High Country Cabin

Inner cosiness and outer grandeur: these are the qualities in great dialogue here. The location for Kenny and Heidi Smith's version of a remote backcountry hut was an easy decision: “The Mackenzie Country is our dream area," says Kenny. “Everything from the glacial-cut moraine landscape to the jagged rocky peaks of the alps to the vastness of the sky resonates with us both.” The Ben Ōhau range and the majesty of the surrounding high country slows and sweetens the mind: “It's nice to reconnect with the sounds of nature and just being quiet. We often realize that we hardly listen to music or any audio when at the cabin. It's nice just to be still and look out at the mountains. The sky is always changing in the Mackenzie (Ōhau means “windy place” in te reo) so you can sit and be entertained by the light and clouds throughout the day.”

A keen follower of the tiny-home movement, Kenny was inspired to eliminate unnecessary space and things while saluting comfort and relaxation. “One of my strong beliefs is that a small dwelling makes you feel part of the landscape much more appropriately than a large one. The smaller the space, the more the surrounds come in.”

It's what's not at High Country Cabin that the Smiths love most: no television or electric heat source. “Living outside of town, without broadcast television and relying on firewood reconnects you with the surrounding landscape.” Ben Ōhau. highcountrycabin.co.nz