Endsleigh Cottage

Every year, once a year, Rob and I hope and plan to go away together on our own. It hasn't always been possible, especially when the children were very young. It's quite a big thing to hand over 4 children to grandparents or other family or friends when they're not used to the noise and energy of children. But as they have grown and matured it has been easier to leave them and to find the time to go away.

This Queen's Birthday weekend we chose to go to Havelock North which is on the east coast of the North Island. When we had been married for about 18 months, we came to a quiet little Bed and Breakfast, which was quite a newly established business itself in those days. We had just lost our first baby due to late miscarriage and were making some pretty big decisions regarding our future, so we decided to take some time out and so we came to Endsleigh.

It was one of our most favourite, memorable holidays together, and we always said that we would come back..... look, here is our entry in the visitor's book back in 1999.

The house is situated in a privately-owned garden with two other cottages on the property that can be rented out. A smaller, honeymoon-type cottage and a larger house than our cottage for more than 2 guests. This house that we stayed in has been renovated and is beautifully kept and decorated simply inside, with authentic antiques.

Here is the hallway that leads out to the verandah where we like to have afternoon tea in the sun.

The master bedroom. I love the quaint light cord over the bed for turning it on and off.

Window seat. The rose is mine and the curtain was just crying out for a splash of red.

The gardens around the cottage are beautiful. I loved the lavendar along the back end of the house.

Don't you think this dining table would make a lovely still-life painting.

This was the cupboard with our breakfast and tea things.

And the pictures on the wall....

Outside we were kept company by Humphrey and Winston. The donkeys.

 

I would not recommend donkeys. They are very lovely but they are very noisy. 

But we didn't mind. Not really, because they're so interesting to look at. And really, very sweet.

At night we would light the fire and sit around it reading, talking, just relaxing. One night, instead of going out for dinner we made soup and toasted some bread for dinner. Lovely!

This is such a special place for us and last time we stayed here it marked the beginning of a new era for us. I wonder if this stay will have any significance for us? One thing for sure, we definitely want to go back before 14 years pass again.