meet your wool
Generational custodians of the land.
At the heart of the Wisewool™ journey is our network of over 250 family-owned partner farms across the wider Tairāwhiti Gisborne region. We have worked alongside some of these families for well over a century, on relationships built on mutual respect, deep agricultural expertise and an unwavering commitment to A-grade quality.
Pins show each farm's district, not its gate. Tap a pin for details.
WiseBatch 21
Aerial Station
Fraser and Jaime Tombleson farm Aerial Station, a 1,006-hectare sheep and cattle property in the steep hill country of Gisborne, where they are raising their three children, twins Jonty and Isabel, and younger daughter Billie.
Running approximately 8,000 stock units, of which 65% are sheep and 35% cattle, Aerial Station produces exceptional Romdale fleece that meets rigorous global quality standards for highly regulated international markets.
Beyond farming, Fraser is a respected horseman who breeds sport horses, while Jaime runs Jamie Lucinda Jewellery from a workshop perched above the valley, often overlooking a sea of clouds. Committed to the future of both their land and business, the Tomblesons are working towards official regenerative farm verification, with a clear goal of building an economically and environmentally sustainable operation that can be passed on as a thriving, resilient farm for the next generation.
“We have a goal of working towards being economically and environmentally sustainable,” Fraser explains. “The ultimate goal is to pass a thriving, resilient farm to the next generation.”
Waihapua Jon Reeves is the Farm Manager of Waihapua Station, a 700-hectare hill country property located on Takapau Road near Tolaga Bay on the East Coast of New Zealand. Having managed the farm for the past 12 years, Jon brings the knowledge and values of a sixth-generation farming family, having been born and bred on the East Coast. The farm runs a mix of approximately 40% sheep and 60% cattle across 550 effective hectares, producing premium strong wool that meets the Wisewool Standard. Jon's favourite time of year is autumn, when the temperatures begin to cool, the deer roar echoes through the hills, and the duck shooting season begins. Through careful stewardship of the land and livestock, Jon continues a proud farming tradition while producing the high-quality wool that goes into Wisewool products enjoyed by families around the world.
Waihapua
George and Abby Whitehead manage Maranui Station in Ormond Valley, Gisborne, where they live with their three children. George has spent his entire working life in farming, progressing from shepherding and stock management roles to leading the farm today.
Maranui Station comprises 847 effective hectares across two blocks, with a mix of fertile hill country and higher, steeper terrain, running an even split of sheep and cattle.
George and Abby enjoy spring most on the farm, when new lambs are born and the next season begins. Together, they are passionate about producing high-quality wool and caring for the land and livestock that sustain their family and farming future.
Maranui
WiseBatch 19
The McIldowie family has farmed Gisborne’s Totangi Station since 1907. Longtime campaigners for wool’s natural performance, George and Emma balance the station’s ecosystem between sheep and cattle, clipping over 60,000 kilograms of strong wool a year.
“Sheep have been at the core of our business, and the coarse wool of the Romney breed is a tried and tested survivor of the decades,” says George. “We wholeheartedly believe wool will return to its rightful place in our everyday modern lives and re-establish itself as a premium, primary fibre.”
Totangi Station
An hour inland from central Gisborne in the Matawai district, Kōtare Station has been owned and operated by the Gaddum family for three generations. Now under Henry and Sofie, the station is a benchmark for profitable, sustainable land management built to safeguard the landscape for generations. Driven by environmental progress, Kōtare partners with Toha, a social enterprise focused on environmental regeneration and data-verified ecological impact in New Zealand.
Kōtare Station
