was steep and loose with a water channel cut into it, which felt perilous to my townie eyes, but was a non-event to my wife, who was raised on a farm. The steps leading to the unit were slightly overgrown with flax; I nearly tripped as I hauled our luggage down. We were greeted by three alpacas and two sheep. Our hosts had provided us with a container of alpaca chow, and it was delightful to stroke them while they ate from my hand. The tiny home lives up to its description, so I can’t say I wasn’t warned, but it was clean, modern, and comfortable. The compost indoor toilet was novel, although we did have some issues with smell (more sawdust helped). Another novelty was the outdoor bath; I had a relaxing soak under the sky and listened to the wind in the trees. There was a generous selection of board games on the shelves, in good condition. We played some Trivial Pursuit card games until bedtime. The night was hot, so I left the front door open half the night to cool off. Thankfully, no mosquitos. I wondered if livestock noise from the paddock would keep us awake. However, they were perfectly quiet, except when we left and a sheep gave a disappointed baa when it didn’t get another feed.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennie was kind and helpful ..She brought us around for a tour. There were many cute animals such as, sheep, cows, bulls and goats. The beds were very comfortable. They have three dogs called Sky, Bondie and Cob . Their family is very capable . They gave us a wonderful breakfast. We had a thoroughly enjoyed the farm stay.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 12 Dec 2015
Thank you Koh Family for taking the time to write such a lovely review. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. I know the dogs Bonnie, Sky and Cloud really enjoyed getting spoilt by you all, they love pats and tummy rubs! :) Hopefully we will see you again one day.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is one of the few highlight in our trip. Jennie is a great host. Grant is a friendly and funny guy. The kids are amazing too. The Gibsons have a great knowledge of farming and they are willing to share with us. The best way of experiencing New Zealand is to stay in Gumtree Farmstay.
We enjoying the animals, the 2 lovely dogs, Cloud and Bonnie. We love playing and watching the house cats lying in the living room. We love the interaction with sheep, cows, piggy, chicken and alpacas. we have a great farm tour - feeding and interacting with the animals.
At night, we are able to catch sea of stars in the sky.
Lovely breaksfast and Dinner. We have a great chats with the family throughout the 3days 2nights stay. Lovely room. Basically we just feel like being part of them during the 2 nights stay. Highly recommended to stay at least 2 nights.
Happy Birthday to Lucy and myself (guess i won't forget ever) haha... cya guys again soon...
Read more
Date of stay: September 2017
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â All rooms are good
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 19 Sept 2017
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review about your stay with us. It's really appreciated. It makes me so happy to hear that your stay with us was an enjoyable one. We all really enjoyed meeting you both and hopefully we'll see you in our neck of the woods some time in the future.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hostess was warm and friendly and gave us a farm tour and had us feed the llamas which was fun. Stood in the sheep enclosure and watched her dog move the sheep. Her older daughter helped too and was wonderful. We had a very nice room in her house with bath across the hall. This is a shared bath but we were lucky to not to have another guest to share. I had not read close this had a shared bath. The downsides for me that I saw her kids in the hall. If I had realized I might have had a shared bath I would not gave booked. I got lucky. We opted for the dinner. It was OK I thought the $40 per person charge was steep since not a real restaurant. We shared the dinner table with her family. Two of the kids I felt were not happy with that. The hosyess helped us to and fro with our luggage. Others might love this experience. For me. Not really my preference. The hostess was very interesting to talk to
Read more
Date of stay: March 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 11 Mar 2019
Great to hear that you enjoyed the farm tour, the animals and your bedroom. Yes it very clearly states in all our listings that the bathroom is shared with other guests, but not with our family. Guests are staying in our family home, so yes our children are present in the house. Perhaps I should lock them in their room? On that note they are teenagers and can be sullen at times so totally understand what you are saying about the dinner table, but then we were all teenagers once and can remember how awkward an age it was...
