Why Marly's Cottage?

We're Barb and Dave Milina, and we've taken on the job of restoring an old family cottage and garden at Ōtaki Beach.

Marly’s Cottage is named after Barb’s grandmother, Marly, who lived here for many years. Her parents, Major General Robert Young and Florence Young, seeking a quiet life, came to live here in 1932. It later passed to Marly and her husband, Bill Cooper, and then to Barb’s parents, Tim and Mary Cooper.

Since 1932 it has continued to be a welcoming place where extended family and friends have gathered to have fun.

Bringing the cottage back to life

The cottage and gardens have plenty of potential, but there is also quite a bit of work to do.

We're gradually renovating the cottage, restoring and developing the gardens, and working out how to make the most of the property while keeping its character and history.

Our hope is that Marly's Cottage will continue to be a place where people can stay, gather and celebrate.

That's how it has been used by our family for generations, and we'd like that to continue.

A new chapter

For Barb, moving to Ōtaki has also meant starting a new chapter professionally.

After several years as an EcoCelebrant and creating weddings at Warblers Retreat in Auckland, Barb stepped back from celebrancy while the family cottage became the focus.

Now, as the cottage develops, EcoCelebrant is returning in a new setting — with small weddings and elopements at Marly's Cottage.

For now, we're taking things one step at a time.

There's plenty to do, and we'll be sharing the progress along the way.

Follow our journey on social media.