Canopy Camping Escapes founders Sonia Minnaar and Liz Henderson have been recognized in New Zealand’s rural business sector after winning the Experience Rural category at the NZI Rural Women Business Awards.
The Kāpiti-based travel and accommodation business was established by the longtime friends in 2012 after they identified an emerging opportunity for glamping in New Zealand. At the time, Minnaar and Henderson said the concept was relatively unfamiliar to many New Zealanders, while they were also looking for a business model that could align more closely with their lifestyles.
More than 14 years later, Canopy Camping Escapes has developed a network of more than 220 independently owned accommodations, connecting travelers with rural and nature-based stays across the country.
“We were thrilled and announced it to the team . . . and we all felt really proud,” Sonia told Farmers Weekly.
The company’s model is centered on working with rural landowners who use their properties to host visitors. According to Minnaar, the business is intended to provide an additional income stream for hosts while giving guests opportunities to experience rural environments and connect with nature.
“Our core purpose is enriching lives. That’s really what our business is about,” says Sonia.
“It’s enabling hosts to make money from their land and share their beautiful piece of paradise. For guests, it’s about providing something magical and special. It’s an opportunity to get closer to nature, understand rural life and connect with the people they’re travelling with.
For rural tourism operators, the business model illustrates how accommodation can be integrated into existing land uses while also directing visitor spending into surrounding communities.
Canopy Camping Escapes said its network can generate economic activity for local cafés, producers, activity providers and other rural businesses. Some of its participating accommodations are also low-impact or off-grid, although the sustainability characteristics vary between individual properties.
“By directing visitors into regional communities, we help generate economic activity for local cafés, producers, activity operators and rural businesses. Many of our escapes are also low-impact or off-grid, encouraging sustainable tourism and thoughtful land use,” she said.
“We know what we’ve created enriches our hosts’ lives and our guests’ lives, and that’s really satisfying for us.”
Minnaar said the relationship between the company and its hosts has also become an important part of its operating model. The business provides support beyond the accommodation marketplace, including helping hosts manage unexpected situations involving their properties or guests.
“One of the things we’re most proud of is the impact we have on our hosts’ lives. We’ve worked with hosts who have faced significant challenges, from serious injuries to health issues. Being able to support them and make the business side of things easier has been incredibly rewarding,” Sonia said.
“There are also those unexpected situations that happen on rural properties. Whether it’s a personal crisis, a natural disaster or an emergency, we’ve often been able to step in, communicate with guests and take a lot of stress off our hosts’ shoulders.”
The founders said the scale of the business has exceeded their original expectations, although reaching that point required time and adjustments along the way.
“When we first started, we did projections about how big we thought the business might become. It has grown bigger and better than we anticipated.”
Minnaar also acknowledged that expansion has involved mistakes and a slower pace than initially expected.
“We definitely made mistakes, but when we look back now, we see those as part of the learning process and part of the journey,” she said.
“It definitely takes longer than you think. Everybody says that about starting a business, but somehow you still think you’ll move faster than you do.”
The NZI Rural Women Business Awards provided an opportunity for the founders to assess the company from outside the day-to-day demands of running it. Minnaar said the business had spent its first decade focused largely on operations before building additional capacity within its team.
“We’ve been head down and busy for 10 years. More recently we’ve built capacity within the team, which has given us the opportunity to look outward a little more.
“[In entering the awards] We wanted to raise our profile, connect more broadly across industries and test ourselves. We wanted to see how other people viewed the business, where we stacked up and what we could learn from the process.”
For other rural entrepreneurs considering a new tourism venture, Minnaar said waiting for perfect conditions can delay progress.
“You’ll never feel like your business is 100% ready. You’ll always think there’s something else you need to improve,” she said.
“But that’s always going to be the case. You’re constantly learning and growing. Just do it. The process itself is valuable, and you’ll learn a lot along the way.”
The award also highlighted the role of the partnership behind the business. Minnaar and Henderson have been friends for more than 30 years and business partners for 14.
“Liz and I . . . we’re incredibly lucky to have our business partnership,” she said.
“I can’t imagine doing this on my own. We’ve been friends for more than 30 years, and without a doubt we’re each other’s biggest support and biggest inspiration.”
Kate Frewen, Area Sales Manager at Alltech and the category sponsor, congratulated the pair on their award.
“I know you are all about enriching lives; for your hosts, the guests and your team. As sponsors we are proud to align with your kaupapa, and with all those putting their energy into businesses that make positive, sustainable impacts on rural communities, helping them thrive and prosper. Very deserving winners!”
Heather Sorensen, RWNZ’s National president, also recognized the business’s contribution to rural communities.
“What stands out about Sonia and Liz is not just the success of their business, but the way they have brought rural communities along with them. Their commitment to enriching the lives of hosts, guests and local businesses is truly inspiring.”
For operators in the glamping and outdoor hospitality sectors, Canopy Camping Escapes’ development points to the potential of partnership-based accommodation models in rural markets.
Its experience also demonstrates that scaling a distributed network requires more than adding accommodation inventory; maintaining host relationships, supporting operations, and building internal capacity can become increasingly important as the network grows.
The company’s recognition at the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards provides another indication of how rural tourism businesses can combine visitor accommodation with broader economic activity in regional communities.