A historic sheep farm in Queenstown weaves together colourful stories from the past with a laser-focused eye on the future.

The first thing you will notice on the terrace outside The Woolshed at Ayrburn are the groups of people laughing and clinking cocktail glasses. There’s music drifting across the manicured lawn as a couple dance and sway to Where We Belong by Purple Disco Machine. Some digital nomads bent over their MacBooks. And an impossibly beautiful group of young women chatting under the shade of an apricot umbrella. It’s like everyone here has been co-opted to appear in one of Ayrburn’s Instagram reels.

How it started

“When I conceived of Ayrburn, I wanted it to be a food and wine mecca," says Queenstown developer Chris Meehan, who bought the 60-hectare property near Arrowtown on New Zealand’s South Island in 2015. “Ayrburn is my passion project. It’s been five years in the making. After acquiring the property from my friend [the late philanthropist Adrian Burr] I have dedicated a lot of my time into transforming the farm into a destination," says Meehan, founder and CEO of development company Winton and former head of Sydney-based Belle Property.

Where to eat at Ayrburn

The Woolshed is one of six venues housed in old farm buildings that have been lovingly restored on the site with the snow-capped Remarkables in the background, etched against a cloudless sky.

In addition to the sun-splashed terrace and fireside dining at The Woolshed, there are wine tastings in The Manure Room, gelato at The Dairy, whisky and wild times at The Burr Bar and Barrel Room and all that and more at central lawn and gathering space, The Dell.

Scottish-born William Paterson established Ayrburn around 1864, naming it in honour of Ayr, the town in West Kilbride where he was born, and ‘burn’ in reference to the Scottish word for stream, a nod to Mill Creek, which rushes through the site.

Meehan is said to have dropped a cool $182 million on the 160-year-old sheep farm and the world-class hospitality precinct has been attracting a steady flow of visitors since opening late 2023.

Meticulous attention to detail

“Everything has been carefully engineered to look organic but, in actual fact, we’ve torn most of the buildings down and rebuilt them. For instance, we took a laser scan of the cowshed roof to stay true to its sagging form and ensure it retained its charm while preserving it for the future," says Meehan, while holding court around the walnut ‘leaner’ bar in The Manure Room.

“I have spent the past five years obsessing over every detail. Now I get to welcome visitors to Ayrburn, which I hope will be one of the most popular precincts to visit in New Zealand," says the entrepreneur, who grew up a few hours away in Winton, the tiny town that inspired his company’s name.

Meehan has been meticulous about everything from up-to-the-minute acoustic treatments to the vibration-deflection technology that makes them earthquake-proof. From the outside, each of the venues succeeds in being simultaneously rustic and elegant, with hand-wrought craftsmanship and raw timber patinas. There are coats on hooks. Rugs in rich colours. Candles and textured throws. And shelves showcasing treasures it would take a lifetime to collect. Another master stroke by Meehan was to engage executive chef Richard Highnam (ex NZ’s Good Group) to design menus that vary according to the venue and season, and pair well with wines curated by Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson and winemaker Jody Pagey.

The Manure Room is another of the farm’s inspired spaces. And no visit to the property would be complete without a visit to the tin-and-timber cellar door to sample Ayrburn’s range of wine.

“Back during prohibition time, the farmers would come in here and have a few drinks because it stunk so bad that nobody wanted to come in and check on what they were up to," says Meehan, while swirling and sniffing a pinot noir produced onsite.

Everything at Ayrburn seems to have a narrative. Meehan’s attention to detail verges on obsessive and his articulation is with all the confidence of a man who has the capacity – and finances – to funnel a great deal of energy and care into the project.

What’s next?

In addition to the restoration of the five heritage buildings, Meehan has elaborate plans. Diagrams and arrows point to an events space, amphitheatre, bakery, 25-room boutique hotel, yabby lake for fishing, butcher’s shop and flagship restaurant, Billy’s. It’s as if he’s taken an old Polaroid, faded over time, and brightened it with colour. In doing so, Ayrburn continues to be a place of possibility.