The rental home, above Papanui Inlet, from which Ms Duell’s tenant narrowly escaped last year, has been prevented from slipping into the water by vegetation. It has remained in place for the last 12 months and is too dangerous to return to. Ms Duell said EQC was still considering the property, and she was expecting it to be demolished later in the year.
Her tenant had been able to retrieve his belongings, but she and co-owner Kyle Davidson had not been able to salvage anything from the nearly fully-furnished cottage.
"We are absolutely gutted we’ve lost the cottage, gutted. I can’t say any more than that. It should never have happened."
The cottage, which was at least 60 years old, had "sentimental value" and was an important part of the history of the Cliff Bay community.
"It’s a kitchy little bach," Ms Duell said.
The property had not been affected by earlier rain events and the slip was unexpected, Ms Duell said last year.
The slip was one of several on Otago Peninsula hills which blocked roads and isolated residents.
Elsewhere on the peninsula, contractors continued clearing slips which had cut off residents for much of the weekend. Harington Point residents attempted to pump water from heavily flooded paddocks and yards.
