Observatory View Cottage - a place of pure escape

About Tanya

We are a family of five, three children at High School in Tuncurry My hubby grew up on a farm, I grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, needless to say, we had very different upbringings !! After living in residential areas of Sydney and moving around a little, we decided a property was a lovely option for our three children to grow up in and for my hubby to get back to his roots, his passion - the land !!

Why Tanya chose Firefly

We were looking for a rural property that was within a reasonable distance to beaches and the gorgeous bodies of water that spoil this region. So, like many, we looked and looked for the 'right' property and was a little disheartened when nothing really sat right with us. We saw properties that were move-in ready, some that needed a little touch here and there but just not 'us'. We completely disregarded this property to even inspect due to it's lack of photo's online. It caused us major apprehension when our local real estate agent said "I'm taking you up there" as, on paper, it had everything we were essentially looking for. The property, as suspected, was in total disrepair in every way. Buuuttt, there was 'something' about this property, something truly magical, it had SOUL, it had character and it was really unique. The old owner created an amazing home for their family but we could see when we met him though, he was ready to move on. We bought the property six years ago and have been working hard on it ever since (I don't think work ever stops on a property of any kind !!). Lets just say it has been a BIG project !! We have been able to create that same soulful feeling and give this property back is life which we are really proud of and even prouder to be in a position to share it with guests. When people come here, the common remark is 'It just feels good, has such a nice feel about it. There really is just something about this place'.

What makes this House unique

Well this property is just one-of-a-kind. It has a homemade Observatory (currently not in working order, hoping to restore one day!!). The old owner built the Observatory and all his telescopes he used in it, quite remarkable, don't you think ??!! So this property has THE ideal position for star gazing. On a clear night, the starry sky here is simply incredible, I still get amazed by it. When he moved, he left alot of his belongings, we found photo's of him building the structure with his kids helping (or maybe supervising, not sure lol ??!!). He was such an incredible man with many many interests ie astronomy (hence the observatory of course!!), mathematics, languages, music and photography (he built his own dark room too !!). His interests were evident in the books he left behind. These are displayed and available to you to have a look at in the cottage (please be careful with them if you do take a look). When I was 'restoring/renovating' the cottage, I tried to stay true to his interests and his passions. I reused/recycled alot of what was left on the property to make this property unique and with it's own style, not like any other.