Like most farmers, Andy Fox isn’t used to sitting still, so it’s unsurprising that a he needed a project to keep him occupied whilst on forced rest during a particularly nasty bout of Leptospirosis.

“He such an energizer bunny, and he was laid up on couch,” Andy’s wife Kath says.

“One day he said, I think we should open a hut.

“Next thing he had called an architect and was buying stuff on trade me, and I thought ok, we are actually doing this.”

The Foxes farm on Foxdown, a 1400 hectare farm in the Hurunui District that has been on the Fox family for nearly 150 years.

The 360 degree view from the top of the farm stretch out across the Waikari Valley, to the Culverden Basin and inland Kaikoura ranges, making it the perfect location for a luxury glamping experience.

“The view up there, even for me, is amazing, and it’s always changing.

“I think that is what stands out about it for people, is the epic view and the light changing every hour, and the weather.”

Andy had spent New Year of 2019 in hospital recovering, but despite his illness preparations for the build began in February.

“I prepared that site over winter, we poured the concrete in November and it was weather tight by the following March,” Andy says.

“It took 18 months to build.”

The finished build was named Foxdown Hut and marketed by Canopy Camping.

The build was based around salvaged trusses that were recycled from a pump house in Christchurch, and while many glamping experiences are little bigger than a tiny house, Foxdown hut is a generous 84 square meters.

The Foxes built the hut based on the kind of place they would to stay in.

“I describe myself as outsidey, but not outdoorsy,” Kath said.

“I like the great outdoors, but I want comfort.”

There is a proper flushing toilet, a log burner to keep the hut toasty and provide cosy ambiance and LPG gas hot water supplies the inside bathroom as well as the outside bath.

“When you go to those places with outdoor baths that are heated by a fire, you have to plan your bath five hours in advance.

“That’s just too much admin,” Andy says.

Kath said most guests are looking for an experience, and a hot bath under the stars fits the bill for most people.

“People need to be able to see themselves doing something there, it’s not enough to just have a whole lot of nice décor, they want to imagine what they’ll do when they get here.”

There are walking tracks on offer for guests as well as mountain biking, but the Foxes have found most people are quite happy to just relax and unwind.

“Most people work really hard, especially the under 40 year olds,” Andy said

“They’ve parked the kids, or a version of that, there’s been a lot of stress to get here, and all they want to do is relax.”

Most guests staying at the hut are domestic tourists, and usually under 40 years old.

“We never get older people, but when we were building it, we thought it would be for 40-60 year olds.

“But because Canopy Camping do all of their marketing on Instagram, that’s the age group they attract.”

The hut has been a success, and has had high occupancy rates, but that has eased off slightly recently, which Andy puts down to difficult times as the recession hits peoples wallets.

“Every time you pick up the paper, it talks about economic recession, inflation and interest rates.

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. People think they are going to be poor so they stop spending, and that creates a slowing of the economy.”

Kath, who works as a lawyer in Christchurch, ensures the hut is kept to the highest possible standard, but leaves the guests to Andy.

“Andy loves people, and genuinely loves welcoming people onto the farm, and I think they genuinely love talking to him because he knows so much about the area.”

Guests wanting more in-depth experience can choose to enjoy a farm tour with Andy or to visit the on-farm museum, which is a testament to the generations of Foxes that have farmed the property.

Car enthusiasts can view Andy’s vast array of classic cars, from a lifetime of passionate collecting that are stored in the Foxdown Shed, which also doubles as an event venue.

Andy said that while sometimes having people on the property can feel invasive, there are benefits for the sector in opening the farm gate.

“In my parents day, everyone in town knew someone in the country.

“But now that distance is getting greater, but we want them to buy what we produce.

“So we have an open policy around visitors, because we haven’t got anything to hide, and farming has had a bit of bad press and hopefully we can improve that.”

By Claire Inkson