Your Hosts – Noel and Sharon

Bonjour!

Beaufort House Akaroa is owned and operated by Noel McGuigan and Sharon Rees-Thomas. Noel and Sharon are hospitality professionals having owned and operated a fine dining Restaurant in Christchurch for 9 years.
They also owned and operated a luxury Bed & Breakfast in the central city of Christchurch until the earthquake of 22 February 2011.
As Restauranteurs they often hosted special events such as weddings, cocktail functions, private dinners, corporate launches and high teas.
Sharon has a background in sales having worked for a prominent telecommunications company for many years. Sharon is a keen collector of antiques and period furniture which is reflected in the photo gallery, her other interests include gardening and travel.
Noel spent 15 years in the offshore oil industry, travelling to many exotic destinations as a senior driller. He also lectured in blow out prevention and well control in Singapore and London.
Past businesses include a fully irrigated 500 acre farm and a ski and snowboard rental shop. Noel is fluent in German having lived and worked in Germany. His passion is sailing, having completed several ocean voyages and is the proud owner of a 40’ Beneteau yacht named ‘Roaring Meg’.

‘Roaring Meg’ which has sailed as far north as Saint Petersburg in Russia

Noel has sailed more than 50,000 nautical miles and most of these miles on his yacht ‘Roaring Meg’ which he purchased in Annapolis, Maryland USA in 2006. With Sharon plus friends and family there have been many adventures to places as far North as St Petersburg, Russia at latitude 60 degrees North. In Europe we sailed the Mediterranean, the Aegean, the Black Sea, the Adriatic, the Irish and Celtic seas, the North Sea and the Baltic.
In 2017 began the long voyage home to New Zealand, via Bermuda and the America’s Cup where Team Emirates were victorious. The next year we sailed to the Caribbean and island hopped through the windward chain of islands all the way to Grenada. After a crew change the next ports of call were Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba, then onto the city of Cartegena in Colombia. Eventually ‘Meg’ found Shelter Bay Marina in Panama where she ‘wintered over’ on the hard in a secure boat yard.
Fortunately in 2019 Noel made the voyage from Panama to Akaroa some 8,500 nautical miles entering the heads at Akaroa on the 20th September 2019 prior to the COVID outbreak. Mission complete.

In 2023 ‘Roaring Meg’ circumnavigated the South Island & Stewart Island with Noel as skipper and 3 crew members aboard. The total voyage time was 40 days.
The highlights were Stewart Island and Fiordland with many beautiful anchorages . In the deep south you can put the pan on the stove before dropping a baited hook over the side as Blue Cod are plentiful and delicious on the plate.
We sheltered from a storm at Disappointment Cove which was anything but disappointing as ‘Roaring Meg’ sat like a duck on a pond as 50 knot winds and clouds skudded overhead. The following day we rounded South West Cape in 5 metre seas and none of the crew were seasick – full marks to them.
In 2025 Noel bought a half share in a Bavaria 49 yacht which is currently based in the Ionian Islands , Greece. He and various family members sailed her to Italy, Montenegro and back to Preveza Greece that year.
The 2026 voyage is planned for the Aegean and the European summer.

Beaufort House Akaroa, (formerly Wilderness House) has operated as a guest house/luxury Bed & Breakfast for over 100 years. We look forward to hosting you in this wonderful historic property with the charm, peace and serenity of yesteryear.