Diversifying into farmstay trekking

A Catlins couple are launching into a diversification project to expand their horse trekking business and create a farm-stay that they’ll operate from their Cannibal Bay home. Mary-Jo Tohill reports.

What do you do when you have a small farm that you want to scratch more than just a living from?

Diversification is one solution and for a Catlins farming couple, it’s expanding their horse-trekking business so that it can include a farm-stay.

This has been the two-phase, grand plan for Cara and Neil Meyer for a few years. High upon a hill stands phase 1; a simple little house that pays tribute to a coastal crib, but in reality, was designed to withstand the high winds that whistle through from every direction. As Catlins folk are fond of saying, there isn’t much between them and the South Pole.

The Meyers built it two years ago in the middle of their 12ha block, on the way to Cannibal Bay, near Owaka. Mr Meyer said their shed was bigger than their home, but the house had allowed them to live on the property so they could focus on phase 2, expanding the treks.

It had been tough getting this far. To achieve their goals, Mr Meyer, originally from Waihi, had to commute to Dunedin for work, while Mrs Myer, a third generation Catlins farmer, had continued to operate her Newhaven-based horse trekking business.

"The horse trekking is generally more profitable than our farm, so is not really a sideline; it was the main income prior to build — we actually live on very little compared to many. Because our farm is so small, income really only covers costs, hence the reason for Neil working full-time off farm so we could build a house and why we are looking at diversifying."

They plan to take guests on sunrise and sunset rides to nearby Dans Peak, which offers spectacular, seldom-seen views all around the Catlins.

"We want to bring some of the horse trekking business here," Mrs Meyer said.

"And build a nice tack shed below and then we can run horse treks all the way up to the skyline," Mr Myer added.

"And maybe include the Surat [Bay] ride all the way here," she said.

"I’ve had to do what I’ve done, working off-farm because that’s what got the house built, and worst-case scenario, I’d do it again if I had to. But we still want to do the sheep and beef because I like animals," Mr Meyer said.

The youngish farming couple also want their guests to have a farm experience. They run free range turkeys and chickens to keep the animal parasites down. They grow vegetables and have bees for honey.

"We’d like to become more sustainable and that’s what we’re working towards, too," Mrs Meyer said.

Their 600 lavender plants, which will one day be pressed for oil, make a pretty backdrop for the accommodation they’re hoping to provide for their horse-trekking guests.

The idea came about because Mr Meyer used to live in a house bus on Otago Peninsula. His original mobile abode sits on their property, but they bought another one that has a mezzanine built on top. They’re planning to finish converting the buses into groovy places to stay.

Their newly acquired Gypsy cob mare Nancy and her foal, Lance, add to the ambience of a Catlins-style gypsy camp.

There’s one small snag to executing phase 2; Mrs Meyer is in a cast from a horse-related accident and Mr Meyer has had to stay at home to help look after their lively 3-year-old son, Nelson.

"Time and money are not our friends at the moment," Mr Meyer said.

"But it will happen, and before Christmas."

Their plans were big but achievable, he said, and it was better to try and fail to have not tried at all.

"I don’t want to be in my rocking chair saying I wish I’d done this, or I wish I’d done that. The time to do it is now."

- By Mary-Jo Tohill