The story of Wyuna Magic
By Bachchat staff
April 1965: Wyuna Bay Peninsula
May 1982: the arrival of caravans, electricity and, of course, lawns to mow
July 1988: The house site, caravan, our original green cabin
August 1988: Inside the lounge showing views and internal wood finish ceiling
June 1989: Lower terrace level where the first fruit trees were planted
Photos: The Mayhead family
Beverley Mayhead's Coromandel beach house has been in the family for generations
My grandfather was a surveyor for part of his life and purchased Wyuna Bay Peninsula when it was still farmland. Eventually he put in a road and subdivided. He offered a section to each of his children and my father is the only one that kept his.
I was born in 1962 and we regularly ventured to the Coromandel for holidays, each time heavily laden with whanau, food and equipment. The kids scarpered to explore, not to be seen until meal times, while our parents worked.
The section was eventually cleared, bulldozed into terraces, caravans and tents arrived, then we upgraded to a small cabin. I still don't know how mum, dad and five kids fitted in, but we did! Electricity arrived and campfires remained.
My parents, the late Ronald David Mayhead and Kaye Freda Mayhead, spent time developing the grounds and my eldest brother built a beautiful retirement home for them. This became our family home. The original cabin still exists.
My parents lived in their paradise for a few short years, and when Dad died in 2002, a legacy had been created.
Time moves on, but our children have enjoyed doing the same things we used to do here, and soon it will be their children who do.
Dad had made various maps of the section for future reference. One shows the variety of trees that were planted, stating what, where, when, where purchased and the cost! The earliest recording was 1985. All the fruit trees are now extremely well established and fruit abundantly.
Only the top level of the house is available for rent, so others can enjoy the special magic that Wyuna Magic weaves. It consists of open-plan kitchen/lounge/dining, two bedrooms, bathroom, laundry, toilet plus double garage.
Downstairs are two rooms, the smaller set up as our ‘family museum’ so we can all look back over our life and have a good laugh at ourselves.
By Beverley Mayhead
