So iliana contacted an Opotiki estate agent and began to search for a comparable property in the area.  Some land bordering the property was being subdivided, but it wasn’t the same.  Many fruitless trips were made all around the place, often ending in the parking lot at the bottom of aurum’s drive where that day’s offerings were discussed, in full view of aurum.

Nothing came of that, so iliana began searching in Whakatane and Ohope.  A house was found in Ohope, an offer made and excepted.  But upon her return from a weekend trip to Auckland, despite the assurances of the realtor that the trip would in no way jeapordize the sale, iliana found that the owners had sold the house to someone else, illegal as though that might have been.  Never mind, there must be something better to be found.

And so there was.  A beautiful section at Ohope.  Negotiations began with the owners, now living in Hawaii.  Telephone calls and faxes bearing figures.  Trips to council and valuers involved, and the negotiations nearing the end, the last set of figures back and forth.  But the wife answered the final phone call and put an abrupt end to the sale.  This was a stunning property with a wonderful location, and it hardly seemed possible, but there must be something even better to come.

As over a year had passed at this point, iliana returned to the Opotiki agent to explore further afield.  One trip yielded nothing, but a second trip was planned for the following Tuesday afternoon.  On Monday, iliana discovered an unusual house at West End in Ohope, and made an offer.  Tuesday morning the offer was accepted, with the stipulation that the deposit be made Wednesday morning at 9:30.  Agreeing, iliana rang the Opotiki agent to cancel the afternoon’s outing.  His wife answered: "You mean he’s not been in touch with you?" "No, why?" "He had some news that you would be excited about."  Iliana knew that he knew what would excite her.  "But if you’ve not heard from him by 8 tonight, he won’t be able to ring you until 10:30, as the projectionist in Opotiki is ill and he has to show tonight’s movie." 

10:30’s phone call came, a mere 11 hours before the deposit on the West End house was due.  The lovely couple had decided to sell, to shorten their list of 6 prospective buyers to 1, and were willing to sell to iliana if the family with first refusal rights should refuse. 

Iliana rang her Ohope realtor the next morning to explain developments.  Had she bought the West End property, she would have had to wait until the end of the summer to move in, to give the elderly owner time to make other arrangements.  So she asked the owner to wait a week to see if her dream property was available, and the time was extended. 

The prospective buyers with first refusal were to visit Ohiwa over the weekend.  The weather was perfection, the sea sparkling constantly.  But on Sunday night about 5 pm the phone call came: the house was too small for the family.  Iliana instructed the realtor to drive now to the property and meet her there, and within 30 minutes had signed the purchasing agreement. 

Iliana had little doubt that she had found her New Zealand home.  Clearly, it was meant to be.

and i thought the sea was breathtakingly beautiful yesterday — you should see it today!  but i digress.

sickened by the scenes of the japanese slaughter of whales on television, a group of local environmentalists and artists assembled today at waiotahi beach, just east of ohiwa and the home of the annual new year’s day beach sculpture competition, and sculpted a life-size (or larger) whale, with a sign protesting the continuing, "sanctioned" activity of japanese whalers.

it is just by the two tall totem-like sculptures for which the beach is known, if you are local and wish to have a look.

i had to go into town to courier some belongings which one of my guests left behind, and to buy you some fancy soaps, bath salts and lotions for the bathrooms. i had a look at the massive sculpture on the way through; it is impressive, and a strong statement of whale love.

that’s today’s news.  more tomorrow…

now for some breaking news… 

the quite decent waves are rolling in and peeling right off.  it’s a beautiful sight, even for a non-surfer like me.

now is the time to go for a surf:  the end of the summer, no crowds on ohiwa beach (though neighbouring ohope beach is still quite packed out).

if you are one of those who surfs for the solitude among other reasons, now is the time to visit aurum at ohiwa beach!!  the pacific beckons!!

iliana moved to new zealand in 1990, following her heart.  no choice, really, as she had left it in new zealand after her first visit december of 1988. as she says, "i wasn’t born in new zealand but i came as soon as i could."

upon her arrival in new zealand in september of 1990, she lived in a flat in a nursing home operated by her employer until she located a house to rent at ohope beach, the beach just west of ohiwa beach where she now lives.  she had never had the luxury of living at the ocean; it was a thrill.

friends from ohope invited her to a picnic the day after christmas on a neighboring beach.  after enjoying a picnic beneath beautiful pohutukawa trees on the beach, it was time to go.  walking back up the rise to the parking lot, she looked across the road and saw a cottage tucked away in native pohutukawa bush; it was love at first sight. 

one day a few months later, she returned to the parking lot. she had decided to meet the owners of the cottage and request that they keep her name and number in the event they ever wished to sell this charming property.  she didn’t get very far when she had what was to her a most unusual experience. 

when she reached the gate, she clearly heard a voice speak to her.  "we are so glad you have finally come.  we have been waiting so long for you to arrive."

there was no one around, and she realized the speaker wasn’t there in a physical sense.  this was quite surprising. (the last sentence is an understatement.)

feeling most welcome by she didn’t know whom, she proceeded up the hill to the cottage, where a lovely english couple greeted her.  they quickly bid her farewell when she told them why she had come.  they had no intentions of moving but if they ever should want a change, they had a list with 6 people on it already waiting for them to leave.  this list was long enough already, good day.

