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Racounteur George Davies and his wife Grace (now of Hastings) recall their years as proprietors of the guest house at French Pass in the Marlborough Sounds from 1949-1953, when it was a haven for fishermen.
They had been at Miro Bay eking out a living, when they were offered the chance to run the guest house.
Grace says guests came because of the beauty of the location. Shipping traffic used to pass very close to shore in the Pass. George describes the logistics of passengers disembarking down rope ladders from the ferry "Ngaio."
They says guests were from all walks of life, and often helped out with baking and cooking, as they barely had any spare time themselves. They recount anecdotes about some of their guests.
George says the fishing at French Pass was the best in New Zealand - blue cod could be caught off the wharf easily. Once at Man o'War Bay he went out with fishermen and caught 120 blue cod.
Grace talks about the Māori families who lived at Madsen Pā on D'Urville Island, who she knew well. She says they used to bring her whitebait from a stream on their property. Most were Mormons.
Grace describes sailing through French Pass, which she always found an ordeal. George describes going through it on the "Ngaio."
George talks about the gossip people would pick up via the French Pass telephone 'party lines.'