New Zealand House and Garden Magazine, June 1998

TALES OF THE COUNTRY

When lawyer Joe Yates first visited Banks Peninsula in March 1993, it was purely to humour his wife, Jane, and "cash in a few frequent flier miles".

Jane's brother, the American novelist Armistead Maupin, and his partner, Terry Anderson, wanted to sell their 130-year-old Wainui farm cottage and Jane had fallen in love with it. She was convinced that as soon as Joe saw the house, with its rolling farmland and picture postcard view of Akaroa Harbour, he would be similarly smitten.

Her prediction was correct and within three years the couple had decided to stop commuting between North Carolina and New Zealand and settle permanently on the 4.5 hectare property Kahikatea.

Joe and Jane are now providing bed and breakfast accommodation from their renovated farm house and running their Lands End Llamas breeding and stud farm.

Over the past two years they have increased the size of the house from 125 to 240 square metres and radically changed its decor. As well as turning the cottage into a sizeable house, the extension is directly in line with what must be Wainui's quintessential view of the Akaroa Harbour and headlands.

In decorating and furnishing their home, the couple have opted for an eclectic mix, allowing them to keep the mood light and airy in the new portion, while adding richness and warmth to the older, darker end of the house. Most of the furniture was also brought over from the United States. Like something from a modern-day version of The Piano, the furniture was transported almost piece by piece by van which travelled up and down the narrow shingle driveway from the main road.

While the Yates had not intended to provide bed and breakfast accommodation at Kahikatea, it became a necessity as more and more Americans heard of their new home. They now receive guests from all over the world and say there is nothing more enjoyable than sharing their "little piece of paradise".

Grace Magazine, April 2000

VIEW FROM A HILL

By the time you've negotiated the steep, winding track overhung with native bush that leads to Joe and Jane Yates' Banks Peninsular property, you begin to understand why visitors need detailed directions. And when you stand high above the zig-zag twist of coastline and the azure waters of Akaroa Harbour, you realise why they're not hankering after the high life of hometown USA.

Tiny Wainui is a far cry from Raleigh, North Carolina. The Yates had made a decision, tossed in the American dream and settled for the quiet life in a place their American friends call "the bottom of the world".

It's here that they run Land's End Llamas, a thriving llama stud farm, along with their upmarket bed and breakfast operation, Kahikatea. As anyone would know who has travelled the road from Christchurch to Akaroa, when you hit the hilltop and look down on the spectacular harbour view, you can't help but be impressed.

It was while they were playing hosts to dozens of American visitors - "friends of friends of friends" - that the idea to establish a bed and breakfast sprang up. "I was also beginning to talk to the animals too much," laughs Jane, "and because I'm very much a people person, it seemed like a good idea." Today there are two aspects to the hospitality business - a private in-house guest suite and a brand new stylish, self-contained cottage that captures the tranquility and the enchanting views. Fitted out with the best of Jane's favourite Italian design features, it stands apart from the main house in an enviable setting overlooking both the harbour and a large pond.

Frommer's New Zealand - 1st edition (2000)

* Kahikatea Country Retreat.(p.350)

As you tackle the steep winding, unsealed Donovan's Road, you'll appreciate why Joe and Jane Yates named their property Lands End. When you meet vivacious ex-North Carolina businesswoman Jane and ex-U.S. lawyer Joe, your first question is likely to be "How did they find themselves here, breeding llamas and running a top-notch B&B?" I'll leave that for them to explain - suffice to say they're well settled here and their luxurious retreat is worth a visit. Their renovated 1860's colonial homestead is meticulously appointed and the accommodation lacks for nothing. You basically have the run of the whole homestead or a new, self-contained luxury cottage in a prime position overlooking the harbor and large lily-filled pond.