The Canterbury farmer who takes a flying fox to work is surprised a video of his thrill-seeking commute has gone viral but is glad to give the dairy industry something to smile about.
The story of Harry Meijer and his flying fox has been viewed more than 164,000 times on the New Zealand Herald's Facebook page.
It has also prompted more than 530 overwhelmingly positive comments from readers full of admiration for the "real Kiwi man" and his fun for farming.
"Bloody good story! Kiwi ingenuity and attitude at its best," wrote Joey Kingman.
"I just hope the Fun Police (aka Work Elf & Safety) don't step in and ruin the fun. Go Harry!"
Jodain Dalziel was pleased to see a farmer that can have "fun time and work time".
Amanda Lee loved Mr Meijer's "got this bloody flying fox thing we've chucked in" line.
"Kiwi as bro," she commented.
Mr Meijer said he built the 100m zip line from his house on the north bank of the Waimakariri River to the milking shed 10 years ago.
It forms part of his farming philosophy that it shouldn't be all about the bottom line.
"You're never too old to have fun," said father of-four Mr Meijer.
Today, Mr Meijer was pleased - even if he was a little puzzled - by the reaction to his flying fox.
"It's fair to say I've had a couple of calls this morning from people who have come out of the woodwork, that have known me from way back, and I don't know how they have time to look at this idiot stuff, but they seem to think it came across quite well," he said.
"There's lots of doom and gloom with stuff on the horizon for dairying, but look, if I can brighten up somebody's day then that's great."
While the flying fox is not open to the public, the families of three fulltime staff members, plus other part-timers and visiting truck drivers, all use it.
There are clear safety rules around its use. Mr Meijer always lays down the law.
Children under 14 must be supervised by an adult. A safety harness is available for younger children.
When not in use, the zip line is locked.
Other de-stress techniques on the Meijer farm includes hitting golf balls off the terrace, aiming for water troughs in the lush paddocks below.
In late spring, they host an annual community BBQ for the rural area's workers to get to know each other.
"I reckon the dairy farm is a great place to bring kids up," Mr Meijer said.
"And there is no reason why we can't enjoy what we're doing while we're here."
