Fay and Stephen Graham moved to Christchurch from Franz Josef Glacier in South Westland in 1981 after selling their tourist accommodation business.

During his teenage years, Stephen, a third generation West Coaster, followed in the footsteps of his father Peter Graham, a well known mountain guide until rheumatic fever curtailed this activity. Alongside a love of the mountains was a love for the taste of honey, so encouraged by his mother to provide for this longing, he bought his first hives producing honey sourced from the surrounding native bush. Beekeeping took him through the next 13 years when he then branched out into the tourist industry owning the local store and tearooms just as the Haast Pass was being completed to connect the West Coast to Canterbury and Otago.

It was at this stage that Fay arrived at Franz Josef Glacier as Head receptionist for the newly built hotel having previously spent 2.5 years at Mount Cook where an appreciation for the mountains and the outdoors had developed. Together after their marriage, they built a 110 bed Motor Inn with licensed restaurant while enjoying a busy life with their 2 children.

We say it was because 'we suffered withdrawal symptoms from meeting interesting people' that we returned to the tourist industry offering bed and breakfast accommodation in our country home on the outskirts of Christchurch. Now more than 25 years later, we still derive great pleasure from meeting new faces and ensuring that their experience of New Zealand hospitality is top quality.