“There was a magic about the sea. People were drawn to it. People wanted to love by it, swim in it, play in it, look at it. It was a living thing that as unpredictable as a great stage actor: it could be calm and welcoming, opening its arms to embrace it's audience one moment, but then could explode with its stormy tempers, flinging people around, wanting them out, attacking coastlines, breaking down islands. It had a playful side too, as it enjoyed the crowd, tossed the children about, knocked lilos over, tipped over windsurfers, occasionally gave sailors helping hands; all done with a secret little chuckle” Four days at Rosedale and the bonds of town life are released. Endless exploration, painting, photography, reading, eating and drinking have stripped the mind back to the eternal. The inlets of Rosedale and Guerrilla Bay invite both an introspective mood and a more expansive one-the infinite ying and yang. The inside of our most beautiful beach house, all wood, white and harmony and the outside, noisy with bird and animal life, disordered and changing.
“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”
We have eaten well - Tyler’s at Malua Bay and Mogo fueled our days and nights. Tyler’s at Mogo has great coffee and breakfasts, a pared back elegance and an inviting ambience. Large wooden tables and benches. The staff are friendly, the service prompt. Tyler’s at Malua Bay is formal, white starched tablecloths and serviettes, a roaring log fire, a delicious Spanish Tempranillo and food of wonderful quality.
There are artists aplenty enjoying the quietude of the south coast-painters, sculptors, printers, potters and jewelers. At Mogo you can find the most beautiful hand made objects and see the workplaces they were made in. Juela is a great place to browse and find bespoke jewelry. It is always a pleasure to see artists in their studios and hear them speak of their art.
The days were warm and azure the sea shades of green, grey and blue. The sand fine, clean, squeaky and soft. The skies ranged from the brilliant ultramarine to dark, grey and ominous. The rockpools an abundance of life and eddying water. Sitting on the beach each evening with a glass of wine or beer and watching the skies change and the light intensify and then fall is reality at its best. The sounds and smells of the ocean and the knowledge of the inviting log fire beckoning back at the house.
“In still moments by the sea life seems large-drawn and simple. It is there we can see into ourselves.”
