Clee Cottage, surrounded by mature trees just back from the edge of Bremner Bay on Lake Wanaka, was named after Clee Hills in Shropshire, England, family home of the original owner, Harry Kidson. Mr Kidson and his wife, Laurie shared a passion for nature and the unique beauty of Lake Wanaka.

Their dream to build Clee Cottage began in the 1940s. Having purchased a large tract of land at Bremner Bay, Mr Kidson, an amateur naturalist, trekked all around the district for several years, carefully selecting stones for their shape, colour and texture.

In 1945, he employed Miller and White, Architects of Dunedin and the task of building was assigned to George Burgess, a stone mason who hailed from the Orkney Islands north of Scotland.
Time has only added to the beauty of his work.

White painted metal frame windows and old imported roof tiles add to the quaint look of the cottage and outside a log hut, which serves as the tool shed, was salvaged from the construction of the Haast Highway in the 1930s.

Originally one of the few dwellings in Bremner Bay, the cottage sat on a rise open to panoramic views and Mrs Kidson, with her wide knowledge of plants, began creating the landscape around it. Planting, including some magnificent tree specimens chosen for their autumn colour, followed the natural contours of the land. Flowers were allowed to seed with new plants springing up where they fell and today Laurie Kidson's original concept remains.

Mr Kidson was recognised for his efforts to beautify Wanaka and his name was proposed for what would eventually become Pembroke Park near the town centre.

As early as 1953 Clee Cottage was renowned for its beauty as this quote from Irvine Roxburgh's "Wanaka Story" attests:
"The day had not yet arrived when Wanaka would become one of the most enviable places in which to retire. There were of course some beautiful residences. Some, built of stone gathered locally - such as J.P.Kidson's or A.H. Elmslie's - blended with their surroundings in a remarkable way..."

In time the Kidson's daughter, Hilary Taylor, was to inherit Clee Cottage who in turn passed it on to her four children.

It was only in 2001 that the cottage left the family and was sold to the current owners.
They have undertaken sympathetic renovations to enlarge the cottage and bring it up to modern standards of warmth and comfort without detracting from its original charm.

And the Kidsons' grand daughter-in-law still tends the grounds.