Alice's Seaside Cottages

These photos were taken 50 years apart and the Cottages still have the same magic tranquility

The lockdown letterboxes (and assorted odds & ends) have found a new home at the Cottages

Some more beautiful photos of Sunshine Cottage by Carol Comer that capture the light so beautifully.

Thank you to Carol Comer for the beautiful photos of Moose Cottage.

It was great to finally get back to the Barrier last weekend and find the Cottage driveway finished at last.

The latest addition to the Sunshine Cottage deck. A coffee table made from flotsam that has washed up on the beach over the last three years.

Beautiful evening to enjoy our first bbq at the Sunshine Cottage

Sammy is pretty happy with the new bridge. Made from old Matiatia Wharf timber. Glad that we found a new home for these at the Cottages.

The Sunshine Cottage is finally ready for the arrival of our first guests.

It’s a happy day when the faulty tap is finally working!

Finally putting the finishing touches on the Sunshine Cottage

Not all DIY projects are the easy ones! This one to trench power to the Moose Cottage was certainly one of the more challenging projects!

After months away it is great to finally be back putting the finishing touches on the sunshine cottage.

The Sunshine Cottage is starting to take shape. The green tiles are amazing in the bathroom and the polished floors are stunning. We are finally on track for being finished in time for summer

The Sunshine Cottage is all cleared out ready to floors to be sanded next week. Can’t wait to see the transformation

I just came across this original photo of the Sunshine Cottage in a new book by Dave Watson on Barrier Baches. This cottage had been partly renovated when we first bought the cottages so great to come across a photo of the original cottage. She looks a little different now, but I hope we have restored some of the original character

Exciting to see some grass making an appearance a few weeks after planting

Madi & Zach made fast work of the grass seed at Sunshine Cottage. Fingers crossed we will have lawn for next summer.

A very kind neighbour dropped in at the airport when we were leaving today to give us an old painting that Alice had done of her cottages to add to our collection of cottage paintings. Thank you Dave

We are pretty pleased with the transformation of the old laundry shed into the solar power shed

Jas has been spending a fair amount of time up ladders to patch up the old laundry. It’s all ready for a coat of Sprout Green today

Sunshine Cottage is starting to take shape with the new lawn about to go down today

The new driveway is looking great (and it survived the torrential rain last night)

Another big DIY weekend at the cottages. Arms will be aching all week from all the shovelling!

Our biggest success story of the summer DIY projects was the Sunshine Cottage kitchen. Although without Tony’s expertise I am not sure we would ever have gotten the bench top or sink to work!

Great to come across yet another artist’s impression of the Moose cottage. Discovered in a neighbours Bach

The moose cottage has been returned to its former glory.

After a long summer on the paintbrush the cottage transformation is finally taking place

Sunshine Cottage might be a construction zone but Moose cottage is starting to look like a perfect getaway

The new Sunshine cottage deck is taking shape.

Some more progress on the cottage earthworks. But being slowed down by the weather. Can wait to get the deck & retaining wall finished!

Finally the next big step in the cottage project begins. The messy stage of earthworks for retaining wall and new septic system. But at least we are now underway!

Dad has just finished these sketches of the Moose and Roadmans Cottages. Can't wait to get back to Barrier to start on our next cottage project!!

Weekend - Great Barrier Island | Television | NZ On Screen

I was stoked to come across this interview with Alice & George that was filmed at the Cottages. It has some great footage of the original gardens and Sunshine cottage We still have some of Alice's original rock paintings that she is showing off in this video

nzonscreen.com Weekend - Great Barrier Island - “The Barrier’s a hard country, but a very pretty country. Everybody who’s moved out here are individuals.” This presenter-free item from magazine show Weekend heads to the Hauraki Gulf outpost, to meet some rugged individuals. The show travels the unsealed ro...

Butterflies are finally up in the Sunshine cottage. Wallpapering was made a lot easier thanks to a few YouTube videos. On reflection there are maybe a few more butterflies on this wall than I anticipated