It was, as is so often the case, East Coast surf and sun.
Before that though, long before his and Caroline's paths crossed, Stéphane was to experience the heat of Gabon in Central Africa, and two years of cold in Norway. He trained as a chef in France then a month after graduating, he arrived in Gabon on his 18th birthday and spent a year there.
“Africa is warm and in Gabon they speak French and I had an uncle in Libreville, the capital of Gabon,” he says.
“It was a good time but it was a hard time.”
It was about to get harder.
Meanwhile, born in Hong Kong and raised in various parts of Southeast Asia before the family settled in Dublin, Caroline, at 18 years old, was committed to four years of study towards an honours degree in business, economics and social studies at Trinity College. She later realised, though, this was not her passion. She had long desired to be a chef.
Having learned some French at school she was able to develop her skill with the language while working as a cook at a chalet in the French Alps.
“After that, I heard about the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) programme in Japan and worked as an assistant junior high school teacher in Osaka.”
After three years in the programme she became a kindergarten teacher but still felt the call of cooking. She planned to return to Ireland to take part in a course at Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Fate was to intervene, though — but in a good way.
Stéphane's African adventure came to an end when he was required to return to France for compulsory military training. Rather than work in a kitchen where food was cooked to meet the demand for 2000 meals per service, he trained in helicopter combat.
“I hated it,” he says.
On leaving the army 10 months later, he took on seasonal work for five months a year which allowed him to spend the rest of the time travelling, surfing, fishing, sleeping on the beach in Morocco, and learning as much as he could about the North African country's cuisine.
“It was very relaxed,” he says.
As if seeking a complete change in climate and cuisine, he moved to Norway. After two years there he decided he didn't want to spend another winter in an icy climate and was inspired again to seek warmer climes and good waves somewhere on the planet. He contacted French people around the world via the Alliance Francaise, an international organisation that aims to promote francophone culture around the world.
“I sent 157 handwritten, job application letters to people in the Alliance Francaise,” says Stéphane.
“I had only two replies. Both were from New Zealand. A gentleman from Christchurch contacted me and said he didn't have a job but said ‘you can come and stay'."
By the time Stéphane got to New Zealand the Christchurch contact had found him a job at Nelson gastro-pub, The Honest Lawyer.
In Japan around this time, and planning her return to Ireland, Caroline received an invitation to a friend's wedding in New Zealand. Attending the wedding meant she would miss the Ballymaloe Cookery School course's start date. On the other hand, a related course in this country would give her a transferable qualification. She came to New Zealand on a working holiday visa and completed a chef training course at the New Zealand School of Food and Wine in Christchurch with the intention of returning to her homeland to pursue a career as a chef.
“Then I was on the road with my mum,” says Caroline.
“I had been told by some people ‘you must stop at The Store', a beach-front cafe in Kekerengu. We actually drove past it but we went back.”
The Store was seeking staff. Caroline inquired about a job and was met by a French-speaking chef — Stéphane. She was hired and they continued to work there for another two years.
By then a couple, Stéphane and Caroline relocated to the Marlborough Sounds where they worked at the Punga Cove Resort beside the Queen Charlotte Track.
In their first of three years there, they took on the role of managers to see if they would like to take on the lease. They found the location beautiful but too remote for their liking.
After a little more time in the region, they looked further afield for somewhere to make their home.
Stéphane fine-tuned the options to towns that offered the best surf spots and sunshine. Gisborne crested like a curling wave above other coastal sites and by 2006 they had made the place their home.
Stéphane contacted a Gisborne woman he had met while travelling in France.
“He asked if this would be a good place to have a restaurant. She said ‘if you're serious about it the Marina might be better for you',” says Caroline.
“Initially we thought it was far too magnificent, too grand and that we would never be able to afford it.”
They were also surprised by what looked like a sign. High on the west wall of the building are two stained glass windows made up of three panels each. One window's panels is made up of the colours of the Irish flag, the other has the French flag's colours.
“When we entered the building, I said ‘that's significant,” says Stéphane.
They bought the restaurant the same day.
