They found their dream home by accident. Now a devastating diagnosis is forcing them to sell

When Terry and Kathy Sheldrake went looking for a break from their busy lives in Gisborne, they had no idea a weekend away in a remote East Cape community would change their lives.

The couple, who are both former Gisborne district councillors, travelled to Whanarua Bay for a few days of peace and quiet.

They got that in the cottage on stilts – and a whole lot more.

“As we were leaving, we said to the then-owner, ‘We’ve had a great time. I’m sure we’ll be back.’ And she said, ‘Well, actually, it’s on the market,’” Kathy says.

The couple returned to Gisborne, put their own home on the market and waited.

“We said, ‘If it sells, it’s meant to be.’ And that’s what happened.”

They moved in 2021, swapping city life for a property bordering the Rākumara Ranges, with native bush behind them and sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean.

“We get deer and wild pigs that come out from the bush,” Kathy says. “But it’s very, very quiet. It’s good for the soul.”

The unusual, architecturally designed main house was built in the early 2000s, with its huge windows and high ceilings making the most of the spectacular setting.

“Every which way you have a view, which varies obviously from window to window,” Kathy says.

“We look out the back here, there’s a massive hill covered in native forest, and then out at the front of the house obviously is the view out over the Pacific Ocean.”

The couple had never worked in accommodation before but kept the nearby cottage as an ongoing Airbnb business. They quickly discovered they had a knack for hospitality.

“We found that we were really good at it,” Kathy says.

“We took to it very easily and we were duly rewarded. So it’s been fantastic.”

The accommodation went on to earn rave reviews from Airbnb guests.

Stuff Travel reporter Brook Sabin previously described it as one of the best bed and breakfasts he had stayed in, praising its bush setting and spectacular birdsong.

Kathy also transformed the outdoor spaces, creating a cottage-style garden setting around the mature orchard already on the property. She is particularly proud of her banana plantation.

But after several idyllic years in the Bay, 2026 has brought a devastating change of circumstances.

First, Kathy suffered a serious fall, breaking her knee and requiring surgery.

Just days later, Terry developed severe stomach pains. A neighbour found him collapsed in the kitchen and called an ambulance.

He was subsequently diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer.

“They told me … it’s terminal, and we’ll give you three to six months,” he says.

That was five months ago.

But the couple hasn’t let their circumstances get them down. Terry says many people wouldn’t realise he was sick.

“If you saw me face to face, I don’t even look ill.”

The couple had been through another property sale that ultimately fell through, and with Kathy recovering from her injury and Terry undergoing treatment and monitoring, they have now decided it is time to move closer to medical facilities.

“We’re going to miss the guests. Lots of repeats and a lot of international guests, which have been amazing,” Kathy says.

“We’ll miss the community. We’ll miss the views. We’ll miss everything really.”

The CV on 8344D State Highway 35 was $980,000 on June 1, 2025. Price is by negotiation and is listed with Tim O’Sullivan and Elain De Beer at Ray White.