In December 2016 the massif of Mt Cargill retreated and rotated. This was not in the tradition of Mt Taranaki, because Mt Cargill stood still.  It was us who moved. We moved from Normanby to our Camelot, at Ross Point in Broad Bay.

Six months earlier we’d discovered 37 Oxley Cres thanks to the sporadic purchase of an ODT and we visited during the following day’s open home.

Our house, built in 1996, is a two-storeyed, gentrified log cabin straddling a narrow, sloping, north-facing section 30 metres above Otago harbour.

Consistent with a mildly nautical theme, entry to the upper level front door is via a gangway.  There, one is greeted by a spectacular panoramic sweep from Grassy Point to the base of the Portobello peninsula.   Mihiwaka looms true north, conspicuous from the house’s bow which accommodates the dining area.  Our agent’s claim that this was the ultimate view for any Peninsula house rang true.

The open plan, upper-level living area of our ‘upside down’ house is entirely wood-lined, the walls featuring a mosaic of vertical and horizontal knotted and grainy 100 mm Oregon T&G.

On occupation day we quickly discovered how friendly and helpful our new neighbours were, and we’ve established great friendships within a community that shares our values. Some later attended and won a local pub quiz, despite naming themselves the ‘Oxleymorons’.

Our property had awaited landscaping, so we have been engaged in this satisfying and transformative project for the past six years and now feel fully assimilated.

By Ian Breeze