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Lesley and Paul Andrews own the Celtic Motel just on the outskirts of Foxton's town centre.  Paul grew up in New Zealand, but had been away for 20 years when he spotted the motel for sale over the internet. Both he and his English wife Lesley were fed up with working in the UK fashion industry, and were hankering for a lifestyle change. It was simply the pictures of farmland all around and calves grazing right alongside the motel that sold them both. "We agreed, this has to be it," he says

Paul had grown up in Ohakea and the Hutt Valley but he had never lived on the Nature Coast before. "I have family in Palmerston North and, on our visits to New Zealand over the years, we would always stop off for a coffee at Simply Balmy [at Foxton Beach]. So we knew the area a bit, but not well."

They have both been overwhelmed with the welcome they have received to the area. Paul says that when they arrived they had welcoming letters from city councillors. "We even had a letter from the local MP! Settling into Foxton has been great, everyone is so helpful - even local moteliers have given us tips on how to run our business. Where do you find that in this day and age, competitors helping you out? It's incredible."

Since taking over the business in September 2007 they have only had positive feedback. "Some people told us early on we'd never make it work, being just 500 metres from State Highway 1. But we have lots of regulars and everyone comments on how quiet it is - even people that live on farms say that they've never stayed at a motel as quiet as this. It's very peaceful."

The guests are likely to be served with exclusively local food. Paul and Lesley offer breakfasts to their guests using only local ingredients from market gardens. The eggs are from a local free-range producer and the meat often comes from a farmer who is literally ‘across the road'. "He will come over and offer us lamb or beef, straight from the farm. It's really delicious."

If guests are lucky they will hear the nearby trees rustle and a few native birds calling, but they will have to strain their ears and listen really hard because that heavenly silence may just drown it out.

Guests return time and time again not just for the peace and quiet but because Paul and Lesley Andrews are really lovely people, and in the hospitality world that's so very important.