74 | Connecting travellers with unique stays Alpine Bluffs, Methven, Canterbury. Kim Bowden RURAL SERVICES » Canopy Camping A business founded by two friends looking for an easier way to get their young families into nature has taken out the Experience Rural category at the NZI Rural Women Business Awards. Canopy Camping connects travellers with unique stays on private rural properties while helping landowners diversify their income through tourism. Co-founder Liz Henderson says winning the category was particularly meaningful because it recognised more than just 14 years of building a business. “It recognised the impact the business has had on rural communities throughout New Zealand,” she says. The judges highlighted the company’s early recognition of the potential of nature-based accommodation, alongside its ongoing host coaching and long-term commitment to quality. “That feedback was particularly rewarding because it reflects what we’ve always believed - that great accommodation is about much more than a beautiful place to stay; it’s about creating memorable experiences for both guests and hosts,” Liz says. Navigating more than a decade in business has required trusting their instincts and maintaining a deliberate, quality-focused pace rather than simply expanding the number of properties. “There have been plenty of times when we’ve been encouraged to do things differently, but we’ve always come back to our values,” Liz says. “For us, success has never been about having the most properties - it’s been about curating exceptional experiences and building lasting relationships.” One of the biggest lessons was knowing when to grow the team. “Hiring people is always a leap of faith, but we’ve discovered that investing in good people is one of the best investments you can make,” Liz says. “Every time we’ve done it, it’s helped us take the business to the next level.” The current award-winning model sits a long way from where the business started in 2012, when Liz launched Canopy Camping alongside friend Sonia Minnaar. In the early days, getting traction with traditional landowners was their hurdle. “Our biggest challenge was convincing farmers that people would actually pay to stay in a luxury tent on their property,” Liz says. “There was plenty of scepticism, so we partnered with a supportive farming family and invested our own money to prove the concept. Once people could see it working, momentum quickly followed.” Today, Canopy Camping offers 232 handpicked escapes from Rakiura/Stewart Island to the Far North. Stays on large, multi-generational working farms remain major standouts. “They often provide access to parts of New Zealand that most people would never otherwise have the opportunity to visit,” Liz says. “Guests can wake up surrounded by thousands of acres of working farmland, native bush or rugged coastline, meet the families who have cared for the land for generations and experience a side of rural New Zealand that few tourists ever see.” For hosts, the model provides a straightforward way to diversify their income. Canopy Camping manages the marketing and bookings, allowing farmers without tourism backgrounds to open underutilised parts of their properties to paying guests The concept continues to attract strong demand, particularly within two to three hours of major centres. Looking ahead, the business is investing in its own booking platform and exploring artificial intelligence tools to streamline backend tasks and improve guest personalisation. “We believe technology can help us innovate faster and enhance the experience without losing the personal touch that makes Canopy Camping special,” Liz says. “We’re really excited about the next chapter.”
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