Our sunflower season is short but sweet, and while there might not be an abundance of sunflower farms in Aotearoa New Zealand, there are eight magical spots—including one in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland—you’ll definitely want to visit this year.
Depending on location, the sunflower season can begin as early as December and end as late as March. Still, it’s best to visit these massive yellow orbs sooner rather than later because no one can guarantee how long they’ll grace us with their presence. Whether you’re keen to pick a bouquet of summer incarnate, frolic through fields, or just brighten up your ‘Gram, here's OB真人视讯's guide to the best sunflower farms in New Zealand. A word for the wise: bees love sunflowers, so if you’re allergic, this is not the gig for you.
Franklin Farm Sunflower Fields
167 Taha Road, Waimauku, Auckland, North Island
Image credit: Franklin Farm Sunflower Fields | Tiffany Kit
Just a 30-minute drive from Auckland city centre, in Waimauku is open now and will be doing their thang ‘til around mid-Feb. Operating every day apart from Tues, with no booking required, they’re one of the OGs and know how to make your Sunday stroll stand out.
Take photos with the original ‘yellow door’ or take a seat on the old tractor, swings or sunflower chairs where you can gaze out at a sea of sunflowers and the thousands of endangered monarch butterflies the farm are actively breeding and releasing. There are food and coffee trucks on weekends, paint and picnic sessions with for the kids (or adults, cause facepaints are fun as hell), a brand new butterfly house and they even run a ‘doggy Friday’ where you can bring along your pooch pal to enjoy the fresh air as well. Yup, they have it all.
Sunshine Fields
7 Bycroft Road, Karaka, North Island
Image credit: @hurricaneharlo | Sunshine Fields Instagram
Use your weekend wisely by stopping to smell the flowers down at , nestled in the heart of fresh and green Karaka. Here you’ll find a passion project by a dynamic family of four, with young ladies Makayla (10) and Emma (6) leading the way. The pair have managed to wrangle (with a touch of help from Mum and Dad) 6.5 acres of pure suntastic joy, including some epic photo ops, pick-your-own bouquets, and weekly Doggy Days where your four-legged bestie can join the fun.
But wait, there's more: the fam knows what Aucklanders are after, offering a licensed garden bar open Fridays to Sundays, 4pm-9pm, slinging hot food, local wine, beer, and cider. Picture this: golden hour, a glass of a chilled something something, rows of gorgeous sunflowers as far as the eye can see. Follow their and for the latest updates and get ready for some seriously sunny vibes.
Newbury Sunflowers
987B Rangitikei Line, Newbury, Palmerston North, North Island
One of the newer kids on the Aotearoa sunflower circuit (not only in name), , is a little bit different, and we’ve fallen for them again this year, hard. Initially created for family visiting from abroad, owners Kerry and Dan decided to open the field to the public in a beautiful display of support for community mental health.
Accordingly, it’s all about tranquillity and accessibility: entry to the 1.5 hectares of striped and autumn beauty varieties is priced per vehicle ($5) rather than per person and stems are $3 each. A large willow tree shelters a picnic area and there’s no time limit on how long you can stay. Private bookings are also available for a koha donation.
2025 will be the field’s third season, but things are getting under a little later than usual due to a wet November. The team is hoping to have everything ready to go come Valentine's Day, operating Monday to Friday 5pm to 8pm and 10am to 8pm on Saturdays & Sundays until the end of March, if not later, with potentially a special wee something planned for V-Day (because yellow is the new red).
The Taupiri Sunflower Farm
2049 Gordonton Road, Taupiri, North Island
Image credit: The Taupiri Sunflower Farm | Instagram
Another cracker of a sunflower farm in our own backyard is , a pick-your-own sitch that has upped the ante for Summer 2025.
Set on a working farm just over an hour south of Auckland, you can frolic through a new and expanded four hectares of joy, with a bunch extra props and spots to grab the perfect snap. But don’t forget to pick some sunflowers as you go… some fresh corn off the cob… and some delightful little zinnias. And even with these latest roll-outs, prices have remained humbly the same at $12.50 per person, $7.50 for children 6-12 and under 5s free. $4 per sunflower, 85c per cobb and the same for zins.
