Rose Creek Farm has an extra charm - and a pretty unique one at that. Valais Blacknose sheep - the ‘Cutest Sheep in the world’. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
Rose Creek Farm has an extra charm - and a pretty unique one at that. Valais Blacknose sheep - the ‘Cutest Sheep in the world’. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
Sometimes you just need a break. Modern life is busy, and between juggling work, family, friends and never-ending to-do lists, we all yearn to escape for a while. Alexia Santamaria finds the perfect spot in Central Otago.
As I drive up the gravel path towards my accommodation at Rose CreekFarm in its magnificent rugged Central Otago setting, I can see this place is going to be just the ticket. You can’t even see the nearest neighbour’s house and my soul is already soothed by the noise of the babbling stream as I drive across the bridge glancing over at the towering ranges, so close to the property. I feel my busy Auckland life loosening its clutches and my whole body being given permission to exhale.
Rose Creek Farm in its magnificent rugged Central Otago setting. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
But this isn’t just a story about staying in a cottage on a farm to relax. Rose Creek Farm has an extra charm - and a pretty unique one at that. Valais Blacknose sheep - the “cutest Sheep in the world” (I’m not even kidding, it’s literally what comes up when you google that term). These ink-faced lovelies hail from Switzerland, and the owners of the property Leigh-Anne and Andrew Peake were so taken with pictures of them, they just knew they had to have their own. They went through an extensive process to breed them here, importing purebred frozen embryos and having them surgically implanted into mixed-breed recipient ewes.
“These ewes gave birth to a purebred Valais blacknose lamb,” says Andrew. “We purchased 35 embryos, and this resulted in 25 lambs.”
Central Otago is home to the perfect NZ retreat for a tired city girl. Photo / Rose Creek Farm
And the rest is woolly history. I’m a pure city girl so I may have this wrong, but don’t sheep usually scatter when they see a stranger approaching? Not these friendly souls. With a heart-melting maaaaaa a lamb skips up to me, brazen as you like, very happy for a cuddle. I’ve heard of forest bathing for relaxation but this is the therapy I never knew I needed.
And that’s not the only interesting facet of a stay on this farm. Drive up the top with one of the family and you might catch a glimpse of the neighbour’s highland cows; you’ll also get sweeping views as far as St Bathans over the vineyard on a clear day. And our woolly friends aren’t the only buckets of gorgeousness on the property. On the farm tour, the couple take me to meet chickens and some horses (including a miniature one that was rescued from a dire situation); and an encounter with their adorable pet dogs has me instantly head over heels – my phone camera doesn’t stay in my pocket for more than five seconds.
Sheep cuddling is the therapy you never knew you needed. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
There’s honey tasting - spun from their own hives - and a wine tasting of the chardonnay and pinot noir made from the grapes from the property. The “barn” may be the bougiest I’ve ever seen. The interior is beautifully decorated, and you can even buy felted rugs, woven throws, knitted blankets and sheep toys handmade from Valais Blacknose wool (I have to wonder when Leigh-Anne sleeps as making even one of those products would take all the patience and sanity I possess).
The accommodation is cute and comfy - perfect for a solo traveller or a couple. Views from the porch in the evening bring a stillness not ever possible in my suburban home - no streetlights, the looming shadows of mountains, a sense of true peace and calm. Just opposite my cottage, the house the family live in is beautiful - and has its own unique story. It was damaged in the Christchurch quakes, and the insurance company deemed the repair too expensive so settled with the owners to build them a new house.
“We purchased the house from King House Removals and it was cut into seven pieces and trucked to our place,” says Leigh-Anne. The renovations took three years, but the effort has been totally worth it for the wonderful haven they have created for themselves and their son.
The accommodation at Rose Creek Farm is cute and comfy - perfect for a solo traveller or a couple. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
And I’m not the only one already planning my next visit. “We have had international couples who have been on holiday in Australia and flown to New Zealand just to see our sheep,” says Leigh-Anne. “We get people who have never touched an animal come on our tours, and they can cuddle sheep, horses and our little dogs. Some people just don’t want to leave after they have cuddled a Valais Blacknose for 20 minutes. One man mentioned he now knew what he had been missing in his life, being hugged by a sheep!”
There’s definitely something to be said for ditching the city for some rural therapy. And I would highly recommend this beautiful part of the world if you need a break from a cluttered life - between the peace and the views and the adorable animals, you may never want to go home.
