A blessing will take place at a Waikato farm where a woman was shot dead and a man sustained gunshot wounds.

The pair's kaumātua arrived at the Ōtorohanga home at mid-morning on Saturday amid the fog to bless the site.

The 50-year-old woman who died and whose body remains in situ is understood to have been from Whakatāne, where her mother still lives.

Police said the 57-year-old man taken to Waikato Hospital last night in a critical condition is now stable.

Police were called to the Ōtewa Road farm about 10 minutes from Ōtorohanga on Friday evening.

Police recovered a gun at the scene and said they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.

Those who knew the pair said they had lived in the area for years and raised pigs on the farm.

Piglets were seen running around outside the home where a ute has been covered up. Police have erected a tent around it.

A spokesperson for the family said everyone was too grief-stricken to speak at this stage.

The spokesperson said the shooting was "out of the blue".

Another neighbour who is related to the man who lived at the home was shocked by the events.

"It's very shocking, very, very sad," she said.

"We all belong to the same family. It's very sad the way things went. When they were together, they were fine, but something's happened."

She said the man, who Stuff has chosen not to name, is a "good worker". The pair had been living together for years.

One neighbour said her husband went to check on their cattle around 8pm and saw a helicopter and emergency services across the road.

-Stuff.co.nz/Phillipa Yalden