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BACKGROUND
WhenBritishexpatJadeMcNabandher
Kiwihusband,Lyndon,gotmarriedin
2012,theyweredisappointedwiththelackof
weddingvenuesneartheirhomeinthe remote,
windsweptCatlinsinSouthOtago.
Sowhenthe130-year-oldPortMolyneux
Schoolcameupforsalea fewyearslater,the
couplejumpedatthechancetoturnit intoa
stylisheventsandweddingvenue.It helped
thatthebackdropis stunningwiththeproperty
encircledbylushgreenhillsononesideand
lappedbythewildPacificOceanontheother.
Buthavingbeenclosedfor 16 years,the
school buildings were in a bad way, as was
theneighbouringheadmaster’scottage,but
JadeandLyndoncouldseethebuildings’raw
potentialasa venueandaccommodation.
“Someonehadbeenlivinginthecottageand
it wasprettyrun-down,butmostof it was in its
originalcondition,”saysJade.
Thecouple,whometwhileworkingin
Canada’sskifields,werelivinghalfanhour’s
driveawayfromPortMolyneuxonLyndon’s
family’ssheepandbeeffarm.AndalthoughJade
enjoyedlifeonthefarm,theformerLondoner
missedhercareerasaninteriordesigner.
“Doingupthecottageandconvertingthe
schoolintoa weddingvenuewasa chanceto
use some of those design skills,” she says.
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