Kia Ora Mini Farm has been entertaining and educating visitors for over three decades.

It opened in 1991, and, incrementally, has been adding animals and attractions ever since.

Manager Padraig O'Donohoe told Agriland the farm’s name, Kia Ora, came from a visit to New Zealand by the farm’s founders, Padraig’s parents Paddy and Maura.

Kia Ora is an expression and greeting in the Māori language commonly used in New Zealand, which means, literally translated, “be well or healthy”.

In recent years, the day-to-day running of the farm has been taken over by Padraig, with the help of his wife Evelyn who deals with the admin, accounts, and marketing. Padraig’s brother, Peter is also involved.

Attractions have been added over the years since the farm's inception.

Or, as Padraig put it: “It was whatever we could afford at the time, and then every year since whatever could be done was done then.”

Winter at Kia Ora

Like many open farms, Christmas is a busy time for Kia Ora.

“We’re up and running,” said Padraig.

“This year, things have changed - as in people are booking [for Santa visits] more last minute than before.

While the farm is running as usual, the large animals are now indoors.

“So there’s nothing outside - it’s all indoors so we can work all weathers," he said.

“Santa is indoors too.”

Santa at Kia Ora

Speaking of the big man, the Santa experience in Kia Ora is elaborate.

Padraig explained: “Going up to see Santa, we’ve a long corridor, we have a forest display, and then visitors get into his house, where they see his kitchen, his bedroom, the toy-making room, and post office, all in half doors.”

“They wait for minute and then Santa’s elf lets the door open and lets the child in to see Santa and have a chat and see if they’re on the good list.

“If it goes well - they go into the toy room, where they get to pick the present they want themselves - all on the shelves. They pick what they want and then head out to the farm.”

Kia Ora has been running the Santa visits for over 10 years, and the team has learned that the child-choosing-toys method makes things easier.  

“You’re not handing a child a present that they don’t want," he said.

"They’re picking it themselves they want to play with; whether they’re into reading or maths or science or sport.”

Adapting to seasons

Like any farm, open or otherwise, adapting to seasons is part of life. And Kia Ora operates year-round.

In winter, Padraig said: “People can go for a ride in the fire engine, instead of a tractor trailer ride.

“We have 28 seats in the fire engine, and bring passengers for a drive to the woods and back again."

Guests are kept busy with peddle go-karts, crazy football, an artificial cow for milking, and a maze.

Animals at Kia Ora

A major attraction, of course, is the animals.

“All of our animals – when we have them, we do for a long time,” Padraig said.  

“We have bunny rabbits and [staff] to help with them, showing kids how to interact with and pet the bunnies.”

“We had a donkey for over 30 years. Our emu is 35 and still with us. She lays the eggs, he hatches them.

They also have, as Padraic put it, “the basics”; cows, sheep, goats, pigs, hens and chickens, and pheasants.  

Other, more exotic animals at Kia Ora include llamas, deer, alpacas, all of which Padraig said are “friendly”.

“You want to pick animals people can interact with,” he said.

“That’s something I’ve always said.”

On the feathered side, they have a flock of birds, including  budgies, parakeets, a macaw, ring necks, and rosellas.

“We like colourful birds with character,” Padraig said.

Kia Ora’s calendar

While some open farms have lulls throughout the year, Kia Ora rarely has downtime.

“Right now, we’re busy,” said Padraig.

“Then we close on January 3, getting decorations down, reopening at the start of February.

“We do weekends, and then from Paddy’s weekend, we’d go into seven days a week.

"Then it’s straight into Easter, with emphasis on rabbits and egg hunts."

Once Easter is over, Kia Ora is busy with school tours in May and June.

Then, it is busy with the summer season, and, shortly afterwards, Kia Ora becomes spooky in time for Halloween.

“When you do get a weekend, you appreciate it," he said.

Advice for open farms

Padraig said that getting started now would be harder than when Kia Ora began in the early 1990s.

“Getting into it now – the paperwork and getting certs [including council certs to stay open specific hours] and insurance, there is hassle for simple things,” he said.

“That’s like starting any new business.”

So he would advise that anyone opening a new open farm should “have a lot of patience” and “the willpower to keep going”.