Rockwood Station, located near the sleepy township of Windwhistle, Mid Canterbury, is just over an easy one-hour drive from Christchurch airport.

A working  567-hectare sheep and beef property running 3300 Romney ewes and 150 Angus cows plus replacements, station owners Ben and Cheryl Richards diversified by adding a glamping business to the operation in 2018.

With things tough in the sheep and beef industry, the added income stream of the accommodation has been welcome.

"It's been a good source of extra income.

"We put our own money in, but we've recouped most of that and pretty much paid it off, " Ben Richards says.

Accommodation on offer for guests, run through the glamping site Canopy Camping, features two unique sites –The Summer House and The Carriage.

The Summer House began as a working-man's hut on a neighbouring farm before being transported to Rockwood Station on the end of a digger and extended and renovated.

"We developed The Summerhouse first in 2018, more as a nice place for us to have a drink, but a chance conversation with someone who has a glamping site suggested we should list it with Canopy Camping," Richards said.

Situated on Rockwood Stream, a tributary of the Hororata River, The Summer House consists of two rooms. One room has a bedroom and kitchen, and the other has a separate lounge.

A bathroom complete with a bathtub is accessed from the deck outside.

The Summer House is heated by a Wagner log fire inside, and guests can enjoy the outdoor fireplace outside.

The Carriage was added to the glamping business in 2020 after Cheryl chanced upon a 1953 goods train carriage for sale on Trade Me.

"Cheryl jumped at the chance to buy it as we had another good site. After renovating, landscaping and planting, we had our second site, which is also popular."

The 15-metre long, two-metre wide Carriage has two bedrooms, one with an ensuite.

A second bathroom, complete with a bath, is situated at the end of the Carriage and is accessed via a covered outdoor area.

The Carriage is entirely off-grid, powered by a combination of solar and generator. It has limited cell phone coverage and no Wi-Fi, meaning guests have a truly unplugged experience.

Both huts are self-catering, with kitchen and barbecue facilities.

There are around 100-acres of bush and a walkway for guests to explore, but Richards keeps the farm separate from the glamping business.

"There is a walkway guests can take, and they see bits of the farm, but we don't do farm tours; we have too much going on."

Richards is a fifth-generation farmer in the Windwhistle area.

His ancestors arrived in the country on the Sir George Seymour, one of the first four ships to bring settlers to New Zealand shores.

His great-great-grandfather Henry Phillips settled at Rockwood in 1851 after living in Phillipstown, Christchurch, a suburb named after the family.

Rockwood was sold in 1877 but returned to the family's ownership in 1973 when Richards's father purchased the property.

The 1910 homestead where Richards and his wife Cheryl live, the original 1850s cob cottage, and a graveyard of deceased relatives, located not far from the glamping sites, are a reminder of Rockwood Station's long farming history.

Richards said it's the location that makes Rockwood such a special place for guests.

"You come up the valley, and it feels completely cut off from the world, even though it's just over an hour's drive from the airport.

"There's lots to do with the hot pools, golfing at Terrace Downs, and some good walks."

"There's bush and nice established trees from ancestral planting; it's a nice setting."

Richards said he understands the importance of farmers getting off-farm and taking a break.

"In situations where they are under multiple pressures, not just financial but with all the rules and regulations brought in by the previous Government, it eases your mind just to get away.

"You need to get away and break that cycle of pressure. It can get pretty depressing if you've got four or five things against you, and that's still happening for many farmers."

by Claire Inkson