The Hayes Homestead: A Living Story of Ingenuity, Grit, and Family Loyalty
Tucked into the wide Maniototo landscape stands a home that isn’t just a piece of architecture — it’s a testament to a family who built their life with their own hands, their own ideas, and their own relentless practicality.
The Hayes Homestead, completed in 1921, was crafted from sun-dried bricks made right on the property. The Hayes sons built it for their parents, Ernest and Hannah, after returning from World War I. They laid the foundations themselves, shaped the mudbricks, and filled the house with the same inventive spirit that made the Hayes name known across New Zealand.
Step through the door and you don’t just enter a house. You enter the daily life, stubborn determination, and understated brilliance of a family who quietly reshaped farming and engineering in rural New Zealand.
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THE GARDENS — ENGINEERING MEETS ELEGANCE
Step outside and the practicality continues, but this time with a surprising touch of formality.
After the homestead was built, the property was bordered by rows of pine trees on the south and east sides, sheltering the garden and creating a private oasis. Fruit trees were planted in the warm, protected corner.
Between 1928 and 1949, Llew Hayes turned the grounds into something remarkable — a structured, engineered landscape that felt both deliberate and inventive.
Grab a few of the girls and join us for the opening of our new Homestead and Garden Guided Tour, enjoy some retail therapy at the gift store and enjoy our freshly made coffee and cakes at Hannahs Cafe.
Admission - FREE (Open day - 6th December only)