quite a contrast between the experience at the bottom of the hill  and that at the top…

new zealand’s busiest holiday season is from boxing day till mid january.  this past monday, most shops opened back up and some small businesses resumed their activities.  tomorrow, most new zealanders return to work.  summer, however, continues for another six to eight weeks.  often when i walk our long sandy beach, i am the only one on it.  2.5 miles of pristine beach, with stunning waves just calling one to dive through.

i personally haven’t had too much beach time lately, but yesterday i was able to go with a guest for a 2 mile walk.  the dry sand was too hot to walk on barefoot and required jandals, but the wet sand was just right. 

the oyster catcher that was just ahead of us for much of our walk was reflected in the wet sand, doubling the lengths of his long bright orange bill and legs.  pipis (native shellfish) in the sand, on which the oyster catcher was likely feeding.  the river right where i had left it the last time i walked, whenever that was.  the volcanos majestic and still.  clouds and sun reflected in the wet sand on our way home, while the aqua of the sea shone in a new-for-me way from some favorite shells.  heartfelt conversation had the perfect setting.  renewed, we prepared our evening’s barbeque. 

my kayaking friends went for a roll in the waves, caught on camera for future laughs.  a good day.

what will your day be like when you come?

i first met rowan when he gave me a quote to repair earthquake damage to concrete structures. that was before construction began on what are now the three guestrooms.

i was impressed by rowan, the conscientious manner in which he calculated the costs and his courtesy and consideration of his client.  here was a tradesman who cares. and one who is a self-professed perfectionist, as well as a devout Christian.  and rowan just oozes integrity.

so there was no question about who to call for my concreting.  and a fine job he and his crew did, too.

rowan subsequently started up his own business in ohope, specializing in decorative concrete.  we hadn’t quite finished here, so i stayed with rowan, now The Beach Crew  (he is located at a beach, and he and his crew are all keen surfers).

so one day my phone rings, and it’s rowan.  "hi, iliana, it’s rowan here.  look, i’ve got your final statement and want to bring it out to you today.  and i’d like to do some work for you, since you’ve given me such a lot of business."  (and i have, vast amounts of concrete driveway!)  so out he comes.  he seems to arrive on exceptionally hot days… and he starts repairs on the concrete retaining walls around my clotheslines.  he didn’t finish and is going to work another day here, too. 

so thank you, dear rowan.  and if anyone locally is reading this and needs a fabulous tradesman, just ring rowan @ The Beach Crew, ohope beach.

this is just another chapter in the "built with love" segment of the aurum story.

i am blessed.

Love has built aurum retreat for you.

The visionary, architect and builder is a man of great love, a Sufi practitioner and teacher. He has built the building and also built up many a tradesman and visitor as well, in addition to his apprentice who was with us last year.  His loving presence has permeated every inch of the property, and his love has helped sustain me in this journey. 

The aurum property was bought from an English couple who poured great love into the gardens.  The upper room was once a meditation room, the site of yoga retreats and Dances of Universal Peace and moving meditations and prayer.   I was welcomed here with great love in 1990, and was allowed to purchase the property in 1992.  Since 1995 it has served as a spiritual retreat.  And now it is time to welcome all here, and in a more beautiful, more comfortable/luxurious setting. Peace. Beauty.  Love is all around.

There’s a lot more to this story, and it may include you one day…

i’m baking again.  guests who arrive are treated to chocolate yummies, or yummy chocolate. 

which goes down nicely with an espresso, which i have finally mastered.  (i find it amusing.  before i couldn’t get the milk to foam to save me; now i can’t imagine it not becoming silky with bubbles.  i don’t even try, it just happens of its own accord.)

today’s version of chocolate yummies is what i call my "adult" cake, with bourbon and ground almonds, topped with a rich ganache with espresso.

now i have a table with an umbrella at which to drink and eat and feast on the views.  what a glorious day it is.

i went into my lounge to get something and it stopped me in my tracks. the light reflected by by the beautiful calm pacific.  shimmering?  sparkling?  i have a word for it, liquid light, but even that didn’t say it.  there was too much movement; glimmering? dancing? well, dancing was the closest…  and then i saw it was like the light shining from an elegant evening gown covered in sequins when the beautiful woman wearing it moves gracefully. 

every day i see it, the sea.  but its beauty is fresh and changing and still has the power to stand me still, speechless, in awe.  to return me to my Self, my centre, my silent Home.

come and see the sea with me.

peaceful, spacious, expansive views.  understated luxury, modern appliances and exquisite bedding blend with country antiques in relocated cottage with wraparound deck. originally a "sleepout" with enough room for one single bed and the ability to walk around 3 sides of it, then expanded to a shed for processing local pohutukawa honey,  then possibly serving as a sleepout/respite for teenage boys from violent homes, providing them a safe and calm place to do their schoolwork, and then serving as a shed, then deteriorating, which is when i bought it.

a bit of love was all it needed.  it began a new life as a much more spacious sleepout, then as a venue for meditation and prayer, and various spiritual workshops, marae style. it has also served as a bit of a honeymoon sleepout for more than several couples.  and then it was reinvented as an art gallery for a local collective of artists, a successful and rewarding experience in its time.  while lovely in its bush setting, it got little sun.

i hatched the plan of adding a toilet & shower and a kitchen sink & bench/counter and renting it out.  well, one thing led to another, and the"whare" as it was lovingly known was relocated to a sunny, treetop "possie" (position) and a new tiled bathroom built alongside it, and the upper room was created.  it has had a new gas cooktop and a convection/microwave/grill oven added for the new year.

also new this year is the day spa next door…

and the lovely bush bath awaits, with the stars and moon above, the estuary and sea below…

come on, you deserve it.