Dandaloo stud was started by David and Barbara Thomson on a hill country property at Pirinoa on the South Wairarapa Coast more than 60 years ago, with the purchase of three in calf heifers from the Kahika stud of the Nilsson family in Hawkes Bay. Today, almost 30 of the present herd of approximately 180 cows go back to one of those heifers. Later additions came from Cricklewood in Wairoa and some females with a Ngawaka background, from the Wairarapa. Also, a couple of useful heifers came from the Ellerton Stud on the Kaikoura Coast. In 1979, the stud was shifted to Hinakura, east of Martinborough, on to a typical East Coast Papa Hill Country property. During 1983, 23 in calf heifers from the Kaharau Stud in Gisborne were added to the herd. In 1995 a property on top of the Maungaraki Ranges, 30kms south of Masterton, was purchased and older cows and young bulls were shifted there. Then in 2008, more country was added to this property, the whole herd was moved there and the operation was taken over by Angus and Trish. We currently have 420 hectares that are effective.

The farm is a limestone rolling to hilly property with a rainfall typical of South Eastern Wairarapa with big variations from year to year. The altitude is from 400 metres to 550 metres above sea level with snow falls generally 3 or 4 times a year. Our average rainfall is 1100mls.