My First Visit To Colac Bay

I was almost six when we shifted from Mataura to Colac Bay. It will always be “home”. I loved growing up in such a quiet, picturesque area. I explored and experienced a carefree childhood.

Colac Bay

I don’t remember visits to Colac Bay until our new house was being built during the summer of 1959/60. But Mum’s journal suggests we made numerous visits.

“When Anne was ten months old I decided I would like a holiday at Colac Bay so booked a cabin at the camping grounds. The cabins were all built in one block. We all had to share the kitchen and dining area. I was quite happy with it but Snow didn’t like it. But he did like the sea.”

A story Mum used to tell us does not appear in her writing. My whooping cough during that first visit to Colac Bay spurred Dad into action. All 5 of us in a little cabin with me coughing continuously probably wasn’t funny at the time, but Mum reciting the story years later sure made it funny. She told of Dad saying he was never having such a holiday again. If we were to come back to Colac Bay, an alternative to the cabins had to be found.

“Snow found out there was an old house for sale. A bus used to run from Colac Bay to Invercargill every day and the driver lived in this house. They had decided to stop the bus so wanted to sell the house. They wanted 400 pound for it and Snow offered them 390 pound and they took it. So we became owners of a house at Colac Bay with 3 acres of ground. We had the car by this time so were able to go to Colac for weekends and holidays. Some of Snow’s Gore relations spent a lot of time there. Also Ina and her family. We all enjoyed the sea and usually put our togs on with a towel and walked down the road to the beach then home again. Sun bathing was done in front of the house as it was a lovely sunny spot.”