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Story: Sheep farming

Sheep tourism

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Sheep tourism

Shelves of sheep paraphernalia (left) are on sale to tourists at Walter Peak Station, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, near Queenstown. Visitors to the station can also have a close encounter with a sheep (right). Internationally New Zealand is known for its high numbers of sheep, and its economy based on sheep farming. Tourists are often keen to visit farms where they can see farm dogs mustering sheep and buy sheepskin rugs or other sheep-related products.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Melanie Lovell-Smith

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How to cite this page

Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden, Sheep farming – Importance of the sheep industry, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/16620/sheep-tourism (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 March 2015.