It is 1980, and a pilot called Mike Tiller flies his plane over a block of land in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough. With a bird's eye view, Mike Tiller discovers a precious pocket of land; a unique area that even on the coldest of mornings was frost-free, with fertile soil and a unique aspect. Not once did it attract his attention but every time he passed overhead on his flight path to nearby Blenheim Airport.