Now, 67 years later, the now-disused crib’s been transported by Kings House Removals back to Southland, where it’ll be positioned on the Otatara property it was built on.
It was built by the late Ivan Bulling, who’d recently started his furniture business, for his parents-in-law Gertrude and Arthur Hobbs — a home movie shows it negotiating the Devil’s Staircase and Kawarau Bridge on its way to Queenstown.
The crib subsequently became a regular holiday home for four generations of the same family.
"I can remember going up as kids and running off down to the camp playground," Bulling’s son Ross says.
At some point the one-bedroom crib was repositioned to make way for an amenities block — in the process its stone chimney was removed.
After the campground was decommissioned and the council purchased the cabins, Ross says he registered his interest in reclaiming his one.
"One door has been damaged and it was boarded up with plywood, but it’s got good bones."
Once it’s done up, Ross says he’ll locate it on the Oreti River terrace, looking west towards the setting sun.
"It will have a hot tub or spa pool on a deck."
