On Saturday morning we joined a couple of friends for a walk from Kini Bay to Laurie’s Bay. It’s not a long walk, but definitely not easy if you are barefoot or in slops. The beach along the way may be beautiful, but the beach isn’t quite soft sand but rather mostly fine broken shells. It’s still worth it though. At the end of the beach you get to a collection of cottages right on the coastline and on the other side the best spot to go for a swim. Let’s get back to the cottages though. They are located on Laurie’s Bay, on private land and without any services. So what is the story behind the cottages and where does the name come from.
A couple years ago I read the comments on a Fb post about Laurie’s Bay and Nicky Lovemore Anema said that a piece of the land was given to Dr Douglas Laurie by her great grandparents, Harold and Esme Lovemore. Harold and Esme’s son, Colin, developed a very sore and swollen knee when he was about 4 years old and after many doctor’s visits, it was decided that he had to go to Johannesburg to have the leg amputated. By some miracle, Dr Laurie heard about this and asked if he could examine the leg. He examined both knees and the results showed a foreign object under the sore kneecap. After operating he found a mimosa thorn under the kneecap! Colin’s parents were naturally very relieved and very grateful. They invited Dr Laurie to choose a site on the coast where he could build himself a holiday home. Dr Laurie and the Lovemore’s became close friends and he delivered several of the present generation Lovemore’s. This is where Dr Laurie retired, and the bay was named after him – Laurie’s Bay. Colin Lovemore passed away in Feb 1991.
I’m not sure how old Colin was when he passed away, but I guess this all happened in the early 1900’s so that would be when the first cottages at Laurie’s Bay was built.
