Zealong is having a tea party
Thousands of Hamiltonians have driven past the Zealong tea estate on their way north from the city – but only a small number of them know what goes down in the fields beyond the big gates just off Gordonton Rd.
But their chance to find out is coming up. New Zealand’s only tea farm will next month throw open the gates and welcome visitors for a day of showand-tell, as it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zealong tea estate general manager Sen Kong said the past couple of years had been extremely challenging.
‘‘We’d been hosting up to 65,000 visitors a year, but numbers fell off a cliff when everyone hunkered down to beat Covid.
‘‘International sales contacts froze for quite a while too.’’
The company was now, however, getting back into full production, and preparing to welcome local and international visitors once more.
To celebrate, Zealong would open its doors to the public on Saturday, June 18 for a special day-long event – a rare opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes.
Located on State Highway 1B between Hamilton and Gordonton, the Zealong farm is hard to miss. Set back off the highway and surrounded by rows of manicured tea bushes, the mysterious big white building is where tea is processed and shipped around the world.
Events on the day would include tractor rides, tea-picking demonstrations, tea cocktails, and tea tastings.
‘‘It takes a team to produce Zealong tea, and our team will be on hand meet and talk to visitors on the day.’’
Estate manager Derek Houghton said the company will showcase a couple of new acquisitions.
‘‘We’ll be demonstrating the ‘Transformer’, which is a machine that picks and prunes like something out of a sci-fi movie. We’ll also be powering up a new frost fan that can literally blow you away.’’
Tickets cost $35 per person and include a picnic lunch. Alternatively, a package that includes a high tea at the Tea House is available for $80 each.
Numbers are likely to be limited, so pre-booking is recommended.