The Cozy, Quirky, Cottage by the Sea

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Around six o’clock we arrived in Dunedin, and drove straight to Brian & Diane’s home. I should rephrase this – it’s impossible to drive straight to their home as you first have to drive along a twisty, turny coastal road and then almost straight up another road until you finally arrive at their home which overlooks the ocean on McAndrew Bay. How they EVER leave the place, I’ll NEVER know!



Their cozy home was originally a cabin or as it’s known here, a crib. It was built sometime in the 1930’s with bits and pieces added over time. Where the original rooms were is not entirely certain. Outside the home are gardens with some plants I recognized (only they're bigger here) and an incredibly large hedge that helps to block out some of the fierce winds that blow in this area. The lower floor or basement is Brian’s layer containing his office which is accessed via a spiral staircase (I’d love one of these!) Brian’s interests are vast and this space is a veritable treasure trove of everything he has collected over the last 40 years (maybe more?) I've seen libraries that have smaller collections. The collection does indeed spill over into the upstairs into a small room that I believe Diane uses from time to time (I thought my sister Terri and Diane should get together to discuss this phenomenon.)



Upstairs there is a room any book-lover would die for with books from floor to ceiling! There’s even a fireplace for those cool evenings when you want to curl up with a good book. Many of these books were from the bookstore Brian & Diane ran at one time. Behind the house is the ‘guest house’ which was originally built to accommodate their children. Nowadays, it’s used to accommodate people like us who come to visit and need somewhere to stay after dinner. Yes, they let us stay and fed us too!

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Comments

[Terri]

"the ooze"
I would indeed love to hear of any ideas Diane has to contain and/or limit the growth of things beyond their boarders! It would appear that this disease is alive and well down under too.

[Two of Us]

Incurable Affliction
Yes, Terri there is another soul in the universe who knows your suffering. Perhaps we could start a foundation and start raising money to find a cure for this disease.