Gibbs Farm

This place is NOT open year-round to the public without booking in advance for only a few select days out of the year tied to charity events! Just have to put that disclaimer in the forefront as I noticed some disgruntled reviews from people who hadn't realized that before driving there... I had the privilege to purchase tickets for their March 27, 2026 FARA fundraiser which helps move them closer to finding a cure for FA. This place is unbelievable (breathtaking!)... Grand sculptures, so many animals (I even got to feed a giraffe🦒😍!!), and so much more to see and interact with. Got very lucky to see everything* on my checklist from the guidebook within 4 hours of walking around covering about 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) of total distance on foot according to the AllTrails app. The welcoming staff greeted us with a cheeky joke that instantly put a smile on our faces. How blessed this area is for the good it does and wide range of animals it cares for. I did get shockingly elocruted by an electric fence at the ostriches while posing for a photo and naively resting my entire forearm onto it, but that was MY fault. Clearly I missed the fine print on the signs that were on display at various other parts of the grounds including at the entrance of the giraffe and bathroom area which I did see after the fact. ⚡😵‍💫 *Except for the Neil Dawson 1994 Horizons piece, which was under renovation or repair I think at the time as it was covered up and I heard construction type noises coming from underneath the scaffolding. Perhaps tradies were working on it or the artist. 🤔

People always say New Zealand is a small country and everything is kind of small. Well, not at Gibbs Farm. The sculptures here are larger than life. When the backdrops are blue sky and green grass, you will be moved by these motionless sculptures. They are just surreal! They close at 2pm.