UNDER THE BIG SKY
Pit master: A person who oversees the cooking done in a barbecue pit; a professional or skilled barbecuer.
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.
After a long career in radio, Dave and his wife Erin Jamieson opened Big Sky last year. It is a unique, hosted eco-farm stay with accommodation in two beautiful yurts at French Farm, Banks Peninsula – overlooking Akaroa Harbour.
Dave and Erin wanted to share their piece of paradise and Dave’s love of great BBQ food with others. Big Sky’s first opening season had the place humming – all those that stayed gave it a five-star review, with many re-booking.
While working in radio in Sydney, Dave gained a cooking qualification. He furthered his craft by attending cooking classes in different countries and learnt skills from American pit masters.
Dave says the American-style barbecue movement is becoming popular in New Zealand, and it has gone down well at the farm stay.
“People really like the slow-cooked, local meat we serve at Big Sky.”
Dave is famous for transforming meat with his special blend of rubs, herbs, and spices. Some of his favourite dishes include beer can chicken, grilled Akaroa Salmon, slow-cooked brisket, pulled pork, and ribs cooked low and slow over charcoal and wood.
Dave uses a variety of different wood sourced from trees at Big Sky to create different smoked flavours through the meat. This includes wood from apple and cherry trees, kanuka and manuka.
If the BBQ food isn’t a good enough reason to visit Big Sky, then staying in a beautifully appointed yurt really seals the deal. The two yurts are named Sirius and Canopus, after the two brightest stars in the Southern Hemisphere. The night sky at French Farm is perfect for stargazing, and Big Sky’s astro-binoculars are great for looking at the moon.
Yurts are an ancient form of portable shelter, originating thousands of years ago in central Asia, and are most commonly found in Mongolia. Dave and Erin were attracted to yurts due to their low environmental footprint, sustainable materials, and the serenity sleeping in one provides.
Big Sky’s yurts were custom-made by Jaia Tipis and Yurts from Golden Bay, using a traditional, hand-crafted design. They are insulated with natural wool, and the wood used to make the yurts is grown sustainably – with none of it chemically treated.
There is a lot to do at Big Sky. Visit an alpaca farm, take a trip to Akaroa, swim with dolphins, go hiking or mountain biking, or you can snuggle up in the cosy yurt, read books, drink tea, play games and enjoy spectacular views of the ocean and hills.
Big Sky allows one or multiple-night stays. A midday check-out means guests can enjoy a home-cooked brunch without having to rush off. Dave and Erin look forward to welcoming guests from October for their second season at Big Sky.