28 | clients. She became a qualified Horses Helping HumansTM facilitator when she spent time in Australia. “So that’s another thing I’d like to grow on the side.” AGRI-TOURISM » Makoura Lodge Venue provides exciting opportunities Hugh and Kimberley McIntyre run Makoura Lodge, which offers accommodation, catered events for up to 110 guests, a rustic cabin for couples set by a river, and four-wheel activities and training. An exciting move diversifying a family farm in the Manawatu has led to the creation of a picturesque venue offering boutique accommodation, catering, and recreational activities. Kimberley McIntyre and her father Hugh run Makoura Lodge, which Hugh had built and opened in 1998. It was a sheep and beef farm with a Simental stud. But Hugh was keen to diversify into something else. “Heaps of people were like, you’re crazy, and obviously it was really slow for a long time because without the internet it was all word of mouth and mail drops,” Kimberley explains “He just knew it was a beautiful place and the people would come.” Now in its 25th year, Makoura Lodge offers accommodation, catered events for up to 110 guests, a rustic cabin for couples set by a river, and four-wheel activities and training. Kimberley, who is sixth generation on the property, brought into the business in 2018 and has been running the lodge as manager for seven years. Visitors to the lodge can enjoy a farm to plate experience with meat from the farm and venison from the neighboring deer farm, plus a large vegetable garden and chicken run. “Our main business would be weddings, conferences and special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and accommodation,” Kimberley said. The original family homestead that was built in 1903 has been restored and can sleep 17 people. The main lodge sleeps 52 people, and employs two chefs, catering for up to 110 people. Rosa Watson Exciting opportunity to diversify A passion for glamping sparked an idea 10 years ago that led to the creation of one-stop shop for off-grid experiences around the country. Kapiti Coast friends Liz Henderson and Sonia Minnaar were keen to get out of the corporate world and do something they were passionate about. “We had discovered glamping was a growing trend in the UK and North America, and thought it was something that would work well here,” Liz says. “With the growth of farm walks and other farm tourism, we felt it was another great option for farmers looking to diversify into tourism.” Canopy Camping Escapes helps farmers create magical, nature-based glamping escapes that appeal to the market, something that Liz and Sonia have become experts in. “After 10 years in the business, we know what guests are looking for. “We can help farmers understand what to focus on when designing their accommodation, and what the potential pitfalls are, and where to effectively spend their budget to get the best return on investment.” They now have more than 140 hand-picked locations from the Far North to Otago. When hosts join up to Canopy Camping, bookings liaison, marketing and promotion are taken care of, “leaving them to focus on the on-the-ground guest experience”, Liz adds. Makoura Lodge near Fielding joined with Canopy Camping Escapes to help promote its riverside cabin. “(They) had an existing cabin that wasn’t quite reaching its potential in terms of price point and occupancy rates,” Liz explains. “The platforms it was being promoted on, prior to joining Canopy Camping Escapes, weren’t attracting the optimal market. “We helped Kim make a few product changes and got the cabin photographed and styled in the right way to attract a glamping audience. They have subsequently seen an increase in demand, with lots more bookings throughout the year. Glamping has been growing in popularity over time, but this was supercharged over the pandemic years, with people looking to get off grid and into the natural environment. “Our occupancy rates are growing year on year, and our gift vouchers are incredibly popular. “We’ve been proud to partner with lots of fantastic New Zealand brands who have used our gift vouchers as prizes in their in-store promotions and social media giveaways. While there are guests come from all over the world, there is a very strong domestic market, Liz says. “Which is fantastic as it keeps occupancy high right throughout the year.” With a growing number of people seeking the “glamping experience”, Liz and Sonia are making it easy for land owners to create a boutique and unique experience on their property. There are also six lodge suites attached that are more modern and look out over the Ruahine range. A cottage, relocated to the site from down the road, also offers accommodation for 10. But the real star attraction is the cabin known as Riverside Retreat, built in 2016. “It’s got no reception, no phone,” Kimberley said. “It was designed for couples to escape. We get people coming from all over the show to go there. “It’s a beautiful spot.” It certainly helped that Kimberley’s partner is a builder and can carry out upgrades and maintenance jobs. Boutique accommodation in picturesque locations was becoming more popular and was a growing industry, Kimberley said. “People want to connect more with nature and with animals, as less and less people have connections with farms.” The business had evolved over the years to offer a wide range of services, she said. “Originally, (Dad) wanted to set it up for international guests, but it ended up ... as more of a function’s venue for the domestic NZ market. “It’s quite a unique destination, so people are travelling from all over the country for conferences or weddings to get here. “It’s a laidback, relaxed venue where you can feel like you’re part of the family … and experience good country hospitality and country food.” For the future they are looking at offering a more self-contained venue, an example being a yoga retreat coming up that has booked the whole place for a weekend, “I’d love to see the place being used more for that kind of thing as well.” They also have seven horses on the property that Kimberley offers as part of leadership programmes for young people and for corporate
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