The Rose Bay Homestead
 4 Bedrooms | 5 Beds | 1.5 Bath | Accommodates 13

Step back in time to enjoy the warmth and charm of an authentic Homestead with all the modern amenities. The Rose Bay Homestead is 32 acres of forest and fields on the Atlantic Ocean. You can wander back behind the house through the fields to discover forested trails, or walk from the front of the house across the road, where another field takes you down to a sheltered cove, perfect for canoeing, tide-pooling, or watching the sunset from the Boathouse deck. For event rentals, please email rent@oversea.ca.

The Rose Bay Homestead is ideal for a large family, or multiple families who love nature and outdoor fun. It’s a 4 minute drive to two of the best beaches in NS: Hirtle’s Beach and Kingsburg Beach, 2 min drive to Sand Dollar Beach, and 1 min to the Rose Bay General Store and Café. It’s a 15 min drive to historic Lunenburg, the UNESCO World Heritage Site with restaurants and shopping, and only a 1.5 hour drive from the Halifax International Airport. How perfect!

The Farmhouse: This 150-year-old Farmhouse is in excellent condition inside and out. Facing the ocean, the house comfortably sleeps 9 people (13 including the sofa beds). Upstairs offers 3 bedrooms: 2 rooms each have a queen bed, dresser and sitting area, 1 smaller room has a double bed, dresser, and closet. There is a full bathroom located upstairs with a bay window, double sink, vanity, large bathtub and shower combination (with whirlpool option).  On the main floor, a long 4th bedroom doubles as a den, sleeping 5 with a bunk bed (single over double) and a sofa that pulls out into a double bed.  The den also offers a smart screen TV, Blu-Ray, DVD and VCR (Netflix and a large Blu-Ray, DVD and VHS collection included).  The living room, dining room, and kitchen follow an open concept floor plan.  The living room also has two sofa beds that pull out into double beds, an oak table, a sound system that hooks into a computer or iPod, a quality library, puzzles, games, and kids’ toys and books, and an ocean view. The dining room seats 14, with a server cabinet and a china cabinet at either end, and French doors opening onto the back deck. The sunny, south-facing deck runs the length of the house at the back. It is equipped with a BBQ, tables, chairs, and umbrellas for outdoor dining. The kitchen is fully equipped for those who love to cook.  Household appliances include: full fridge and extra half fridge, chest freezer, microwave, electric stove and oven, dishwasher, coffee makers of every style including a Keurig, kettle, toaster, blender, food processor, handheld mixer, washing machine and drier, iron and ironing board, and several vacuum cleaners. The laundry nook is off the kitchen hall and contains a half bathroom (toilet and sink).  Linens and towels are provided but guests should bring their own beach towels and plastic beach drop-cloth and blankets if desired.  A clothesline is located in the backyard for drying beach towels and bathing suits. There are numerous window fans and stand-alone fans for the hottest days, though the breeze off the ocean keeps things fairly comfortable throughout the summer. Heating in fall and winter is provided by an oil furnace with forced air throughout the house, electric baseboard heaters are located in top floor rooms to boost the heat, making it a cozy vacation rental year-round. There is WiFi throughout the house and compact office work stations in the den and master bedroom. There is a fire circle and Adirondack chairs to enjoy campfires in the backyard as well as a couple of picnic tables for lunches under the shade of maple trees.

The Barn: The Barn is available for storing bikes (rentals obtainable in Lunenburg) and there is an arts and crafts centre for kids of all ages (art supplies are provided for use) as well as a rustic “clubhouse hangout” for rainy days.  The Barn does have electricity with lighting and electrical outlets around the craft center, and we supply a jug of water and a wash basin for cleanup, as there is no running water in the barn. Beach gear and lawn games are also provided and stored in the barn.

The Boathouse and Option to Rent Canoe and Kayaks: A short walk across the road takes you down to the water’s edge where there is a rocky beach and the old Boathouse. It has a small deck with table, chairs, and small BBQ to enjoy a meal with a view of the water, as well as a fire circle for bonfires by the rocky beach. There is an option to rent our two kayaks, one canoe, paddles, life jackets, and safety equipment for an additional fee of $100 per week with a signed rental agreement and waivers for every person in your party. Canoes and Kayaks may also be rented in Lunenburg. We recently outfitted the old boathouse as a rustic “Glamping” (“glamorous camping”) site. There is a four-posted mahogany double bed (with fresh bedding in a plastic tub), a velveteen Victorian sofa, oriental carpets, outfitted camp kitchen complete with Coleman propane gas stove, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, plates, bowls, cutlery, and a makeshift sink for washing hands and dishes. Bottled drinking water is provided. There is an outhouse and solar shower out back, and between the trees, a hammock by the ocean completes your glamping experience!

The Teepee: When our friend, Mi’kmaq elder Joe Michael, suggested we get a teepee for our Rose Bay Homestead as a meeting place for cross-cultural sharing, we thought it was a great idea. We asked our mutual friend, Mi’kmaq elder Danny Paul, to order our teepee for us. All the way from an Indigenous company in western Canada, it is an 18-foot diameter canvas teepee, complete with a liner for use in colder weather. Danny Paul also cut, cured, and peeled the teepee poles from his own land up in Cape Breton. Then he delivered the canvas and poles and taught us how to pitch the teepee. We are most grateful. Every summer we set up the teepee with a double bed, a sofa that folds out into another double bed, two single bed cots with cushions, a love seat, chair, circle of candles on a mirror in the center, carpets on the floor, and solar twinkle lights around the inside of the teepee. The teepee sleeps six people comfortably. Bedding is stored in bins under the cots and mosquito nets for each bed ensure a night of un-pestered sleep. Behind the teepee there is an outhouse. In the field out front there is fire circle and chairs for a campfire. In our library in the farmhouse, you can learn more about the Indigenous cultures who have been caretakers of our Earth for time immemorial. We also recommend a visit to Kejimkujik National Park to learn more https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/culture/autochtone-indigenous/mikmaq

The Property: Behind the house is a large field from which a lovely trail leads deep into the forest to a hunter’s blind (not currently safe to climb, so please refrain). The property backs onto the Lower LaHave Commons, a forested conservation area, which affords a great expanse of contiguous habitat for 3 wildlife like deer, fox, coyote, porcupine, snowshoe hare, a diversity of birdlife, and very rarely a sighting of bear or cougar. We restored the old Mossman homestead by purchasing two separate parcels of land divided by Kingsburg Road (the “farm” and the “ocean” lots).  Original farmsteads with acreage, deep forest, water views and ocean access are becoming difficult to find – and ours is less than fifteen minutes from historic Lunenburg!  Our goal is to provide an opportunity for families to relax, reconnect with nature and with each other during a summer of fun that will linger a lifetime in memory.