Country Life: Off the beaten track, tourism sustains two generations of sheep farmers

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dome glamping, farm tours and jetting up the Hurunui River supplements income and highlights cultural heritage at a traditional sheep farm in North Canterbury's Blythe Valley.

"I'm Ngāi Tahu on my mum's side. So we try and incorporate a little bit of that into the farm tours and jet boating, mainly through storytelling," Tim Loughnan said.

Tim and his young family live on the 320-hectare dryland farm, Tawanui, with his parents Mike and Elspeth. Tawanui means "a big tree". he told Country Life.

"I'm not sure who came up with it, it was before my time, but we've based our branding on it!"

The farming and tourism operations sit under the umbrella of one company managed by the father and son team.

"This is my wife's family farm and we've been farming it for the last 30 years," Mike said.

He was born and bred on a sheep and beef farm at nearby Scargill.

Elspeth's great great grandfather was one of the early settlers in the district.

When the Cheviot Hills Estate was broken up in the 1890s he got a ballot farm on the south side of the Hurunui River.

"It's only a one-person farm really, so we need to generate some income from somewhere else and, as we know, farm income is a bit up and down."

Lambs and cattle are fattened on the farm but Mike said they've destocked because there's not enough feed.

"2500 stock units are here normally but we're 900 stock units down now."

The dry season and depressingly low lamb prices have dented Mike's passion for farming, but diversifying into tourism has put a hop back in his stride.

"It's been challenging, but I must say that the tourism has given me another interest, and having Tim home has helped, so we're in it together."

Mike enjoys doing the farm tours. It's a good way to share his knowledge.

"Farmers can tend to get a wee bit insular in what they do and it's good to meet new people".

"We started commercial jet boating because we used to spend lots of time in the summer on the river, boating and barbecuing," Mike said.

"And Tim came home and got the bit between his teeth and decided that we needed to do something about it!"

Tim launched Energy Jet. He took the first load of thrill-seekers up the river in 2017 and it's still the only jet boating operator on the Hurunui River.

Two years ago he upgraded to a bigger and more powerful 12-seater jet boat.

"So above State Highway 1 is the gorge where there's some amazing scenery. And then the lower section is a bit more spread out and the boating's quite exciting over the braids."

He also does contract work for the Department of Conservation, ferrying staff along the Hurunui and the Waiau Rivers to do bird counting and nassella grubbing.

At one of the highest and most isolated points on the farm are two four-person geodesic glamping domes.

"It's all off-grid and there's a hot tub and composting toilets," Tim said.

Sometimes flocks of sheep graze around the fenced-off site that has a birds-eye view of the Hurunui River as it meets the ocean.

"It's probably the best view on the farm. We were lucky we already had good track access up here and water."

Tim said the rustic accommodation attracts people from all walks of life.

"Some people don't really want to talk to you so you just show them around and bugger off. But some will talk to you for ages and offer you a beer and what-not."

A few paddocks away from the domes is a new seven metre tall A-frame building. The luxurious getaway for two is the Loughnan's latest project.

"We wanted something a bit more high-end, so we've got two ends of the spectrum covered now with the two sites, but it's been an undertaking!"