Dave Dunlay likes nothing better than to fire up one of his half a dozen BBQs and prepare a meal for his guests at Big Sky at French Farm. He is on a quest to become the ultimate pit master. His love of smoking food and his collection of BBQs have earned him the name Smokie D.

I’ve been to Akaroa a lot over the years. My nana grew up in the town, so there is a strong family connection to the place, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve stayed the night. Sadly, I think it is only twice.

One of the most beautiful things about Big Sky is just that…the big sky. I always had an interest in astronomy, but really did not have time to pursue this interest until very recently. We knew that sharing our big sky was something we wanted to do and we needed to first understand the galaxy, before we could talk about it.

Three years ago we stepped onto this piece of paradise and were blown away by the tranquility we felt. We were lucky enough to buy 111 Moores Road and decided that we wanted to share it with like-minded people.