Covered shoes and secateurs or strong scissors are essential; partaking in Copper and Cream’s sunflower-flavoured rolled ice cream onsite is a must, and bringing a bucket to keep your suns happy on the drive home is recommended. Bookings are open now with their season likely finishing early Feb, weather permitting. You can keep an eye on their for more.
Mangamaire Sunflower Field
239 Tutaekara Road, Pahiatua, North Island
Image credit: Mangamaire Sunflower Field | Facebook
First appearing in 2021 as a creative way of slowing drivers, is now a stunning sea of sunshine in its own right. This sunflower oasis, due to open on 18 January, with private bookings 9am-9pm daily—think everything from weddings to golden hour photoshoots— and open for the public on the weekends and Wellington Anniversary 10am-6pm.
Best of all, at Mangamaire, you can book a luxury catered picnic for up to eight people in a secret sunflower field for brunch, lunch or a sunset dinner. Not only is this a beautiful way to spend time with loved ones, but it’d also make a super romantic setting for a proposal, just sayin’. And if that’s your thang, then this is the year to do it; 2025 will be Mangamaire’s fourth and final season as the farm and sunflower business is for sale. Ever wanted to own your own patch?
Cedel Downs Sunflower Patch
156 Red Hills Road, Massey, North Island
Image credit: Cedel Downs Sunflower Patch | Facebook
is a new kid-turned Tāmaki summer institution. A commercial beef farm spread over 350 acres, this summer they’re once again saluting the sun…flowers with a radiant soil regeneration project–sunflower roots rejuvenate the soil by spreading nutrients, improving drainage and reducing soil compaction.
Open now ‘til Waitangi Day, you can either cruise down with the crew on weekends and public holidays in one of two slots, 10am-4pm or 7pm ‘til sunset… orrrr you can during the week with a helicopter pad available on request. What an entrance that would be.
South Eyre Sunflower Patch
3719 South Eyre Road, Oxford, South Island
Here’s a place to get your dose of sunshine and some feel-good vibes: , a not-for-profit field of dreams in dreamy Oxford. Opening in late January/early February, this golden oasis throws its support behind and Oxford's local heroes (Fire Service, St John, and more). For an honesty-box/direct-debit $10 entry (kids all the way up to 15 are free), roam amongst at any hour of the day and snag a $2.50 sunflower to brighten both your day and improve someone else, knowing your dollars are doing some real good. Find them on the corner of South Eyre Road and Domain Road, along with a few hand cutters in a box at the gate and bring your four-legged friend (dog or even horse if you contact them in advance) if they’re happy to be on a lead.
One of our more affordable options this season, they also offer professional photography by appointment at only $10 per client. But get in while you can; they usually enjoy three or four good weeks of yellow heaven. P.S. The South Eyre team encourage visitors to pop into Oxford, which is located just an easy 9-minute drive from the sunflowers, where there are public toilets and a bunch of quaint eateries, cafes and shops.
Baxters Sunflower Farm
130 Havelock Road, Havelock North, North Island
Name something better than strolling around a sun-soaked sunflower patch with an old-fashioned ice cream in hand? What about handpicking sunflowers, sunsets, gourmet food trucks, and warm nights that last forever? How about indulging in both dreams with this gem in lil ol’ Havelock North: .
Here you can pick your own golden beauties at three for just $10, then treat yourself to an ice cream or milkshake made the right way. Bonus: they're open late on Wednesdays and Thursdays with gourmet food trucks on-site. Now that's a perfect summer evening. Otherwise, find them open 9am-5pm. So why not make a day (or evening) of it in the Bay?
Christchurch Sunflower Field
100 Old Tai Tapu Road, Kennedys Bush, Christchurch, South Island
Calling all Christchurch sunflower crazies, starting in early February, the city's beloved sunflower field is popping up at Rosendale Winery and will again be partnering with Ladbrokes School, with all proceeds going straight to support the kids.
You can wander through the golden blooms in thir very lovely double whammy of enjoyment meets community support on weekends for just $5 entry and snag some stems for $3 each to take the sunshine home. Want the field to yourself? Private evening bookings are also available. Golden hour photoshoot sorted.
Looking for more summer fun? Check out:
- Pick Your Own Berries At The Top Strawberry Farms In Auckland
- Where To Find Auckland's Best Beaches
- 9 Stunning Coromandel Beaches To Check Out
Main image credit: The Taupiri Sunflower Farm | Facebook
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