New opportunities: The development of private rural walkways in rural North Canterbury

Abstract

Since the 1980s, agricultural restructuring has provided the impetus for farmers to tum towards rural tourism as an alternative use of their land and as a source of income. One new opportunity in rural tourism has been the development of private rural walkways. This thesis reports on the opportunities and difficulties private rural walkways provide for farmers who choose to diversify from traditional farming towards rural tourism and tourists wishing to access rural land for recreation.

This thesis reports a study of three private rural walkways in rural North Canterbury, and examines the key factors which farmers need to consider when developing a walkway as a diversification strategy. Results indicate that while making money and meeting new people are the main reasons for developing walkways, the underlying and often subconscious reasons behind participating are to enhance, and retain, farming as a way of life. The attraction for tourists is being able to walk in uncrowded rural landscapes close to urban areas, and experience farming as a way of life while enjoying a more sophisticated style of accommodation.

By using theories on the commodification of access to land, land use and place image, I demonstrate how farmers become tourism marketeers to attract tourists by using tourism brochures to sell rural place images and experiences. The implications of the commodification process for the development of private rural walkways is greater access to private rural land for recreation but for a fee which instils a duty of care by the landowner for the well-being of the tourist.

Geographical theory related to sense of place is used to show how places can be made up of a variety of symbols with attached meanings. The rural landscape, family heritage, a strong sense of community and social sense of place, are some of the sense of place elements that bond the farmer and their family to finding ways to remain on the land such as diversifying into rural tourism to enhance and retain farming as a way of life.