Shamara Farm is located on the hillside opposite the small town of Akaroa. The combination of alpacas with lake and mountain views makes for great photos, which was the main reason we chose it. We were fortunate that the weather cleared up in the afternoon with blue skies and white clouds [Red Heart Emoji]
✨ It’s about a 1.
5-hour drive from Christchurch city, with more mountain roads in the latter part. If you’re not familiar with the road conditions, it’s advisable to leave 2 hours early to be safe.
✨ A car can drive directly to the reception area on the hillside farm, but an RV can only park at the entrance at the foot of the mountain.
However, the farm owner Frank can pick up guests from the entrance. He usually guides vehicles at the foot of the mountain because the lane from the entrance to the hillside is only wide enough for one vehicle.
✨ The farm tour lasts about an hour, with Chinese or English guides. You get to learn about, pet, and feed the alpacas.
The overall experience is quite good, and most of the alpacas on this farm are friendly. At the end, they provide coffee, tea, and biscuits.
✨ The farm doesn’t have the imagined pervasive smell of droppings [Sneaky Grin Emoji]. The guide explained that alpacas don’t have sheep oil, so they don’t have much of a smell.
Alpaca wool has no smell at all. Initially, they also gave us some sheared alpaca wool to feel with our hands and noses, which had a natural corn curl shape.
✨ However, there are still droppings. Be careful of the areas with taller grass, as those are the alpacas’ toilets. Afterward, there are facilities at the entrance to clean the soles of your shoes, to avoid bringing droppings into the car.
✨ The navigation address is 328 Wainui Main Road, Wainui 7582.
✨ There are three sessions daily at 11:00/13:00/16:00. Check-in 15 minutes early, and you need to book online in advance. Each session has a limited number of participants, so it’s recommended to arrive a bit earlier to have more time for taking photos.
✨ The farm owner Frank said he has been running this farm for 12 years and started offering tourist experiences. The previous owner had about 100 years of history, but it was mainly for sheep, without any experience tours or alpacas 🦙.
🌟 Before coming, I saw some mixed reviews and was a bit worried, but everything turned out to be quite good.
I think it depends on personal preferences.
Anyway, I like photography, and my family likes interacting with small animals. With the beautiful weather, we were all very happy. Afterward, we could also go to Akaroa town for some Fish & Chips, then sit by the seaside and relax, which was quite pleasant.
That sounds like such a unique experience! I love how the alpacas combined with the natural scenery made for amazing photos. Would definitely be worth the drive if I ever visit Akaroa. Just hope the weather cooperates as it did for you!