Welcome to McDonalds Scenic Farm Tours
Thank you for choosing our exclusive McDonalds Scenic Farm Tours.
Our tours are run by very close members of the McDonald family. They have been designed & created to give each person, couple and or family, a most special and unique experience that they will enjoy and remember as one the best tours they have ever experienced. No expense has been spared.
Our tours will take you to places one can never access as many of your experiences are on private properties. The South Island of New Zealand has been our home for 5 generations over 139 years. Upon joining our tours, you will be treated as part of our extended family. We look forward to meeting you personally.

Meet the McDonalds






Welcome to McDonalds Scenic Farm Tours
“McDonalds Scenic Farm Tours” members have travelled exclusively around the world over the last 20 years. During their travels they have learned what a memorable experience is, and what a pleased to forget experience is. Below is a summary of our collective knowledge, of what constitutes amemorable and fun tour experience.
The Memorable Highlights have been:
- Having the opportunity to meet with real farming people of the world, and learn from them how they genuinely love working with the farm animals in their care. This is an inbuilt instinct going back to biblical days.
- Realising the farmers really care about the environment and do everything in their power to farm as sustainable caretakers of their land.
- Learning from the farming families how they maintain their family relationships, to teach from an early age the next generation the fundamentals of how to care for farm animals and their land.
- Enjoy being incorporated (where possible) in the daily chores of farming.
- Learning about the history and culture of the people from each country visited.
The pleased to forget experiences:
- Spending up to 10 hours per day travelling on buses and trains, to get to the next specific destination, with nearly everyone bored and asleep.
- We found ourselves at most destinations surrounded by other tourists, so we never had the opportunity to mix with the local people.
- After you have seen 3 cathedrals and 2 castles you have really seen enough!!
McDonalds Scenic Farm Tours
Farms and Stations that have been owned by the four generations of the McDonalds family since 1878
1 | 1878 | “Westview” | 2000 acres | John’s Grandfather |
2 | 1890 | “Arthurs Point Form” | 500 acres | John’s Grandfather |
3 | 1914 | “Gibbston Valley” | 5000 acres | John’s Grandfather |
4 | 1930 | “Mararoa Station” | 30000 acres | John’s Grandfather |
5 | 1930 | “Ben Lomond Station” | 32000 acres | John’s Father |
6 | 1950 | “Action Meadows” | 1600 acres | John’s Father |
7 | 1968 | “Winton Form” | 400 acres | John’s Sister Dorothy & lan |
8 | 1970 | “Waipounamu” | 900 acres | John’s Sister Jessie & Alister |
9 | 1972 | “Glen Donald” | 700 acres | John’s Brother Ranald |
10 | 1985 | “Westerly” | 1200 acres | John’s Brother Bill & Elaine |
11 | 1986 | “Tawanui” | 700 acres | John’s Brother Ranald |
12 | 1990 | “Hegans” | 1000 acres | John’s Brother Bill & Elaine |
13 | 1998 | “Mt Herbert Station” | 2000 acres | John, Joy & Family |
14 | 1999 | “Cone Peak Station(leased)” | 6000 acres | John’s Son Scott McDonald |
15 | 2005 | “Snowline Station” | 4700 acres | John, Joy & Family |
16 | 2005 | “Cheddar Valley Station” | 6800 acres | John’s Son Jason & Tracey |
17 | 2011 | “Kinaston Run” | 3000 acres | John’s Son Glen & Alisa |
1 st Generation
Grandfather : Charles McDonald
Grandfather : John Cockburn
2 nd Generation
Father : William McDonald
Mother : Margaret Cockburn
3 rd Generation
Brother : Bill McDonald
Sister : Margaret Ann McDonald (not farmers)
Sister : Jessie McDonald
Brother : Ranold McDonald
Sister : Dorothy McDonald
Sister : Jeanette McDonald (not farmers)
Brother : John McDonald
John McDonald married Joy Crawford (4th generation farmers)4 th Generation
Son : Scott McDonald
Son : Jason McDonald
Daughter : Jen Reynolds (nee McDonald)
Son : Glen McDonald
5 th Generation
Granddaughter : Baylea McDonald
Grandson : Jed McDonald
Granddaughter : Sophie McDonald
Grandson : Archie McDonald
Granddaughter : Olivia McDonald
Grandson : Jacob McDonald