Lafon Acres

By booking only – Lafon Acres offers unforgettable encounters with ostriches, donkeys, alpacas & more!

14/06/2026

What’s a weekend at Lafon Acres without adding another wooly face to the family? 🤭

Everyone, meet Finn – our handsome new llama! 🦙

Finn is a 2yr old Male who has been bred to self shed- this is to reduce the cost and effort required to shear such a large animal- only time will tell 🧶

With his curious nature, fluffy coat, and plenty of personality, Finn has already started settling in and keeping a watchful eye over the farm. We can’t wait for all our visitors to meet him and watch him become part of the Lafon Acres family.

Be sure to say hello next time you visit… just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t want a pat!
He acts keen but just likes to be close not touched ..just yet! ❤️

Welcome home, Finn!

05/06/2026

Meet Olly and Oscar — our bold and fascinating ostriches! Native to Africa, ostriches are the largest birds in the world and can’t fly, but they make up for it by running at speeds up to 70 km/h. They have powerful legs and large eyes for spotting danger. Curious and alert, they’re always keen to see what’s happening around the farm — making them a truly unforgettable experience.
The ostrich is unique as is the only bird that is didactyl - has 2 toes per feet.

Ostrich don’t have teeth, so they swallow small rocks, pebbles and sand particles, which collect in their gizzard, to help break down and digest their food.

02/06/2026

🫏 Miniature Donkeys

Treasure (20yrs) and Tora (1yr)
(mother and daughter duo)

Small in size but big in personality, our miniature donkeys are affectionate and love attention.

Donkeys are known for their strong sense of self-preservation — they will stop and think before reacting, which is often mistaken for stubbornness. They are very social animals and form strong bonds with companions.

28/05/2026

🐑 Sheep

A true farm favourite! Sheep are herbivores that graze on grass and are an important part of New Zealand farming.
They have excellent memories and can recognise faces — both human and animal.
Their wool grows continuously and needs to be shorn regularly to keep them comfortable and healthy.

Our favourite breed at Lafon Acres is a Gotland. Originally from Sweden and have naturally short tails. They do not grow wool on their heads or legs. This breed of sheep are naturally docile and super friendly 🥰
Come for a cuddle!

08/05/2026

🐄 Highland Cattle

Stormie, Sadie and Miniature Elsa!

With their long shaggy coats and impressive horns, our Highland cattle are a real highlight.

Like all cattle, they are ruminants, meaning they have a four-chambered stomach that helps them break down grass. Despite their size, they are known for their calm and gentle temperament.

Our girls like to pretend to be water buffalo and wade through ponds when they can - they LOVE water!

01/05/2026

🦙 Alpacas

Our alpacas are gentle, calm, and curious animals who love quietly observing everything happening around them. Originally from the Andes in South America, alpacas are herd animals that feel safest together and communicate through soft humming sounds and subtle body language.

At Lafon Acres, our alpacas are exceptionally well handled and have calm, friendly temperaments. They enjoy gentle interaction with visitors and are known for their relaxed nature and easygoing personalities — making them a peaceful favourite for all ages.
They are continually proving people wrong as they do NOT SPIT!

Alpacas spit when they feel annoyed, threatened, or are sorting out dominance within the herd. Most of the time, this is aimed at each other rather than people, and it’s simply their way of setting boundaries, not aggression.

24/04/2026

🐐 Anglo-Nubian Goats

We have a couple of goats here at Lafon acres however we will be putting Spud and Sparkles in the spotlight.

Our Anglo-Nubian goats are full of personality and hard to miss with their long, floppy ears and expressive faces. This breed is known for being friendly, vocal, and very people-oriented — they love attention and will often “chat” to you!

Curious and clever, goats are natural climbers with excellent balance — you’ll often see them exploring anything they can stand on. As herbivores, they spend most of their day grazing and chewing. Goats are also very social animals, which is why they love interacting with visitors and each other.

Spud and Sparkles are still kids (name for baby goats) so the perfect size for little cuddles!

20/04/2026

Over the coming weeks, we’re excited to introduce you to some of the stunning animals we’re lucky enough to have here at Lafon Acres.

Life on the farm has been beautifully busy, and behind the scenes we are working hard to make our farmyard the best and most interactive experience for all our visitors.

Each of our animals has its own unique personality and story, and we feel incredibly grateful to care for them on our property. From curious characters to gentle souls, they all play a special part in what makes Lafon Acres such a memorable place to visit.

Keep an eye out as we introduce them 💛

22/02/2026

We just wanted to say Thank you to all the lovely people who came and gave our animals some love today at the Mangakahia Summer Festival ❤️!
The animals had a blast and somehow were not too tired or full to do big rollies in the dirt as they arrived home.

What an awesome community event — we’re so grateful to be part of it. Well done to all the organisers and helpers for putting together the day.

Days like this remind us why we do what we do 🤍

From all of us at Lafon Acres — Thank you!

10/02/2026

2026 Bookings are flowing in!
Amazing to have the support from so many early childcare facilities and local families ❤️.

Feeding so many mouths means I don’t have much time to update on here 👌

Looking forward to giving people a taster of the petting experience at Mangakahia Summer Festival!

Thank you for all your support
**video is a flash back of how small Ollie and Oscar were as chicks 😍

Address

Pipiwai Road
Ruatangata West

Website

https://www.lafonacres.com/

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