Annandale - Christchurch
Well - thank you Mark Palmer for having this vision and then deciding to share it. The Annandale shearer's cottage is my favourite cottage in the country. A beautiful historic cottage, impeccably (and I mean impeccably) restored on a promontory on a 4,000 acre coastal estate on the Banks Peninsula. For those who don't know - that means a short 10-minute helicopter flight from Christchurch Airport, and just over the hill from Akaroa.
The cottage - which once it is found will become permanently booked by locals and visitors alike, a sad fact - is probably the lowest key of the four accommodation options on this estate. To get a proper impression of the views and the quality of the place I recommend spending a little time on the website, www.annandale.com
In short:
- a gracious historic homestead surrounded by beautiful gardens, overflown by native wood pigeons, with a tennis court and a "James Bond" pool and fitness complex. Brilliant for a family reunion.
- A modern concrete "bunker" in its own cove, 1-bedroom. Refuge, sanctuary. A place to put a smile on your face.
- A sprawling up-market beach house in its own bay. Another place where a family can come together and enjoy the wilderness/beach this time. Elegantly casual and really really secluded. Internet? Sure. Fibre optic cable pulled 10km across the property. That alone should raise eyebrows and wake people up to the fact that no expense really has been spared in developing this vision.