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What a lovely place! Jennie really is the real deal and so is this bed & breakfast. We were a bit surprised to really be staying in their home with them. We had our own huge, lovely bathroom right across the hall from our room. The door was left unlocked for us each night so we could come and go freely and Jennie made us breakfast each morning, including fresh, hot biscuits or rhubarb muffins. We enjoyed talking with her over breakfast each morning. You can tell she loves to learn about the origins and culture of each guest she hosts in her home. Her garden is gorgeous and inspiring. She gives a great tour around the farm and interacting/feeding all the animals is great. I was in love with each of the 3 dogs, such hams they were! It is only about a 10 minute drive to/from town and is a beautiful drive at that. It's a great town to enjoying staying outside of as not much happens after 9pm in town anyway!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2017
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 20 Mar 2017
Thanks for the great review. LOVED the photos you put up (except for the dorky one of me lol). It's great to see our farm through another's eyes.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
From the first minute we arrived,we got a warm welcoming from Jennie, our hostess and now our very good friend! We really liked the talks about everything; interesting to fx compare our familylives, as we both got three children; same struggle and joy! We also like to chat with the rest of this lovely family, AND of course the outdoor life on this farm. We were feeding lambs and alpackas, as well as having a nice countrywalk with a nice scenery just ten minutes walk up the hill. The only regrets were that it was a to short stay; will be longer next time!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Be sure to get proper directions, so you find the easiest way from Oamaru!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 3 Mar 2016
Thank you for such a lovely review and yes hopefully we will get to visit your part of the world!! It would be great to catch up again and I'm grateful that you were both able to stay on our farm, next time hopefully longer! We've found that GPS systems can differ with the instructions they give, so not all find us accurately - a good tip is that the address doesn't always show as Oamaru, sometimes it is either Enfield or Weston.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This farm stay is one of the highlights if you are popping by Oamaru. Jennie and family, not to mention the dogs and farm animals are very friendly. Very hospitable host! The children are polite, helpful and offered us an introductory tour to the farm. Guiding us along the way as we fed the lamb, sheeps, goats and the dogs! We love muffin the cat:))
The room prepared for us was cosy. If you are up early, open your windows to the cacophony of animal sounds. There's some melody to it. What an accompaniment as dawn breaks. At night, you can check out the starry night sky from the window. Of course, you would have to off your room light for the best visual effect.
Perfect farm experience is an understatement.
We also loved the breakfast! It's delicious. Jennie makes the best scones and muffins:))
We highly recommend this place.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 16 Nov 2015
Thank you for such a heartwarming review. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay with us. Sadly Muffin passed away a few days after you left us but I know she enjoyed being spoilt by you both :) Hopefully in a few months time we will welcome another kitten into our family.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It was the most special experience in the South Island. Jannie and her family are all very hospitable and helpful. My 4-year-old kid enjoyed feeding sheep, playing with puppies very much. The room is cozy and neat. The dinner BBQ and the breakfast were all fantastic. Jannie is definitely the best farm host. I strongly recommend everyone who is planning to visit Omaru to stay in Gumtree.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2015
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 11 Feb 2015
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review about your stay with us. As always it was a pleasure to host such lovely guests. Perhaps we will meet you again one day (and you will be less scared of the sheep next time, lol).
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our large group of mixed ages (7 of us), Grandparents, Parents and young kids stayed for three days in January at Jennie and Grant's wonderful house. I was a bit worried at having my parents and kids impose themselves on another family for that long but Jennie was able to make us all have a brilliant time and put me at ease! Her beautiful kids welcomed my children and shared all their toys (Don't worry Josh - they were very careful not to get your stuff out!). We were able to milk the house cow, shear some sheep with Grant, feed the large hungry lambs, collect chicken eggs and generally have fun on the farm. We also explored Oamaru and even went on trips further afield to Dunedin (day trip). Thanks Jennie for rearranging your family to fit us all in, and for feeding us so well during our stay- it was a highlight of our long trip around the South Island.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â All the rooms are lovely!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jennie G, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 28 Jan 2014
Thanks for your great review Shannon. I got a bit of a surprise because Tripadvisor hadn't notified me a new review was placed so it was lovely to stumble across the photos etc! Received a letter from your Mum the other day with the recipe for sauerkraut, so I now have a bucket bubbling away in the laundry and will send her a postcard once I discover whether has worked (or not!!). It was fantastic to have you all stay with us, you're welcome anytime :)
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a great stay at the Shepherds Rest, it’s a shame we only had one night. Fantastic rural location with amazing views and every thing you needed in the hut to make your stay comfortable, a great nights sleep was had by all! :) Our host Jennie was fab and made us feel very welcome, we hope to return for longer next time.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from fallenfarmgirl, Owner at Gumtree Farmstay & The Shepherds Rest
Responded 24 Jan 2020
It was lovely to host you both and happy to hear you enjoyed your stay in our wee hut. Thanks for the great chat also :)
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Otago Region, New Zealand47 contributions12 helpful votes
Hi Amber. Thank you for your question. Sorry no, we are a farm stay only (accommodation inside our home) - we do not have the facilities of a caravan park. There are however a many good van parks located in and around Oamaru that would suit your camper van situation. Kind Regards Jennie
There are more places to choose from in the Oamaru area.
PRICE RANGE
$185 - $195 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandSouth IslandOtago RegionOamaru
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
