Akaunui Farm Homestead is located in the countryside near Ashburton. You’ll first see the historic brick house with generous verandahs and a covered balcony as enter the farm via the hedge-lined driveway.

The home was built in 1905 for Edward Grigg, a son of one of Canterbury’s pioneering colonial farmers, John Grigg. Grigg was a large-scale sheep and cropping farmer and the farm was originally part of the Grigg family’s massive Longbeach estate.

The land has long been in the family of current owners, Di and Ian Mackenzie, though. And Akaunui’s 600 hectares (1500 acres) is in vegetable and grain seed and sheep and dairy cattle.

Ian has previously served as the national grain and seed chair of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand.  While, Di looks after the garden, originally landscaped by Alfred William Buxton (1872-1950). And Buxton’s typical garden features, including curved entrance drives and forest tree perimeters, can be seen at the property.