Take a journey off the main highway, to the end of a lonely side road and you will find a secluded mountain hideaway. Stay in the beautifully restored 1877 mountain farmhouse with adventures at your door on historic Island Hills Station. Connect with high country farming history by visiting the on farm museum. Feed the pet sheep and walk out onto an operating sheep, cattle and honey bee farm. Access to thousands of hectares of private land for free outdoor activities, hiking, dog walking, bring your own mountain bike, bring your own horse. Catered meals available prepared onsite by your hosts who live next door. Engage with the local farm culture by joining your hosts on the additional activities available; 4 wheel drive tours, guided forest walks, heli-hiking, shooting target practice, guided rabbit or deer hunting, no licenses or previous experience required (certified by New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association)

Your hosts live right next door in a separate home, visitors to the farm must stop in and let the host know they have arrived and get instructions for entering the accommodation. Shaun and Haley are born and bred rural New Zealanders and both are outdoor enthusiasts with backgrounds in Agricultural Research. Since 2019 they have operated the popular Island Hills Station Walking Track and guided many adventures in the bush and mountains on the property. They are nature lovers who volunteer large amounts of time to a large scale conservation project, trapping pests and removing weeds to enhance the native biodiversity on the farm. They also run fundraiser events on the property such as the SolarPowerNZ Skedaddle Run for Nature. They are here for the back country lifestyle and they want to share it with you. Shaun originates from a tiny place called Paringa in the South Westland rain forest country and Haley (Hailes) grew up in rural Northland at the top of New Zealand. Shaun and Hailes live on site with their three children, Quaye, Alena and Ziggy who travel out to the local area school in Culverden.

You will be staying on a working sheep, beef and honey bee farm called Island Hills Station. The property has been owned by the Shand family since 1928 (four generations). It's a tough place to farm and the stories of hardship, mustering sheep off the big mountains and surviving harsh winters are etched into the woodwork and the land. More than half of the 5,500 hectares is now in non-grazing covenants. That's 3,300 hectares of private nature park and it is a glorious sanctuary for many native plants, birds, reptiles and insects. Huntaway Homestead is a lovingly restored 1877 original farmhouse, rich in history and rural culture. Wander next door to the on-farm museum building and prepare to step back in time. Free access to hiking, horse riding and mountain biking is right on your door step. You can design your own rural retreat with add on hosted adventures such as guided 4 wheel drive tours, guided day walks, heli-hiking, rabbit shooting or hunting for wild deer, chamois or pigs. Contact your hosts in advance to book additional adventures.