Peter & Iris Tait are husband and wife tourism operators whose business “Sails Ashore” has provided hosted accommodation, guided walks and tours for the last 9 years on Stewart Island. They have around 50% domestic and 50% international customers.

They believe that as well as having a great destination for their guests, their commitment to having a quality product and their personal service are all factors which affect the success of their business.

To Sails Ashore sustainability means minimising their “footprint” on the community and on their environment.

Their focus is on being more energy efficient, minimising waste and maximising food from their garden in their journey to become a more sustainable business. The initial motivation was the very high cost of energy on Stewart Island.

They have spent little money, but a lot of time, mainly in research, since becoming involved in the Sustainable Tourism South Charter project. The project encouraged them to open other avenues of investigation, particularly in energy conservation and alternative technology.

Their building was initially designed with double glazed windows and heavy duty insulation throughout as well as a large sunroom to harvest solar radiation. Sails Ashore subsequently has implemented several further changes since becoming involved in the project. These include trialling and then installing low energy light sources, in particular sourcing GU-10 fluorescence bulbs to replace the older halogen 50 watts initially installed. This resulted in around 80% savings in lighting costs. A side benefit has been a 10 times increase in bulb life, with bulbs still aesthetically pleasing . They replaced a standard domestic freezer with an imported Danish model, saving around $40 per month in power charges, these savings mean a payback period for the added initial cost is 12 months. Installing a worm farm and mulcher (compost), and rebuilding composting bins so they are more efficient has meant that all green waste from their garden is recycled, saving that cost, and also minimising fertiliser costs.

Some commitments that Sails Ashore have put into place include:

Commitments to the Environment

• Implement a regular maintenance programme for vehicles to maximize fuel efficiency.
• Reduce paper waste, reuse magazines.
• Offer walking tours to reduce fuel consumption.
• Identify high energy usage appliances and replace with energy efficient options as required.
• Recycled paper for brochure/office.
• Ensure house insulation, including double glazing, is the best available.

Commitments to our Community

• Mentoring - assisting other business as opportunity and time allows
• Keep a watching brief for possible projects we and our guests can undertake which are of benefit to the environment and community

Commitments to the Business

• Increased networking with accommodation and other businesses in Stewart Island upstream areas to increase client awareness of each others products. Thus increasing mutual profits and utilisation.
• Continue to develop and expand our vision of what we are, what we do, what we offer our guests - and how this fits in the wider community, the environment and in our own life. Ensure vision is communicated to guests and stakeholders.
• Their commitment to environmental sustainability was also recognised by Qualmark when both Sails Ashore and Kowhai Lane (which they manage for daughter Anne) were both graded Enviro Gold.                                               

With regards to similar initiatives, Sails Ashore would advise other businesses not to rush in without careful research, particularly where considerable amounts of capital are required.